Hasselback Potato with Pesto, Meatballs & Green Beans
Pesto runs through the entire plate. It fills the hasselback cuts of the potato before the oven crisps the edges. It goes into the raw meatball mixture alongside cheese, garlic, and Italian seasoning. Twenty minutes at 390°F for the potato, a quick sear for the meatballs, boiled green beans on the side. Thirty minutes, everything done.
Pesto runs through the entire plate. It fills the hasselback cuts of the potato before the oven crisps the edges. It goes into the raw meatball mixture alongside cheese, garlic, and Italian seasoning. Twenty minutes at 390°F for the potato, a quick sear for the meatballs, boiled green beans on the side. Thirty minutes, everything done.
Ingredients
- potato 0.5 pound
- pesto 2 tablespoons
- green beans (frozen) 7 ounces
- garlic 1 clove
- 96% lean ground beef 3 ounces
- grated cheese 1 ounce
- Italian seasoning 1 teaspoon
- olive oil 1 tablespoon
Method
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Preheat the oven to 390°F (200°C).
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Wash the potatoes thoroughly. Boil the potatoes in a pot of water for 10 minutes to partially cook them.
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Drain the potatoes and let them cool slightly. Place each potato between two chopsticks or cutting boards to prevent cutting all the way through. Slice thin cuts into the potatoes to create a fan shape.
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Place the potatoes on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and spread half of the pesto between the slices. Sprinkle with some salt and pepper. Place the baking sheet in the preheated oven and bake the potatoes for an additional 20 minutes.
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Add the green beans to a pot of boiling water and cook for about 6 minutes until tender.
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Mince the garlic clove. In a bowl, combine the minced garlic with the ground meat, cheese, Italian seasoning, the remaining pesto, and some salt and pepper. Mix well and form 3 meatballs with your hands.
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Heat the oil in a frying pan and cook the meatballs over medium heat until browned and cooked through, about 8 minutes.
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Serve the hasselback potatoes with the meatballs and green beans on a plate.
Stir the Italian seasoning and garlic into the meatball mixture before it hits the pan (step 6). Oregano, thyme, and rosemary contain antioxidants that reduce the formation of harmful compounds in high-heat-cooked meat — research found these herb seasonings cut that formation by 64 to 72 percent.
Behind this recipe
Why parboil the potato before making the hasselback cuts?
Parboiling softens the starch so the thin cuts spread open evenly in the oven without snapping. Raw potatoes are too firm — the slices stay closed and the pesto cannot settle between them. Ten minutes in boiling water is enough to make them pliable without cooking them through.
Is 40 grams of fat high for one meal?
That depends on your daily targets. The 40 grams come from multiple sources: olive oil (15 ml), pesto (30g, which contains olive oil and nuts), grated cheese (28g), and the ground beef. None of these are individually excessive — they add up because the meal combines several fat-containing ingredients. If you are tracking macros, the number is there. If it fits your day, it fits your plate.
Can I use a different protein for the meatballs?
Turkey, chicken, or plant-based ground meat all work. Leaner options dry out faster during pan-frying — reduce the heat slightly and check earlier. The cheese mixed into the meatball helps with moisture regardless of which protein you use.
