Loaded Baked Potato Latkes

"These are the best latkes ever!"

Jeremy has spoken. You should listen.

These combine all the crispiness of fried potatoes with all the goodness of a loaded baked potato that's been cut open and filled with cheese, green onions, bacon, and sour cream. These are a very good time.

You'll notice that I didn't use real bacon - you may substitute this fine ingredient, if you'd like to. When I prepare Jewish food for posts, I always respect the dietary laws that forbid combining meat and dairy products and also ban anything having to do with pig. But really, truly, even with fake bacon, these were exceptional.

Chanukkah is a minor holiday that began this past Saturday at sundown, but it's a festive and fattening party which celebrates the miracle of one day's worth of consecrated oil having lasted eight days. The Eastern European (Ashkenazic) tradition is to eat latkes, the Israeli one offers sufganiyot [soof-GAHN-yoht] - jelly doughnuts.

Fried foods reign supreme! Especially these latkes ....


If you'd like to try other celebratory foods during Chanukkah, here are some options:

Spiced Beef Egg Rolls

Doughnut Delights

Provolone Fritto con Marinara

Curried Potato Latkes

Reuben Latkes


Loaded Baked Potato Latkes

• 4 cups hash browns, defrosted
• 2 tablespoons matzah meal
• 2 eggs
• 3 tablespoons water
• 4 pieces Morningstar Farms Bacon Strips, chopped
• 2/3 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• 4 scallions, chopped fine
• oil, for frying
• sour cream, for serving

In a large mixing bowl, combine hash browns, matzah meal, egg, and water; let rest for 5 minutes.  Stir in bacon strips, cheese, and scallions.

Pour oil into a large skillet to 1/4" depth; heat over medium heat.  Take 1/4 cupfuls of latke batter, and fry for 5 minutes per side until golden; drain on paper towels.  Continue frying until batter is used up, stove and countertops are greasy, and your entire house smells of cooking oil ... ah, the traditions of Chanukkah!

Serve immediately, with sour cream.

Makes 10 latkes.

Doughnut Delights

If celebrating Chanukkah grants a girl permission to eat fried foods, then bring on the doughnuts!

Now to you, these adorable little treats might look like simple doughnut holes drizzled with chocolate and sprinkled with coconut; but to me, they have much more significance.

Let me tell you a story ....

In July, 2006, I separated from my now-ex-husband. I went into super frugal mode, anticipating legal fees and limited access to bank accounts and such. So while I was at the grocery store one day, I bought a box of day-old doughnut holes for 50 cents, figuring that they couldn't be too bad.

They were bad. They were very stale.

But I wasn't going to waste food - nope. So I tried to reinvent them.

I dunked the doughnuts into chocolate and then rolled them into toasted coconut. They were like truffles! And the firmness of the stale treats kept them from crumbling in the chocolate, while the chocolate helped to forgive some of the firmness.

The transformed doughnuts holes were a huge success!

And then I read that Better Homes and Gardens magazine, which holds regular contests with varying themes, was seeking hand-held desserts. Hmmmm .... I skewered the doughnuts holes, gave them a name, and sent the recipe in to BHG.

And you know what? A few months later, I received a letter from the magazine. My ridiculous little stale doughnuts dunked into chocolate had been modified very slightly, but were still awarded an Honorable Mention! And, in addition to the recipe being featured in the magazine, I also won a cash prize ... $250.

As the Psychedelic Furs sing in "Love My Way": "You can never win or lose if you don't run the race!"

Doughnut Delights

2/3 cup flaked coconut
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1 1/2 teaspoons shortening
24 glazed doughnut holes

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Spread coconut in shallow baking pan. Bake for 10 minutes or until toasted, stirring two or three times (watch closely toward end of baking to prevent coconut from burning). Set aside to cool.

In a medium microwave-safe bowl place chocolate pieces and shortening. Microwave on 50 percent power (medium) for 1 to 2 minutes or until chocolate is melted and smooth, stirring after each minute.

Arrange doughnut holes on tray or baking sheet lined with waxed paper. Spoon chocolate over each doughnut hole and sprinkle with coconut. Let stand until set, about 30 minutes.

To serve, arrange doughnut holes on a platter. If desired, thread 2 doughnut holes on bamboo skewer; arrange spoke fashion on a platter. Decorate skewer ends with curling ribbon, choosing colors to fit the occasion.

Makes 24 doughnut holes.

Provolone Fritto con Marinara (Fried Provolone)

Tonight is the second night of Chanukkah, and I could have happily served latkes (potato pancakes) - I adore them! But I wanted something different, something that celebrates both culinary traditions for this holiday: the oil and the dairy.

