One ooey-gooey, saucy, meaty taste of my Loaded Pizza Hasselback Potatoes and your family will be screaming “Gimme Amore” as in “give me some more”! And, yes, I admit that pun is as cheesy as the layers upon layers of loaded spud goodness of this amazing family-friendly, one-pot meal. Read on to get more details and the drool-worthy recipe:

So, I originally came up with this riff on the fancy sliced ‘tater dish, Hasselback Potatoes, for my friends at Litehouse Foods who were looking for a hearty yet healthy camping recipe! A potato is just perfect for camping, it’s cheap, travels well, doesn’t need a cooler and makes a hearty meal filled with plenty of nutrients to fuel your adventure.

Hello Loaded Pizza Hasselback Potatoes! Sliced potatoes, cheese and pizza toppings simmering in homey marinara sauce (topped with some salad greens and a blast of blue cheese dressing) creates a comforting, hunger-squashing, “supremely” balanced dinner that young and old can enjoy together around the campfire after a fun day of doing all the outdoor things.

If you are immersed in Mother Nature, this potato recipe cooks in a Dutch oven or large cast iron skillet over a grill or live fire. Of course, it translates just as well to regular cookware and home oven without issue. Using one-pot makes it simple to serve and reduces the burden on Clean Up Crew – Loaded Pizza Hasselback Potatoes are a win-win for one and all!

Slicing the potatoes is the most time-consuming task of prepping this easy recipe, but actually I find the “precision” quite therapeutic! See my “Pro Tips” below on how to best cut them up. After sliced, brush tops and a bit inside the layers with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place potatoes in a Dutch oven or skillet and cover with a lid (or tightly with foil). The potatoes will heed about an hour to become tender, however this varies with the size. Next, the unadorned potatoes are stuffed with slices of pepperoni and cheese, while the space surrounding them is filled with a chunky marinara sauce and sprinkled with cooked sausage crumbles, mushrooms, olives, more cheese or whatever you like!  Return the skillet carefully to heat for about 15 more minutes of cook time, until the sauce simmering! Remove and top with spinach and blue cheese (or ranch) dressing for a little salad on top!

Pro Tips:

Variety: Really any variety of potato, even sweet potatoes, works for the Hasselback presentation, I’ve used Russet. But, I’ve also found that Yukon Gold and Red work really well too!

Slicing: When slicing potatoes, place a pair of chopsticks or wooden spoon handles on each side running lengthwise. This acts as a barrier to keep you from slicing all the way through the potato.

Camping: If packing for a camp trip, prep fresh ingredients for Loaded Pizza Hasselback Potatoes (like spinach and mushrooms) and portion in containers for the cooler. Pour a little dressing into a zip-top baggie and when ready to serve snip an end off the corner and drizzle about. Also, as much as possible, use convenience products like pre-cooked sausage crumbles, pre-grated or sliced cheese, and canned marinara sauce to reduce the on-site workload.  

What would you put on your Loaded Pizza Hasselback Potatoes? What kind of camper are you —  a no-frills, sleep under the stars camper, a total “glamper,” or somewhere between?  Please share in the comments – XOXO, Jennifer

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Loaded Pizza Hasselback Potatoes

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

1 hr 15 mins

Total Time

1 hr 25 mins

 

Any way you slice it, Pizza Lover’s Hasselback Potatoes are a camping-friendly meal that delivers hearty, hunger-squashing goodness in a single pot – one dish dirtied means “easy clean-up” too!

Course: camping, dinner

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 6 large Russet or Yukon Gold potatoes about 8 – 10 ounces each
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 5 ounces sliced pepperoni
• 12 ounces sliced provolone cheese
• 1 24- ounce can chunky marinara pasta sauce
• 1 9.3-ounce bag pre-cooked pork sausage crumbles
• 1 cup sliced white mushrooms
• 4 cups chopped fresh spinach
• ½ cup Chunky Blue Cheese Dressing by Litehouse Foods

Instructions

1. Start campfire, grill or oven to approximate 400 to 425 F degrees.

2. Wash and dry potatoes. Along each long side of the potato, lay a chopstick, pencil, twig or something to act as a cutting guard so that you don’t slice all the way through. Cutting crosswise, make approximate ¼” slices the entire length of potato, like an accordian.

3. Carefully transfer cut potatoes to large cast iron skillet or Dutch oven. Brush skins with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Cover with lid or a tight seal of aluminum foil and stick in coals of fire or on grill (preferably with lid down) for approximately 60 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.

4. Remove from heat and carefully insert pepperoni and cheese slices (cut if needed) between layers. It’s okay if not all layers filled.
5. Gently pour or spoon marinara sauce around potatoes, without pouring over tops.

6. Sprinkle potatoes and sauce with slice mushrooms and pre-cooked sausage crumbles.  Add any other ingredients you might like. Cover with foil or lid again and return to heat for additional 15 minutes or until everything heated through.

7. Remove and top with chopped fresh spinach and drizzle with blue cheese dressing.