1. Crank your oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease it.
2. Wash and scrub those sweet potatoes really well—you’re leaving the skin on, so make sure they’re clean and dry.
3. Here’s the game-changing trick: place a sweet potato between the handles of two wooden spoons or chopsticks laid parallel on your cutting board. The spoons act as guards.
4. Using a sharp knife, make thin slices (about ⅛ inch apart) cutting straight down until your knife hits the spoons or chopsticks. This prevents you from cutting all the way through. Repeat across the entire potato, then do the same with the remaining sweet potatoes.
5. Place the sliced sweet potatoes on your prepared baking sheet, spacing them slightly apart.
6. Drizzle the olive oil over each potato, using your fingers or a pastry brush to get oil in between as many slices as possible. This is crucial for crispy edges and helps the slices fan out.
7. Season generously with garlic powder, paprika, salt, and black pepper. Try to get seasoning between the slices too—tilt the potatoes slightly and let the seasonings fall into the cuts.
8. Bake for 40-45 minutes until the sweet potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork and the edges are starting to get crispy and golden. The slices should have fanned out beautifully.
9. Remove from the oven and sprinkle the grated cheddar cheese over the tops of the potatoes, getting it into the slices where you can.
10. Return to the oven for an additional 5 minutes until the cheese is completely melted and bubbly.
11. Remove from the oven and immediately garnish with chopped fresh parsley. Serve hot while the cheese is gooey and the edges are crispy.

Nutrition Information (Per Serving):

• Calories: 245
• Carbohydrates: 35g
• Protein: 6g
• Fat: 10g
• Fiber: 5g
• Sodium: 380mg
• Vitamin A: 250% DV
• Vitamin C: 35% DV
• Calcium: 12% DV

Note: Sweet potatoes are incredibly high in vitamin A and provide good amounts of fiber and vitamin C.

Notes:

• The chopstick trick is foolproof. Don’t try to freehand this—the chopsticks ensure you won’t cut all the way through.
• Get oil between the slices. This is what makes them crispy and helps them fan out beautifully.
• Don’t skip the final cheese step. Adding cheese at the end prevents it from burning during the long bake time.
• Every oven runs differently, so start checking at 35 minutes. You want tender interiors with crispy edges.

Storage Tips:

• Refrigerator: Cool completely and store in an airtight container for up to 3 days. They’re best fresh, but leftovers are still tasty.
• Reheating: Place on a baking sheet in a 375°F oven for 10-15 minutes to re-crisp the edges. Skip the microwave—it makes them soggy.
• Not great for freezing. The texture changes and gets mushy. These are best enjoyed fresh or within a few days.

Serving Suggestions:

• Holiday Table: Serve alongside roasted turkey, ham, or prime rib for Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner that looks magazine-perfect.
• Dinner Party: These are so impressive looking they work as the star side dish for any special occasion.
• Weeknight Upgrade: Pair with simple grilled chicken or steak for a weeknight dinner that feels special.
• Brunch Addition: Serve with eggs and bacon for a fancy weekend brunch that’ll impress guests.

Mix It Up (Recipe Variations):

• Bacon Cheddar Hasselback: Add crumbled cooked bacon along with the cheese for salty, smoky, addictive flavor.
• Mediterranean Sweet Potatoes: Skip cheese, drizzle with tahini, sprinkle with za’atar, and top with crumbled feta.
• Maple Pecan Sweet Potatoes: Brush with maple syrup instead of olive oil and top with chopped pecans instead of cheese.
• Spicy Jalapeño Version: Tuck sliced jalapeños between cuts and use pepper jack cheese for kicked-up heat.

What Makes This Recipe Special:

This Hasselback sweet potatoes recipe brings a classic Swedish technique to American sweet potatoes, creating impressive presentation through simple knife work. The chopstick method makes the dramatic accordion effect accessible to home cooks, while the combination of crispy edges and tender centers showcases why this technique has remained popular for 80 years. What makes this version foolproof is how the sweet potatoes’ natural sugars caramelize in the oven while the cheese adds savory richness.