Recipe Review: The Best Almost Hasselback Potato Gratin

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There are two types of people in this world: those who love the crispy, golden edges of a roasted potato, and those who live for the creamy, cheesy center of a classic gratin.

Usually, you have to choose a side. But after seeing this technique from J. Kenji López-Alt on NY Cooking, I realized I didn't have to. Enter: the Almost Hasselback Potato Gratin.

By standing the potato slices upright rather than layering them flat, you get a beautiful 'fan' effect that catches the heat for a perfect crunch, while the bottom bathes in a rich, garlicky cream. It’s elegant, a little bit 'extra,' and exactly the kind of comfort food that deserves a spot on your table.

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If you’ve spent any time in the digital food world, you know the name J. Kenji López-Alt. As a columnist for The New York Times and the mastermind behind The Food Lab, Kenji has turned home cooking into a delicious science. With over 70 recipes on NYT Cooking and a massive following on his YouTube series, Kenji’s Cooking Show, he’s known for testing every variable until a dish is perfected. This Almost Hasselback Potato Gratin is one of his most viral creations—a dish that proved to the internet that architecture matters just as much as ingredients.

📌 The Recipe Snapshot

Recipe Source: J. Kenji López-Alt / NY Times Cooking
Dish Type: Side Dish
Time to Prep/Cook: Total about 2 hours
Servings: 6
Difficulty Level: Easy with the right tools (See my recs below)
Key Ingredient(s): Potatoes, cheese

🍽️ The Honest Review: Taste, Texture, and Technique

• Taste Profile: Rich and creamy, and pairs nicely with a tangy salad, or refreshing New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc

• Texture Talk: Having the potatoes upright like a hasselback creates this incredible crispy top, with the bottoms soaking up all the sauce. A nice change for your classic gratin.

• Technique & Practicality: Ingredients are simple, and can easily subsitute to make vegan. Recipe is is easy to follow. It helps to have a mandolin on hand to keep the potato slices equally thin.

• "Keeps Well" Factor: If there’s any left, keeps well the next day and easily microwaved.

👩‍🍳 Our Delicious Tweaks & Why We Made Them

• Gratin isn’t always the healthiest. Veganizing a dish is a great way to make things healthy (allergy-dependent, of course). So instead of heavy cream and cheese, we made a cashew cream with nooch and used coconut milk instead of heavy cream. Recipe follows

• I added some red pepper flakes for heat

• Substituting white potato for a sweet would be great here, too! The saucy umami and heat would pair nicely with a sweeter starch.

⭐ The Verdict: Would We Make It Again?

Absolutely! This dish is just another great way to give white potatoes more hype. Despite the time-consuming step of slicing the potatoes, this really comes together in no time, and since you’re putting it in the oven, you can move on to other items.

Recipe Scorecard (Rate out of 5)

Ease of Execution: 3
Flavour & Balance: 4
"Wow" Factor: 4
Value (Time/Cost): 3
Overall Score: 3.5

The Final Word: Yes or No?

• YES! more Yes! This side dish is a winner! Perfect for a fancy veggie side to bring to any dinner or serve with your main. Before serving, you can top with your cheese and bake a final round in the oven for a nice gooey finish.

Hasselback potato gratin, potato side dish, NYT Cooking potatoes, crispy potato recipe, creamy gratin.

Side dish

Yield: 6

Author: Janel Damiani

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Hasselback Potato Gratin

By standing the potato slices upright rather than layering them flat, you get a beautiful 'fan' effect that catches the heat for a perfect crunch, while the bottom bathes in a rich, garlicky cream. It’s elegant, a little bit 'extra,' and exactly the kind of comfort food that deserves a spot on your table.

Prep time: 30 MinCook time: 1 H & 30 MTotal time: 2 Hour

Cook modePrevent screen from turning off

Ingredients

• 3 ounces finely grated Gruyère
• 2 ounces finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 2 medium cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, roughly chopped
• 1 tsp or more red pepper flakes
• Kosher salt and black pepper
• 4 to 4½ pounds russet potatoes, peeled and sliced ⅛-inch thick on a mandoline slicer (7 to 8 medium, see Tip)
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Instructions

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position, preheat to 400F degrees.
2. Combine cheeses in a large bowl. Transfer ⅓ of the cheese mixture to a separate bowl and set aside for after.
3. Add cream, garlic, thyme and pepper flakes to the cheese mixture. Season generously with salt and pepper. Add potato slices and toss with your hands until every slice is coated with cream mixture, making sure to separate any slices that are sticking together to get the cream mixture in between them. This will be a bit messy, but make sure your slices are covered
4. Grease a 2-quart casserole dish with butter. Take a bunch of potatoes in your hands and organize them so they're stacked, and add them to the dish upright vertically. Continue placing potatoes in the dish, working around the perimeter and into the center until all the potatoes have been added. The potatoes should be very tightly packed. You want to fill the dish so they all stay vertical as they bake.
5. Pour the excess mixture evenly over the potatoes until the mixture comes halfway up the sides of the casserole. You may not need all the excess liquid, don't overflow here.
6. Cover the dish tightly with foil and transfer to the oven. Bake for 30 minutes.
7. Remove foil and continue baking until the top is pale golden brown, about 30 minutes longer.
8. Carefully remove from oven, sprinkle with remaining cheese, and return to oven. Bake until deep golden brown and crisp on top, about 30 minutes longer. Remove from oven, let rest for a few minutes, and serve.

Vegan Version

1. Soak 1 cup of cashews in hot water for 10 minutes, then drain and add cashews to a blender along with 1 cup water, 2 cloves garlic, 1/2 sea salt, cracked pepper, 2 tbsp nooch, 2tbsp lemon juice, 2 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp corn starch, and a splash of coconut milk
2. Can replace grated cheese with a vegan version like Daiya or Miyokos.

Notes

Tip: Because of the variation in the shape of potatoes, the number of potato slices that will fit into a single casserole dish varies. Longer, thinner potatoes will fill a dish more than shorter, rounder potatoes. When purchasing potatoes, buy a few extra to fill the dish if necessary. Depending on the exact shape and size of potatoes and the casserole dish, you may not need all of the cream mixture.

Recommended Products

Casserole Dishes for Oven Sets of 3

Gramercy Adjustable Mandoline Food Slicer, Mandoline Slicer for Kitchen

Nutrition Facts

Calories

671

Fat

40 g

Sat. Fat

25 g

Carbs

65 g

Fiber

5 g

Net carbs

60 g

Sugar

5 g

Protein

17 g

Sodium

330 mg

Cholesterol

122 mg

My nutritional notes are a guestimation. Use with caution

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