The jar of bourbon bacon jam has been in our fridge all summer, and the ways to use it just keep coming. This one… the crispy-edged hasselback potatoes, with each little ridge packed full of that sweet-smoky jam and crumbled Gorgonzola… Oh man! They’re incredible.
The double-bake is non-negotiable, and I learned this the hard way. I tried adding the jam in the first round because it felt easier, and the sugars scorched into something bitter and black before the potato was even halfway cooked. Potatoes need nearly an hour to get fluffy all the way through. Jam needs about twelve minutes. Those are two very different timelines, and the recipe only works when you respect both.
The blue cheese cuts through the sweetness of the bourbon bacon jam. The Gorgonzola gets just the right kind of funky and sharp against the caramelized jam, and those crispy fanned ridges are the textural delivery system the whole dish depends on. These hasselback potatoes are what happens when you stop putting all your best condiments on burgers.
🔪 Ingredients for Hasselback Potatoes with Bourbon Bacon JaM
- Russet potatoes: large, uniform ovals work best; the flat-bottomed shape is more stable for slicing, and the high starch content is what gives you that fluffy interior with lacquered, crispy edges. Waxy potatoes like reds grip their structure too tightly and will not fan out the way you want.
- Unsalted butter
- Olive oil: any neutral olive oil works here.
- Kosher salt and black pepper: season aggressively before the first bake; the skin is the best part, and it needs seasoning.
- Bourbon bacon jam: use your homemade onion bacon jam if you have it; that deep, sweet-salty caramelized backbone is exactly what this potato was built for. Store-bought works if you are in a pinch, but look for one with actual bacon pieces, not just flavoring.
- Blue cheese: Gorgonzola is the move. It melts into crumbles rather than a puddle and keeps enough funk to stand up to the jam. Roquefort works too. If blue cheese is a hard no for your crowd, see the Substitutions section.
- Fresh chives
Equipment
- Cast-iron skillet or baking dish
- Two wooden spoon handles or chopsticks: the guard-rail method for slicing; place the potato between them so the knife stops before cutting through the base.
- Pastry brush: for the butter-oil baste. A spoon works too to get in between the slices.
How to slice Hasselback Potatoes without slicing through
📝 How to Make Hasselback Potatoes with Bourbon Bacon Jam
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Scrub all six potatoes and pat them completely dry — wet skin does not crisp.
- Set up the guard-rail cut. Place a potato on your cutting board with a wooden spoon handle on each side running the length of the potato (see the pictures above for a visual example). Slice straight down across the potato in 1/8-inch intervals – the spoon handles stop the blade before it cuts through the base. You want the potato to hold together as one piece with a fan of connected slices. Repeat for all six potatoes.
- Season and set in the pan. Arrange the potatoes in a cast-iron skillet or baking dish. Whisk together the melted butter and olive oil, then brush generously over the potatoes, working the baste down into the slices. Season well with kosher salt and cracked black pepper.
- First bake: 25 minutes. The slices will begin to separate and peel back as the potato expands in the heat.
- Mid-bake baste — do not skip this. Pull the pan, spoon the hot butter-oil from the bottom of the pan over each potato, and work it into the opening slices. This is the step that builds those deeply golden, lacquered ridges instead of a pale, dry fan. Return to the oven for another 20 to 25 minutes until the edges are golden and crispy and a knife slides cleanly into the thickest part of the potato.
- Stuff and top. Pull the pan. Carefully spoon the bacon jam into the gaps between the slices — it is fine if it spills over the top and pools in the pan. Scatter the blue cheese crumbles over everything.
- Final blast: 10 to 15 minutes. Return to the oven just until the cheese is bubbling and the jam is hot and glossy. Watch it – the sugars in the jam will scorch if you walk away.
- Serve immediately with fresh chives scattered over the top.
🔄 Substitutions
- Blue cheese: Swap for aged sharp cheddar or Gruyere if Gorgonzola is too assertive for your crowd. Both melt well and still give you contrast against the jam’s sweetness — you just lose the funk. Brie or Camembert is another option if you want something creamier (and pairs beautifully with bacon jam, as we know from our baked Camembert with bacon jam).
- Bacon jam: Any savory-sweet jam with a pork-fat backbone works — caramelized onion jam, fig and prosciutto, or a maple-chipotle compote if you want to go smoky-sweet. Straight caramelized onions with a splash of bourbon also work and keep it in the same flavor family.
- Russet potatoes: Yukon Golds are the next best option — slightly waxier, so they will not fan quite as dramatically, but the flavor is rich and buttery. Red potatoes hold their shape too rigidly and are not recommended here.
- Butter-oil blend: All butter works but browns faster and can scorch on the second bake. All olive oil loses some of its richness. The blend is the right call.
💡 Meat Nerd Tips
- Uniform sizing is the only thing that matters when you shop. Four potatoes that are exactly the same oval shape will bake evenly. One oversized one will still be underdone when the rest are perfect. Buy them loose if you can and match them by eye.
- Dry the potato completely before you slice it. Surface moisture is the enemy of the crispy fan edges. Pat them down after scrubbing, and if you want to go a step further, let them air-dry on a rack for 10 minutes before slicing.
