Talk about a last minute holiday recipe, eh? The really scary part is that I still have one more I hope to share with you before Christmas. In fact, I hope to still share it still today! *Insert 15 “scream” emojis* Why oh why do I do this to myself??! Sometimes I get just a little too inspired at the last minute. Just in case you’re a last second kinda person like yours truly, this is the perfect side to serve with your holiday dinner if you’re still pondering. Hasselback sweet potatoes are topped with an amazing smoky coconut bacon, homemade almond and cashew parmesan, and crisp fried sage and rosemary, for a side that is vegan, gluten free, and paleo friendly. And, kinda fancy shmancy.

If you’ve never made hasselback potatoes, you’re in for a real treat. I mean, just the name is kind of fun. During the making of this recipe I alternated between calling them hollaback potatoes, and Hasselhoff potatoes. Which led to this epic imaginary duet between The Hoff and Gwen Stefani. My mind is a weird and corny place, friends. It’s b-a-n-a-n-a-s. But, about the potatoes. They are crisp on the outside and tender on the inside, and you can drizzle/sprinkle all kinds of goodies into the nooks and crannies of the potato, which makes it really fun. I used a few different varieties of sweet potatoes, basically one of each of all the kinds our health food store carries. The trick to hasselbacking, is making those thin slices the length of the potato without cutting through. Having a good, sharp, chef’s knife is helpful. My slices did not turning very thin, and/or uniform, but I think they still looked pretty good, and were definitely tasty!

I love the flavor combination of the smoky coco-bacon, cheezy parm, and aromatic herbs. The fried sage and rosemary is quite a treat, I’d never attempted something like this before, but an old Martha Stewart magazine my mom had inspired me to try it. So glad I did! The sage and rosemary add a festive and unique touch, and it all seems very gourmet, but I promise it is easy and relatively fuss free (I know it looks like a lot of steps, but other than the waiting for the potatoes to bake, the remaining steps are pretty quick).

Channel your inner gourmand, and add a little flair to your Christmas feast with these Holiday Hasselback Sweet Potatoes!

Holiday Hasselback Sweet Potatoes

serves 4

Ingredients:

• 4 sweet potatoes, scrubbed/washed and dried
• 3-4 Tbsp coconut oil, melted
• salt and pepper

Coconut bacon

• 1 cup of flaked coconut
• 1 Tbsp low sodium tamari or soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp maple syrup
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• optional – 1/4 tsp hickory liquid smoke
• optional – 2 tsp of beet juice for color
• 1 tsp of coconut oil for cooking

Nutty Parmesan

• 1/3 cup cashews or almonds, I used a mixture of both
• 1 1/2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1/4 tsp sea salt

Fried Sage and Rosemary – 5- 10 sage leaves, 4-5 rosemary sprigs + oil for frying

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Farenheit. Make slices along the sweet potatoes, being careful not to cut all the way through. Arrange them in a baking pan and drizzle the oil over each one, aiming to get the oil into the slices and coat the skins. Season with salt and pepper. Bake for about one hour to one hour and fifteen minutes, cooking time will vary according to size of potatoes.
2. Meanwhile make your coconut bacon. Stir together all ingredients except oil, in a large bowl. Heat oil over medium heat in a frying pan. Carefully add the coconut mixture and stir and cook for several minutes until lightly browned. Remove from heat. Coco-bacon will get crispy as it cools. Alternatively you can bake them, say in a toaster oven, at 300 degrees for about 10 minutes (but keep an eye on them so they don’t burn and shake the pan halfway through).
3. Make the fried sage and rosemary. Heat about 3 tablespoons of coconut oil in a small pot. Once it’s rippling, add the herbs a few at a time. They will crisp in a just a few seconds, so be ready with a slotted spoon to take them out and lay on a towel lined plate or cutting board. They should just look darkened but not too browned. They will be crispy upon removing from the oil.
4. For the parmesan, simply use a mini food processor or bullet type blender with flat, grinding blade, to process all the ingredients into a course flour/fine crumb consistency.
5. When the potatoes are fork tender, remove from oven and sprinkle with parmesan, top with coco-bacon and tuck some into the slices, then add a few sage and rosemary leaves. Season with a bit of salt and pepper before serving.

Is everyone ready for the holidays? What are your plans??