Lightly Loaded Purple Hasselback Potatoes

These Lightly Loaded Purple Hasselback Potatoes are a delicious appetizer perfect for any occasion, plus they are made with wholesome ingredients like fingerling potatoes that make this recipe packed with antioxidants, dietary fiber and naturally gluten free.

Purple Potatoes: A Nutrient Rich Beauty

We were successful in growing our own red potatoes in The Millennial Garden for the first time this past year, but they certainly did not look as pretty as these ones! These beautiful babies are Baby Medley Potatoes from Wegmans and I just love them because they are small, tender, and come in three beautiful colors.

HEALTH BENEFITS OF PURPLE POTATOES

I am always mesmerized by fact that Mother Nature can create something as beautiful as purple potatoes. Their deep purple hue is not only attractive to the eye but is also a nutrient powerhouse.

That vibrant purple color is brought to you courtesy of all of the powerful antioxidants and phytonutrients contained in this pretty little package. Antioxidants and phytonutrients are powerful plant-based compounds that help to rid the body of free radicals.

While all potatoes contain the same carbohydrate content, regardless of their color, smaller potatoes do have a few benefits to larger potatoes. Not only are they easier to cut and don’t require any peeling of the skin, they also have more surface area which helps to increase the dietary fiber content when consumed. That will help to keep you full and regular, and also help to decrease your instance of developing colon cancer.

How to Make Hasselback Potatoes

While I have always seen these beautiful hasselback potatoes in pretty Pinterest images, I only had a vague idea on how to make them. After scrolling through Pinterest for some inspiration, I came across this tutorial from Kevin is Cooking which perfectly explains how to cut a slice off the bottom and then use a pair of chopsticks to keep you from cutting through the bottom.

I took it one step further and used Phil’s Grandmothers old school hard boiled egg slicer to make perfect slices. Turn it upside down and it fits perfectly over these tiny potatoes to make perfect cuts (perfect for nearly blind people like me).

UNLOADED PURPLE HASSELBACK POTATOES

If you’re looking for a simple, yet stunning, dinner side dish, these babies are just as good with a little EVOO and seasoning, without the additional ingredients.

That means that these can be enjoyed by all, regardless of dietary restrictions. In their most simplistic form, these potatoes with olive oil and seasoning are vegan and vegetarian friendly, naturally gluten free, and deliciously packed with plant-based phytonutrients and antioxidants.

THE PERFECT DINNER SIDE DISH.

I love these when they are fresh out of the oven because the top is perfectly browned and crispy, like a delicious potato chip, while the inside is warm and fluffy like a perfect baked potato. If you have not tried the hasselback version of any potato, I highly recommend this cooking method.

See how beautiful these potatoes are? Warm and crunchy on the outside, light and fluffy on the inside. Perfectly enjoyed plain, or the perfect canvas for any topping you can dream of!

Lightly Loaded Purple Hasselback Potatoes

If you’re looking to make these the  best appetizer you’ve ever served, I highly recommend adding a tiny sliver of bacon into some of those perfect slices before baking 🙂

While bacon will never be classified as a superfood or promoted for its health benefits, I think we can all agree that it tastes amazing. 

But there is such thing as too much of a good thing, which is why I think that bacon is best enjoyed in small amounts. This entire recipe only uses 4 slices of bacon, but you certainly don’t miss out on any taste or flavor.

I personally prefer to use uncured bacon when cooking. I prefer uncured bacon because it uses natural nitrates derived from celery and beets, as compared to traditional bacon which uses artificial nitrates. Uncured bacon is generally recognized as safer than its synthetic counterpart, as artificial nitrates have been linked to some occurrences of cancer.

In addition to using a small amount of uncured bacon, I also used a very small amount of cheese in this recipe. While traditional loaded potatoes are swimming in grease from the cheese and bacon, this recipe focuses on enjoying the flavor from a small amount of cheese. It is then finished with plain Greek yogurt which helps to cut down on calories and fat, while providing protein and probiotics, all while never sacrificing flavor.

I always say when it comes to food, quality is always better than quantity.

Lightly Loaded Purple Hasselback Potatoes

Yield: 25 bites

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

These Lightly Loaded Purple Hasselback Potatoes are a delicious appetizer for any occasion, made with wholesome ingredients that make this recipe naturally gluten free and packed with antioxidants, dietary fiber, and of course, flavor.

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Ingredients

• 25 fingerling potatoes, any color
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• salt & pepper to taste
• 4 slices uncured bacon
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup homemade dairy-free coconut milk yogurt
• 2 scallions, chopped

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees, convection bake if available.
2. Line two baking sheets with aluminum foil, set aside.
3. Cut the potatoes hasselback style, according to the directions above.
4. Place the cut hasselback potatoes on the foil lined baking sheets and brush with olive oil, sprinkled with Italian seasoning.
5. If you're making the unloaded version of these potatoes, you can put them directly into the oven now for 45 minutes.
6. If you're making the loaded version, take two of the bacon slices, still raw, and cut into 1/4 inch pieces.
7. Gently stuff the small bacon pieces into the slats of the potatoes, with about 3 pieces of bacon per potato.
8. Take the remaining two slices of bacon and add them to the foil lined baking sheet.
9. Place into the oven for 45 minutes.
10. After about 20 minutes, be sure to remove the two single slices of bacon, let cook and crumble.
11. After 45 minutes, remove the potatoes from the oven. If you're making the unloaded version, serve immediately.
12. If making the loaded version, gently sprinkle with cheese immediately.
13. Add the Greek yogurt to a sandwich bag and pull all the yogurt to one corner. Cut a very small tip of the corner off so you can perfectly decorate you potatoes.
14. Top with scallions, and additional salt & pepper for taste.
15. Enjoy!

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 25 Serving Size: 1 bite
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 100 Total Fat: 2g Saturated Fat: 1g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 1g Cholesterol: 4mg Sodium: 63mg Carbohydrates: 17g Fiber: 2g Sugar: 1g Protein: 3g

I hope you love this recipe as much as I do, and more importantly, I hope you enjoy whatever fun occasion you are bringing them to! Don’t forget to eat mindfully and truly enjoy every bite you put in your mouth 🙂

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