Hasselback Sweet Potatoes give you a chance to mix things up when you’ve had rice, baked potatoes, and quinoa in (too) frequent rotation. Ron doesn’t typically like sweet potatoes – he finds them to be bland and unappealing. I suppose I could make whipped sweet potatoes or sweet potatoes with marshmallows to tart them up. Ron might like them if I did, but I haven’t had to go there because these Hasselback Sweet Potatoes hit the mark for both of us.
Which is not to say that I serve them unadorned. The slices create crevices meant to be packed with flavor. Butter, of course – that goes without saying. But how about serving with a generous serving of Maple Chili Crisp? Guacamole with sour cream and cilantro? Scallions and tahini lime sauce?
PREP NOTE – There is a trick to slicing these Hasselback Sweet potatoes. You don’t want to cut all the way through the potato – you want to create petals that you can fan out. Not only is the presentation stunning, the slices allow you to build pockets of flavor. To do this, place a potato on your cutting board, and lay a wooden spoon along each side the potato, using the handles of the wooden spoons as “stops” when slicing through the potato. This ensures that each cut is precisely to the same depth on the sweet potato.
Hasselback Sweet Potatoes
Equipment
- 2 wooden spoons
- Air Fryer
Ingredients
- 2 sweet potatoes
- 2 T Butter (divided)
Instructions
- Wash and slice the sweet potatoes – Wash the potatoes and trim off any gnarly bits. Make 1/4 inch slices across each potato, being careful not to cut all the way through.
- Prep potatoes and preheat air fryer – Melt 1 T of butter in the microwave, and brush it on each of the potatoes, fanning out the slices a bit. Preheat the air fryer to 400℉.
- Bake – Wrap the potatoes in aluminum foil, and bake them for 30 minutes. Un wrap the potatoes, melt another T of butter, and brush the potatoes again, then bake for another 20-30 minutes, or until the potatoes are cooked through.
- Garnish and Serve – Garnish and serve while still warm.
For those of you who, like me, may need a primer, here’s a link to an interesting overview from Martha Stewart on the differences between yams and sweet potatoes, and a bit of history of the two very different vegetables.