Why whip up hasselback potatoes – or hasselback apples – when you can prepare this striking twist on the dish? My version features butternut squash in place of spuds, which makes it a tad healthier and much more vibrant.
The technique is the same: Arrange thinly sliced vegetables in a pan, brush the top with butter and oil, and bake it low and slow until the edges are crispy. The result? A stunning side you can serve with meat, poultry or fish.
My adaptation of hasselback potatoes requires time and a little patience to put together, but I promise you will be more than pleased with the finished product. Now the question is: What should I hasselback next?
Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart.
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 medium butternut squash, peeled
- 1 small leek (white and light green parts only), halved lengthwise, thinly sliced and rinsed
- sea salt
- ½ teaspoon chili flakes
- 8 sprigs fresh thyme
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- In a small bowl, combine the butter and olive oil. Brush some of the butter and olive oil mixture on the bottom and sides of a 9" tart pan with a removable bottom.
- Halve the butternut squash lengthwise and remove seeds and fibers. With a sharp knife or mandoline, cut the squash crosswise into ⅛"-thick pieces.
- Arrange the squash pieces vertically, cut side down, in the prepared tart pan, working in a spiral from the outside in to the center, overlapping the pieces.
- Stuff leek pieces between squash pieces. Sprinkle with salt and chili flakes.
- Brush top with remaining butter and olive oil mixture.
- Place the tart pan on a baking sheet. Transfer to the oven and bake for 75 minutes.
- Nestle thyme between squash and bake for an additional 30 minutes or until the squash is tender and the edges are crispy. Serve immediately or at room temperature.
Looks great! A few questions – was it hard to slice the butternut with a mandolin because it is such a tough squash? Any problems with it getting mushy after being cooked so long? And how did you get it to look so pretty? I can’t figure out how you got the cuts so even given the shape of a butternut not being consistent 🙂
Hi Julia – The squash is actually quite easy to cut using a mandoline after it’s peeled. While the squash softens as it bakes, it does hold its shape. When arranging the squash in the tart pan, start with the pieces from the base and reserve the pieces from the neck for the center. Hope this helps!
Thank you! I can’t wait to make this!!!
Hi! Is there anything I can prep the day before? I would like to make this for Thanksgiving and am wondering how to lighten my load. Thank you!
Hi Avani – You should be able to prep a day in advance, up to Step 6. Cover the tart pan and transfer to the refrigerator until ready to bake. Before you put the tart pan in the oven (Step 7), give it time to come to room temperature. Enjoy!