Who says potatoes at a holiday dinner have to be part of the main event? Instead, try serving these (adorable) Mini Hasselback Potatoes with Creamy Dill Dip as an appetizer for your next dinner party or Thanksgiving meal.
I can’t get over how fun these are to eat. I love anything that can be dipped in a dip (who doesn’t?), but somehow the cut layers of these potatoes make it all the more fun. The pieces of potatoes can be pulled apart and dunked, or you can just go for it with the whole thing.
And that dill sauce!! Man, is it good. I had some leftover (I don’t know how) and had it with crab cakes the next day. It’s wonderful. You will want to put it on everything. I even did an entire post about a dill dip recipe because it’s so delicious as a stand-alone recipe.
Cutting the hasselback potatoes can be a bit of a challenge, but I have a trick that helps. Basically, you want to cut slits in the potatoes about 1/8 of an inch apart but not cut all the way through, so the slices are attached.
I just put a couple of chopsticks on each side of the potatoes, so my knife wouldn’t go through all the way. You can use two spatulas or wooden spoons, or anything else that will brace the potato and stop your knife.
After you cut the potatoes, it’s a simple matter of roasting with extra virgin olive oil, pepper, and plenty of salt. The number one mistake I make when cooking potatoes is not adding enough salt. They are bland little tubers and need a ton of seasoning to live up to their potential. Salt freely!
As they roast, the slices of potato shrink away from each other and the edges get golden and crispy. If you want, halfway through baking, you can brush them with more olive oil or even some melted butter, so it seeps into the crevices a bit more.
I didn’t do this and it’s not necessary, but if you like an extra crispy and decadent roasted potato, you might want to try it.
Here’s a great thing that I didn’t expect from this recipe: you can make them in advance and reheat! I reheated a few I had leftover as an experiment, after they were in the fridge overnight. After about 15 minutes in a 400 degree oven, they crisped up and revived themselves beautifully.
So, if you are pressed for time, or need to use your oven space for other things, I recommend making these in advance and re-roasting them about 20 minutes before serving (especially because these little guys are definitely best served warm- leave the cold potatoes to potato salad or vichyssoise).
I used three special tools to make this recipe:
- Two chopsticks, to brace the sides of the potatoes and ensure I didn’t cut through to the bottom (you can use two wooden spoons, spatulas, or anything long and straight!)
- A good quality roasting pan- I LOVE my Nordic Ware aluminum half baker’s sheet. It’s sturdy, so it doesn’t buckle (and scare the heck out of you) under high heat, and it always roasts things evenly with no sticking.
- A food processor to make the dill dip- you can pulse to chop the veggies before adding the sour cream and mayo, which means no chopping. Alternatively, you can just chop the dill and green onions finely and mix in a bowl.
If you like this recipe, try these Leftover Mashed Potato Cakes.
Recipe for Mini Hasselback Potatoes with Creamy Dill Dip below!
Mini Hasselback Potatoes with Creamy Dill Dip
Equipment
- Chopsticks
Ingredients
For the Potatoes:
- 1.5 lbs. miniature golden or fingerling potatoes
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- kosher salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
For the dip:
- 2 tablespoons fresh dill
- 4 green onions green and white parts, cut into 3-4 inch pieces
- kosher salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- juice and zest of one lemon
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- Using a sharp knife, cut slits into the potatoes that are approximately 1/8 of an inch apart and do not cut all the way through (you can use chopsticks or something similar to brace each side of the potato and stop your knife from going through).
- Place cut potatoes in a bowl. Mix with the olive oil (2 tablespoons) and plenty of salt and pepper.
- Place cut side up onto a parchment covered rimmed baking sheet.
- Roast for approximately 60 minutes, or until potatoes are tender and golden brown on the outside.
- Meanwhile, add dill (2 tablespoons), scallions (4), kosher salt and pepper to taste, lemon zest, and lemon juice to a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add the sour cream and mayonnaise and pulse until combined. (alternatively, you can just chop the dill and onions finely and mix everything in a bowl)
- Serve the potatoes warm with the dip.
Notes
- To make these in advance, follow all instructions as directed. Refrigerate the dip and the potatoes overnight, and reheat the potatoes on a roasting pan at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes, until warmed and crispy.
- If you want a crispier, more decadent potato: halfway through baking, you can brush them with more olive oil or even some melted butter, so it seeps into the crevices a bit more.
- The provided nutrition information does not include any added sodium from seasoning to taste, any optional ingredients, and it does not take brands into account. Feel free to calculate it yourself using this calculator or by adding the recipe to Yummly.
Nutrition
Nutrition Information Disclaimer
The provided nutrition information is my best estimate and reflects one serving of the recipe (total servings indicated at top of recipe card). It does not include any added sodium from seasoning to taste, any optional ingredients, and it does not take brands into account. I use an automatic API to calculate this information. Feel free to calculate it yourself using one of these tools:
Michelle
Most delicious and easy! A family and potluck favorite
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!
Lauren
I’ve been using Pinterest since it first came out and I’ve never commented on a recipe until now. I’m getting ready to make these potatoes and dip again for probably the hundredth time and wanted to say THANK YOU for sharing this with the world. This recipe is requested for every family gathering and they always disappear first. I don’t make any changes and the dip is absolutely delicious. The potatoes are so crispy and yummy and reheat wonderfully even in the microwave. You seriously can’t go wrong with this recipe!!
