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Hasselback potatoes with cheese and bacon

These potatoes are absolutely incredible!

I had in my fridge a big package of cheese for raclette and I wanted to use it for something different than the classical cheese melted in small pans and poured over boiled potatoes. I was looking for something roasted rather than boiled.
I saw a similar recipe once and I liked very much the design of these potatoes. The are many versions that can be done, starting from potatoes brushed with flavored olive oil until all sorts of variations of fillings inside the potatoes.
But I wanted to use my cheese and also add a bit of ham/bacon and this was for me the perfect time for me.
Cutting the potatoes and hiding the cheese and bacon inside takes a bit of time but makes the whole taste. The flavored olive oil on top is like the cherry on the cake, it helps to avoid burning and completes the extraordinary flavor.
My both kids simply loved them. For them, on one side, it was the taste, but on the other side, it was also the "game"of discovering each and every slice.
After this one, I am totally motivated to try other versions as well. In fact, my daughter already put on her wishing list of recipes cooked by mommy, the same potatoes but only with cheese. I'll let you know what are the results.
But for now, let's see in detail how to do it.

Ingredients:
  • 15-20 big potatoes (for a big tray). The number of course depends on the size of the pan/tray.
  • 600g cheese for melting. I used special cheese for raclette that is already sliced.
  • 200g bacon (slices)
  • 100ml olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon of dried rosemary 
  • 1 tablespoon of dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon dried garlic powder
  • salt
  • pepper

Directions:
  1. Prepare the flavored oil: take a bowl and add the olive oil, rosemary, thyme, garlic, salt, pepper and stir with a spoon.
  2. Wash all the potatoes very well, as the peel won't be removed.
  3. Cut each potato transversely in the following way: Put the potatoes between 2 sticks/objects of max 0.5 cm thickness (these can be 2 wooden spoon handles, or 2 cut boards even 2 chop sticks) and cut them in slices of 2-3mm slice thickness. The whole idea is to not cut the potatoes completely and the slices remain attached to the potato.
  4. Oil the potatoes on the outside with the help of a brush and cook them in the oven at 200ºC for 20 minutes. This will help to soften them to be able to insert the rest of the ingredients between slices.
  5. Take them out of the oven and start inserting alternatively the cheese and bacon thin slices into the cuts of the potatoes. This will take a bit of time but it worth all the effort.
  6. Arrange the potatoes back in the pan/tray and oil them again with the flavored olive oil prepared in the beginning.
  7. Continue to bake them for another 30 minutes at 200ºC .
You can serve them as a main dish or as a side dish.

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