- The slice thickness determines whether you get a fan or a solid potato. Too thick (over 1/4 inch) and the slices will not fan open — you will have no pockets for the jam. Too thin and a few slices will snap off. Aim for 1/8 inch, which is roughly the width of a standard butter knife blade if you need a visual reference.
- Make the jam ahead. The bourbon bacon jam keeps in the fridge for two weeks and in the freezer for three months. If you have it already made, this recipe goes from pantry to table in about 70 minutes with very little active work.
🍽️ What to Serve with Hasselback Potatoes with Bourbon Bacon Jam
- These are a statement side dish, so pair them with something that lets them be loud. A simply seasoned grilled steak, roasted chicken, or pulled pork all work beautifully — the fat from the bacon jam and the salt from the cheese do the heavy lifting, so your protein just needs to show up seasoned and cooked right.
- If you want to lean into the potato-as-star format, the same logic behind our Philly cheesesteak baked potato applies — this is a legitimate meal with a simple side salad.
- And if you want to do a full bacon jam spread, these alongside the bacon jam burgers are a non-negotiable summer cookout move.
🧊 Leftovers and Storage
- Fridge: store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Reheating: do not microwave unless you want a soggy potato. Reheat in a 350°F oven or air fryer for 5 to 8 minutes until the edges crisp back up and the cheese melts again.
- Freezer: not recommended — the potato texture turns mealy and the cheese weeps when thawed.
- Make-ahead: you can do the first bake (25 minutes) up to 24 hours ahead and hold the partially cooked potatoes in the fridge. Pull them to room temperature, add 5 minutes to the second bake, then proceed with the jam and cheese topping.
Have you tried this recipe? Do us a favor and rate the recipe card with the ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ and drop a comment to help out the next reader.
The potato that outshines whatever you made it a side dish for. Crispy fanned ridges stuffed with sweet-smoky bourbon bacon jam and bubbling Gorgonzola — one pan, one hour, standing ovation required.
Prevent your screen from going to sleep
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Cast-iron skillet or baking dish
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Two wooden spoon handles or chopsticks (for guard-rail slicing)
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Pastry brush and spoon
Season and Baste
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Arrange potatoes in a cast-iron skillet or baking dish. Whisk together melted butter and olive oil. Brush generously over potatoes, working the baste down into the slices. Season well with kosher salt and cracked black pepper.
Mid-Bake Baste
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Pull pan from oven. Spoon the hot butter-oil drippings from the bottom of the pan over each potato, working it into the opening slices. Return to oven for 20 to 25 minutes until edges are deeply golden and crispy and a knife slides cleanly into the thickest part.
Stuff and Finish
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Remove from oven. Spoon bacon jam between the slices — it’s fine if it spills over. Scatter blue cheese crumbles over the top.
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Return to oven for 10 to 15 minutes until cheese is bubbling and jam is hot and glossy. Watch closely — the sugars in the jam will scorch.
- Cheese swap: Aged sharp cheddar or Gruyere if Gorgonzola is too assertive.
- Make-ahead: Complete the first 25-minute bake, refrigerate up to 24 hours, then bring to room temperature and add 5 minutes to the second bake before topping with jam and cheese.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in a 350°F oven or air fryer for 5 to 8 minutes. Do not microwave. Freezing not recommended — potato texture degrades on thaw.
Serving: 1g | Calories: 423kcal | Carbohydrates: 59g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 34mg | Sodium: 626mg | Potassium: 966mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 424IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 137mg | Iron: 2mg
Quick Summary
Hasselback potatoes with bourbon bacon jam are a two-stage bake situation built around one non-negotiable rule: the jam goes on in the last 10 to 15 minutes only. The first bake crisps the fan, the mid-bake baste deepens it, and the finish with jam and Gorgonzola turns a good potato into something people fight over. Start with large uniform Russets, slice them 1/8-inch thick with a guard rail, and do not walk away during that final blast.
❓ FAQs
Almost always a slicing issue. If your cuts are too thick (over 1/4 inch), the potato will not have room to expand and peel back in the oven. The slices need to be thin enough for heat to get between them and push them apart. Try the butter knife width test: your slice should be about as thick as a standard butter knife blade. The other culprit is the guard rail: if the spoon handles are too far apart, the knife will still cut through the base, and the potato will fall apart when it softens.
Yes. Look for one with visible bacon pieces and a savory-first flavor profile rather than a jam that is just sweet with a smoky flavoring. Our homemade bourbon bacon jam has a depth that store-bought usually cannot match, but a good jarred version will still produce a great result. Avoid anything labeled “bacon spread” that lists corn syrup as the first ingredient.
Large Russets are the top choice for a crispy fan with a fluffy interior. The high starch content is what gives you that textural contrast between the golden edges and the soft center. Yukon Golds work as a backup but will be slightly denser, and the fan will not open as dramatically. Avoid waxy potatoes like red bliss – they hold too much structural integrity in the heat, and the slices will stay closed no matter what you do.
Yes, with a workaround. Do the first 25-minute bake, let the potatoes cool, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. When you are ready to serve, bring them to room temperature for 20 minutes, then proceed with the mid-bake baste and second bake, adding 5 extra minutes to account for the cold start. Add the bacon jam and cheese for the final 10 to 15 minutes as usual.