This week’s Cookbook Roulette wheel landed on The Official Guiness Cookbook. Every recipe incorporates some form of Guinness beer, which makes it a fun (and slightly unpredictable) choice for Cookbook Roulette.
The randomizer landed on page 59: Hasselback Potatoes with Baltimore Blonde and Chive Sauce. We were already planning steak for Saturday night, and this felt like a natural side dish to try alongside it.
I’ve only made Hasselback potatoes once before, but they’re always delightful — both to look at and to eat. To get those signature cuts, you place the potato between two wooden spoons and slice down until your knife hits the spoon handles, stopping just short of cutting all the way through. The potatoes then bake just like a traditional baked potato, but with crisp edges and soft centers between each slice.
Next came the Baltimore Blonde and chive sauce. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find Guinness Baltimore Blonde anywhere locally, so I substituted a comparable blonde ale. The sauce came together quickly and easily and ended up creamy, cheesy, and genuinely delicious. Spooned over the potatoes, it worked its way into all those little slices, adding richness and moisture to each bite.
Cookbook Roulette Rating
Difficulty: 2/5
Very easy, as long as you pay attention when slicing the potatoes.
Presentation: 3/5
Hasselback potatoes are visually impressive on their own, and the sauce does take away some of that drama once everything is covered.
Taste: 3.5/5
This didn’t crack my personal top five potato side dishes, but the sauce was a standout. We loved it not just on the potatoes, but also spooned over our steak.
Would I make it again?
Yes and no. I’d absolutely experiment with other Hasselback potato variations, but I would 100% make this sauce again. In fact, we even used it on top of eggs the next morning — which feels like the highest compliment.
I don’t cook with beer very often, but this recipe made me curious to keep exploring The Official Guinness Cookbook. Some of the hearty stews and soups sound especially comforting, and they feel like a better match for the ingredient. I’m already wondering where the Cookbook Roulette wheel will land next.
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