Most people, if they know anything about Chanukkah, think of it as a festival of fried foods commemorating the miracle of 1 day's worth of oil having burned for 8 days. But there is also the story of Judith feeding generous quantities of cheese to the captain of the enemy's army, to make him thirsty and encourage him to drink himself into a stupor. Once he fell asleep (or, rather, passed out), she cut off his head. The leaderless troops then retreated, and the Jews were ultimately able to rededicate the Temple with the miraculous oil that burned brightly for 7 extra days.

So I decided to fry some cheese in a bit of oil, thus doubling the celebration!

I dare to announce that this dish - Provolone Fritto [proh-voh-LOH-nay FREE-toh], topped with a marinara sauce - may even be more delicious than latkes! I know that's a radical statement to be making; but try this and see. It's crispy, it's gooey, it's flavorful ... truly, it's a fabulous dish!

Provolone Fritto con Marinara

1/3 cup flour
1-1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 eggs
1 tablespoon pesto
1 cup dried bread crumbs
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 8-ounce package sliced smoked Provolone (10 slices)
marinara sauce, heated
Parmesan cheese, for serving

Place the flour into a flat bowl (i.e.: a cereal bowl) and stir in 1 teaspoon of the salt along with the pepper.

Place the eggs into a flat bowl (i.e.: a cereal bowl) and mix in the pesto with a fork.

Place the bread crumbs, the Italian seasoning and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt onto a plate; combine well.

Heat 3 tablespoons of the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. One by one, dredge the slices of Provolone first in the flour, then in the eggs. Place them into the bread crumb mixture and make sure they're well coated.

Place 3-4 breaded slices into the skillet and cook for 3 minutes until the edges are turning golden and the cheese starts to puff a bit. Flip the cheese over.


Cook for another 2-3 minutes until both sides of the cheese are golden and crisp.

Continue frying the cheese until all of the ingredients are used up. Place onto a serving platter, top with marinara sauce and Parmesan.

Serve immediately.

Serves 4.

Reuben Latkes for the First Night of Chanukkah

Chanukkah, one of my very favorite holidays, begins at sundown tonight. It brings beautiful candlelight from the menorah, as well as permission to eat fried foods without (too much) guilt!

During the eight days of Chanukkah, Jews celebrate "the miracle of the oil" when a mere one day's worth of consecrated oil burned for eight days as the Temple in Jerusalem was rededicated in 165 B.C. In modern times, this has been turned into a tradition of eating latkes [LAHT-kuhs] - fried potato pancakes - and sufganiyot [soof-GAHN-yoht], which are similar to jelly doughnuts.

Now, don't get me wrong - I am not in any way averse to either fried potatoes or fried dough! But I kinda like to honor the traditions while tweaking them a bit.

So instead of making potato pancakes, I deconstructed Jeremy's favorite sandwich - the Reuben - and turned it into a little crispy fried patty of its own.

The familiar flavors shine through, and then they're even enhanced by the caramelization that comes from being fried until golden brown. You could also add a bit of shredded Swiss cheese to the batter; but that wouldn't be kosher (meat and dairy products can't be combined, according to the Jewish dietary laws). Although I don't keep kosher myself, I do try to respect that many of the people celebrating Chanukkah tonight do.

The Reuben latkes are also great for people - like Jeremy and my fabulous blogging buddy Michele - who follow a low-carb diet; there are only about 4 carbs per latke, as opposed to the gazillion that you'll find in the traditional potato variety.

Happy Chanukkah! Enjoy some fried foods over the next eight days, and don't make excuses - just celebrate right along with me!

Reuben Latkes

12 Triscuit crackers - Rye with Caraway Seeds
2 cups sauerkraut
1/2 small onion, finely chopped
4 ounces sliced deli corned beef, chopped
2 large eggs
3/4 cup oil
Thousand Island dressing, for serving

Crush the crackers into fine crumbs and place into a large bowl. Squeeze the sauerkraut to drain it thoroughly, then add it to the mixing bowl with the cracker crumbs. Stir in the onion, the corned beef, and the eggs; combine well.

Heat 1/4 cup oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat; drop batter by 1/4 cupfuls into the oil, making 4 latkes at a time. Cook for 4-5 minutes per side until browned, then remove from skillet to drain on paper towels. Repeat with remaining oil and batter.

Makes 12 latkes. Serve hot, with Thousand Island dressing.

And don't forget to check out some other latke recipes for your Chanukkah celebration:

Curried Latkes with Peas

Jambalaya Latkes

Eating My Vegetables

As mentioned last week, Chanukkah is a minor holiday on the Jewish calendar, one which celebrates a miracle with oil. So it is traditional among the Ashkenazim (Jews of Eastern European heritage) to eat fried foods, especially latkes.

