By Jodee Weiland

Some people feel that having a potato with a meal is going to cause weight gain, but the reality is that it isn’t the potato that does this. What does this is what we put on those potatoes and how much we have. One way to avoid adding the wrong things to potatoes is a healthy hasselback potato made using olive oil and seasonings that will add all the flavor you need. A hasselback potato done right needs very little salt or none at all because the flavor will come from the seasonings. And if you want a potato with some cheese flavor, have a hasselback potato sprinkled with grated Parmesan Reggiano cheese. Done this way, my Healthy Parmesan Hasselback Potatoes are both delicious and healthy!

Eaten as baked and seasoned in the recipe, these hasselback potatoes will be both delicious and healthy. It’s when people add sour cream, butter, bacon bits, some higher calorie cheeses, and more that you have problems. Hasselback potatoes done using this recipe don’t need all those additional toppings, because they will taste wonderful without them. You won’t even miss the idea of butter when you use an extra virgin olive oil, as I do in this recipe. You really don’t even need extra salt, and if you do use the sea salt, be sure to do so lightly because the Parmesan cheese has salt as well. Once you try potatoes this way, you will be a believer for sure!

Healthy Parmesan Hasselback Potatoes

• 4 large russet potatoes or potatoes of your choice
• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• Sea salt and ground black pepper to taste
• Paprika to taste
• Onion powder to taste
• Garlic powder to taste
• 4 tablespoons Parmesan Reggiano cheese grated to taste
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped chives

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Wash and scrub the potato skins well with a vegetable brush. Dry the potatoes and slice them across the width 1/8″ to 1/4″, but do not cut through the potato. Stop your slice before cutting all the way through creating a sliced potato with the bottom still in one piece. Place the potatoes in a baking dish that has been sprayed lightly with olive oil. With a food brush, brush about half the olive oil over the top of the four potatoes. Lightly sprinkle the potatoes with sea salt and black pepper to taste. Bake at 425 degrees for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, remove the potatoes from the oven to brush them once again with the remainder of the olive oil. Sprinkle the onion powder, garlic powder, and paprika over the potatoes to taste. Remember to season lightly because a little bit goes a long way with flavor.  Bake for another 20 minutes or longer if needed to bake thoroughly.

After 20 minutes, check to see if the potatoes are almost done. If not, bake for 5 to 10 minutes longer. Then remove from the oven and sprinkle the potatoes with Parmesan Reggiano cheese. Put them back into the oven and finish baking for another 10 minutes longer. When done, sprinkle the tops with fresh chopped chives and serve.

My Healthy Parmesan Hasselback Potatoes are both delicious and healthy! Serve them with a few fresh chopped chives sprinkled across the top. These potatoes go well with any meat, poultry, or fish entree and another vegetable. We love them because they are very tasty and healthy at the same time. We never need to add on any extras to these potatoes because they are full of great flavor. Give them a try, and enjoy!