Elizabeth Lindemann
Aw, thanks so much for taking the time to leave this comment – it made my day! So glad you like this recipe :-)
Sherre
I made this with full-sized potatoes instead of minis- am I still allowed to review it? :) If not, I just want everyone to know that I plan to bathe in the dipping sauce tonight, it was that good.
Elizabeth Lindemann
Haha of course you are!! And that’s a great idea. I’m sure the sauce will be a great moisturizer lol. SO glad you liked it, and I love the idea of using full sized potatoes!
Pamm
Have not made the potatoes yet, but the dip is to die for. Will make potatoes soon
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked the dip!
Heather
Made these for a get together and they were easily the favorite of the night!
Elizabeth Lindemann
Yay! So glad you liked them!
Alan Smith
For those who don’t like mayonnaise, made the sauce with a 5.3 oz cup of Icelandic yogurt, 4 green onions, 2 T of dill, 1 t kosher salt and a couple shakes of pepper. The original recipe was a little “lemony” even with only a half lemon. Potatoes and dip are excellent. Kept in my recipe box.
Elizabeth Lindemann
Thanks so much for the tips!
Beth
So good and so easy! I used honey gold bite sized potatoes and only had to bake for 30 minutes. Huge hit! The dill sauce is wonderful, I might try to use it as a base for potato salad. A keeper for sure!
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it! The dill sauce would be an awesome potato salad base, great idea!
Marisa Boysen
Haven’t cooked them yet, but an egg slicer makes a great guide to slice the potatoes.
Elizabeth Lindemann
Genius! Thanks for the tip, can’t wait to try that!
WB
I’m making these for Christmas Eve. But as a trial I used mini Golden potatoes and used my veggie spiral cutter instead…soaked them in water for a few hours then baked, they came out wonderful! The dip just got scooped up in the sprirals. Just a thought.
Merry Christmas!
Elizabeth
Oh I LOVE that idea! Thanks for the suggestion, and glad you liked them!
Judy
I’ve come back to this recipe time and time again! Sooooo mouthwatering and delicious :) the dill dip is simply amazing! Thank you!!
Elizabeth
Aw yay! So happy you like it!
Billy
These look so delicious. I love the dill dip you made! I really want to make it at home. I’ve only really ever had dill with dill pickles, so I’ve been trying to branch out and try dill with other recipes. This looks like it could be a promising one for myself and my family! thank you for sharing!
Elizabeth
I hope you like it! Dill is one of my all time favorite ingredients- it’s got such a great tangy, fresh flavor.
Stephanie Harrison
How cute are these?! I am making those this weekend for sure. Will go great
with an old fashion chuck roast and carrots.
Elizabeth
Thanks, and I hope you like them! Yum, that dinner sounds like perfection.
Amanda
Making these for the second time! They were such a hit the first time everyone asked me for the recipe!!!! And the dill sauce…. IN LOVE! It is so good!!! Thanks for the great recipe!
Elizabeth
I’m so happy you liked it! I could eat that dill sauce with a spoon for breakfast. It’s SO GOOD :-)
sjst
I am having a girls luncheon and the theme is “cold foods” because it’s summer and in the 90s and 100s here. I would love to make these…they look incredible. You say they are better warmed, but have you (or anyone) tried them chlled or room temp?
Elizabeth
I love that theme for your luncheon! I haven’t tried them cold or room temperature but my gut is telling me they wouldn’t be as good. Since they’re roasted, one of the best parts is the crispy skin, which would get soggy as it cools. In addition, if potatoes are cooked and left to cool, the texture often turns unpleasantly gummy. I’d suggest making this cold potato salad with buttermilk dill dressing instead. It has a lot of the same creamy, dill flavor. I just made it again for the Fourth of July and it was a big hit! Hope your luncheon is a success!
Elle
I am making these for the second time and they are amazingggggg :) the dip is so so so good! Thank you! To anyone wondering if you should make these…the answer is yes :)
Elizabeth
Yay! So glad you liked them! I could eat a bowl of the dip with a spoon and not blink an eye :-)
Rachel
Made these the other night. They were good, but the skin was a bit chewy rather than crunchy. Any advice?
Elizabeth
Oh no! I might simply try roasting them for a longer time and/or at a higher temperature. If they don’t seem to be crisping up, you can broil them for a few minutes towards the end. Hope that helps!
Ann
Made these New Years Eve after having them at a Christmas Party!
Elizabeth
Awesome, thanks for commenting and letting me know! Love to see my recipe making the rounds :-)
Katie
Hi and THANK YOU, this is my new favorite potato recipe! Had it last night steak. Only mistake I made?? I made the FANTASTIC dip early so the flavors could blend and just could not keep out of it. I could drink the stuff!!!! I did not have fresh dill, but making it ahead of time, the dried had time to flavor the dip.
Thanks again! So good!!
Elizabeth
Yay I’m so happy you liked it!!! It is a dangerous game making the dip ahead of time. Good idea with the dried dill. Thanks for the comment!
Coley | Coley Cooks
These are too cute for words!! They look so crispy and yummy, but I want to slather that dill dip on EVERYTHING. yum :)
Elizabeth
Thanks Coley! They were so cute, I almost felt guilty eating them. Almost. :-)
Maggie
These mini potatoes are so adorable! I agree with Lisa that my guests will love this fun appetizer! Especially love the fact that the potatoes are extra crispy and can hold a lot of sauce because of the cuts :) YUM!
Lisa @ Panning The Globe
These are the absolute best! I love your photos and I can’t think of anything more fun and delicious to serve as an appetizer!!
Elizabeth
Thanks Lisa! They were super fun to photograph… AND to eat :-)