But just because you're cooking with oil, eating oil and worshipping the beauty of the oil doesn't mean that you have to destroy your arteries in the process. It is possible to eat nutritious food that's utilizes oil, too!

And here is one of the ways to do so: bake some spaghetti squash on an oiled sheet, saute some spinach and tomato in oil, and then serve some good bread alongside the vegetables and provide a lovely spiced dipping oil for it, as well.

This is a ridiculously easy meal, one packed with nutrition, and certainly a warm and colorful dinner to enjoy at the end of a long day of work or holiday shopping or errand running or snow shovelling, or whatever your life might bring to you ....

Spaghetti Squash with Spinach

1 large spaghetti squash
3 tablespoons oil
pinch of red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup almonds, chopped
1 tomato, diced
2 cup chopped fresh spinach
parmesan, for serving

Preheat the oven to 400F.

Cut the squash in half lengthwise, and place it on a greased baking sheet. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until it's very tender and golden at the edges.

Near the end of the cooking time, heat the oil in a large skillet. Cook the red pepper flakes over medium heat for 1 minute. Add the Italian seasoning, salt, pepper and almonds; cook for 1 minute or so, until the almonds become fragrant.

Add the tomato and the spinach; cook until the spinach is wilted. Remove from heat.


Scrape the flesh from the squash and place it onto a serving dish.


Top with the spinach mixture, then serve with parmesan.

Serves 2-4, depending on size of serving.

Dipping Oil for Bread

1/3 cup olive oil, the greener the better
1 small garlic clove, minced
1/4 teaspoon Savory Spice Shop Tarragon Shallot Citrus seasoning mix
1/8 teaspoon Mrs. Dash original seasoning mix

Mix all of the ingredients together and place into a serving bowl. Let flavors blend for at least 30 minutes before serving with good, crusty bread.

Latkepalooza!

I love latkes -- truly, they are one of my very favorite foods in the universe. Fried potato pancakes -- does it get any better than that??? Sure, I could make and/or eat them any time I want to, just as we could all roast turkey or ham for a Sunday dinner rather than waiting for Thanksgiving or Easter. But it's just not the same, is it, without the specialness of a holiday?

So, on the first night of Chanukkah every year I make latkes. There are eight nights of Chanukkah; and I have to admit that while I light the menorah each evening, I do not always adhere to the theme of celebrating the miracle of the oil when it comes to dinner.

But the first night is different. It's not Chanukkah 'til the house is filled with the fragrance of fried foods and the stovetop is splattered with grease.

There is also a tradition of eating dairy products which -- I was most surprised to find out -- a rabbi I know of wasn't even aware of 'til recently ... hmmmm.

As mentioned yesterday, Chanukkah honors the rededication of the temple in Jerusalem after it was desecrated by the armies of Antiochus IV. The story is told that Judith fed the captain of Antiochus' army cheese, to make him thirsty and encourage him to drink himself into a stupor. Once he fell asleep (or, rather, passed out), she cut off his head; the leaderless army then retreated. So anything made with dairy products is also a perfectly acceptable celebratory food. Macaroni and cheese, cheesecake -- it's all good, as far as I'm concerned ... :)

But last night, it was all about the latkes ... and the gorgeous fruit salad Tom put together while my glasses got all spotted with splattering oil.

And so, here is my incredibly easy recipe for Curried Potato 'n' Pea Latkes with Yogurt-Cucumber Sauce. The house smells amazing as these cook, and you can make them spicier or milder depending upon your tastes. Just my way of taking a traditional food and giving it a bit of a nudge ....

Curried Potato 'n' Pea Latkes with Yogurt-Cucumber Sauce

1 6-ounce box Manischewitz potato pancake mix
2 eggs
2 cups water
3 cups frozen hash browns
1/2 cup frozen peas
2 scallions, chopped fine
1-1/2 teaspoons curry powder
1 teaspoon + 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
lots of oil for cooking
1 cup plain yogurt
1 teaspoon dill
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup finely diced peeled cucumber

In a mixing bowl, combine the mix, eggs, and water; let rest for 5 minutes. Stir in the hash browns, peas, scallions, curry powder and 1 teaspoon salt.

Heat a generous 1/4" oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Drop latke batter by the 1/4-cupful and flatten each mound a bit. Fry for 4-ish minutes per side, until golden brown. Drain on a paper towel.

Combine the yogurt, dill, 1/2 teaspoon salt, pepper and cucumber.

Serve the latkes hot, with yogurt-cucumber sauce.