Mini Grilled Hasselback Potatoes

You guys. It’s been over three months since my last post, and big things have happened since then! First, and most importantly, Dan and I found out that I’m pregnant! 17 weeks and counting. Baby Rodgers (no idea what the sex is just yet…we find out in three weeks!) arrives on September 7th, and we’re all very excited…especially the soon-to-be grandparents.

So far Baby R is growing at a healthy rate (currently the size of a white onion, according to my pregnancy tracker app), no issues have been detected, and I’m feeling pretty good. Nausea, fatigue, and bladder fullness were my constant companions during the first trimester (which is why I didn’t have the energy or inclination do a pregnancy announcement post earlier), but I’m mostly back to normal now.

And, other than a slightly greater than normal desire for fruit (the juicier the better, since I’m thirsty all the time), I haven’t really had any cravings. Dan says it’s because un-pregnant Tina craved all the things all the time, so pregnant Tina has nothing left to crave. HMMMM…

So that’s big news #1. The other (sort of related) news is…we bought a house! Our current condo could conceivably hold two adults and a baby, but more room is always nice, so we started idly house hunting a few months ago. Much to our surprise, we found one that we loved right away.

The new place is actually only a few miles from where we live now, so we get to stay in the area we know and love. The house itself isn’t enormous, but super cute and perfectly roomy for two adults growing a family. There are 4 bedrooms (including a little one that’s perfect for a nursery), 3 full baths, a finished basement with one corner that will be perfect for a baby’s play area, and a super sweet deck/yard situation. After six years in a condo building, I’m very excited to have a backyard again.

We close on the house in April, and move in mid-June. Fingers crossed everything is smooth sailing between now and then!

By the time we move in to the new place, it’ll be summer in Virginia and the weather will be perfect for enjoying our new deck. My first order of business (other than setting up the nursery) will be to get some deck furniture and an outdoor grill. Summer is all about grilling and outdoor dining, so I’m hoping we get to eat as many meals outside as possible and grill as many things as possible.

Starting with another batch of these mini grilled hasselback potatoes, stat.

Remember when baked hasselback potatoes were all the rage a year or two ago? My Pinterest feed was full of close up shots of crisp-looking whole potatoes sliced like an accordion and oozing with melted cheese. “Make hasselback potatoes” was at the top of my blog to-do list for ages, but I never got around to it somehow – too lazy or too easily distracted by other recipes, probably…

So when the US Potato Board asked me to come up with an easy, summer-y recipe to showcase the deliciousness and versatility of the humble potato, I jumped at the chance to check hasselback potatoes off my list.

Grilled instead of baked, teeny tiny instead of large, but still stuffed with cheese and served loaded with sour cream and crispy bacon. Basically, the perfect summer appetizer/party/finger food.

If you’re looking for an easy and delicious alternative to potato salad for your BBQs this summer, I highly recommend these mini grilled hasselbacks. They don’t take that long to prep, and you can throw them right on the grill with the other stuff you’re cooking (steaks, burgers, brats…mmmm). Low fuss, less clean-up.

After they’re done cooking, you can pre-load these babies with fixings, or set up a station with toppings that your guests can customize each bite themselves. No matter how you eat it, the end result will be crisp on the outside, soft on the inside, full of melt-y cheese, and generally irresistible.

And, did you know that potatoes are an excellent source of vitamin C, potassium, dietary fiber and other important nutrients? Now that I’m expecting, I’m told it’s important to pay attention to these kinds of things, so, you know, I should probably make these mini hasselbacks a few more times…right? 😉

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Potato Chocolate Truffles from Honest Cooking on Vimeo.