Hasselback Sweet Potatoes with Aged Gouda – Maple Syrup Glaze

These “fanned” sweet potatoes simply bake in the oven with a syrupy, maple glaze. Tuck garlic in the crevices and sprinkle with fresh rosemary. I love adding a touch of grated, aged gouda cheese on top – your Thanksgiving company will scream”YUM!”

SEE MY FAVORITE THANKSGIVING RECIPES BELOW!

Not your typical mashed sweet potatoes with marshmallows – aren’t we ready for an update? This one looks fancy – but is actually easy to pull together. A perfect side dish alongside the holiday turkey, gravy, vegetables and cranberry sauce – the staples of a Thanksgiving feast. Roasted potato flavor teams with a smack of maple goodness, mellow garlic, piney rosemary and nutty melted cheese.

Hasselback Potatoes are the Swedish version of baked potatoes. These baked sweet potato “fans” were popularized as the namesake dish of the restaurant at the Hasselbacken Hotel in Stockholm, Sweden.

Here’s the method: Slice the peeled potatoes in 1/4” intervals, not quite through the bottom. Wooden stirrers or chopsticks lay beside the potatoes when cutting, this will prevent you from cutting too far through the potato. Place in a baking pan to fit with a glaze of maple syrup, extra virgin olive oil and cinnamon. Bake covered until softened. The potatoes will beautifully fan-out. Fill the crevices with chopped garlic and freshly chopped rosemary.

Bake a second time until the glaze is syrupy and the potatoes are bursting with flavor and fully cooked. Top with an aged, nutty, grated L’Amuse gouda cheese and bake until bubbly.

Can make a few days ahead – phew!

Why I chose this cheese: L’Amuse Gouda from Holland, is a nutty, salty, caramel-y creation which matures in mild temperatures and aged up to two years. This hard cheese (yet softer than many aged cheeses) has a spectacular texture that is velvety and melts in the mouth. Some describe it’s fully rounded flavor as “nutty and salty with hints of burnt caramel ending with a complex, long finish”, and “the aroma shows roasted notes such as hazelnut and caramel with some meaty and cellar notes.” Cheese aficionados surely have a way with words, similar language to that of coffee connoisseurs. Sommeliers describe tasting notes, and the “nose” of wine, so for us who love cheese – savor this lovely cheese, and identify your personal tasting notes. What I know for sure –L’Amuse Gouda melts beautifully and pairs perfectly with hasselback sweet potatoes! Pass some French Bordeaux or Cabernet Franc please.

Wishing all a joyous and tasty Thanksgiving,
Karen