Cheesey Latkes

Cheesy Latkes

So my contribution to the various latke recipes for an interesting Channukah feast is cheese-infused latkes. These are a more savory dairy infused potato pancakes that turn out crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. They come out with a classic latke texture with lots of flavor. I used mozzarella cheese but I definitely will try again with a cheddar. Put in a mild cheese like mozzarella or for extreme cheese lovers use a more distinct cheese like feta or even maybe brie…. but choose wisely because there’s only 8 days of chanukkah!

Some latke making notes… I used the Israeli version of Russet potatoes. I highly recommend these as they have a pretty high starch content which will cut down on the need for flour and keep your pancakes together. Shred the potatoes only when you’re ready to fry them up and immediately squeeze out the water. Or if you wanna ditch the dairy just omit the cheese and they’ll still come out delicious.

Some frying tips: I added garlic to the oil to give it some extra flavor, but you can omit this if you’re not a fan garlic, but I like this because it adds a lot of flavor and lets you know when the oil’s ready. Test the heat of the oil by adding a little of the latke mixture, if it starts to sizzle immediately the oil’s ready. Don’t overcrowd the pan! 3-4 at a time is enough. Let the oil come back to room temperature in between batches. I highly recommend heeding this last tip as it ensures perfect latkes every batch.

Click on to get the recipe…

What you need:

2 cups peeled and shredded potatoes

2 tblspn grated onions

3 eggs, beaten

2 tblspn flour

1.5 tspn salt

1 tspn pepper

1 cups shredded cheese

oil for fryin’

2-3 cloves garlic

What to do:

Peel and shred the potatoes and squeeze out all the extra water from the potatoes and put them into a large bowl. Add the graded onions, salt, pepper, flour, and if desired the cheese. Heat the oil and garlic in a heavy pan over a medium-high flame. When the oil’s ready start adding the potato pancakes to the oil, it only needs about 3-4 minutes on the first side but you can tell they are ready when they brown on the outside. Flip and fry the other side until both sides are golden brown. When done put the pancakes on paper towels and serve warm!