Mashed Potato Kugel Food

POTATO KUGEL

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a 9-by-13-inch glass baking dish with nonstick spray.
• Melt the schmaltz (or heat the oil) in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions, thyme and pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Discard the thyme sprigs and transfer the onions to a large bowl; add the potatoes and chives. Gently stir the mixture together.
• Whisk the eggs and salt in a medium bowl. Pour evenly over the potato mixture and fold in to combine. Spread and press the mixture evenly into the prepared baking dish.
• Bake until the kugel is set and you see the sides become a deep golden brown through the glass baking dish, 40 to 50 minutes. Let cool for 10 to 15 minutes before serving, sprinkle each portion with more chives.

KARTOFFEL KUGEL (ASHKENAZIC POTATO PUDDING)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375°F. Heat an 8- or 9-inch square baking dish in the oven.
• Coat the bottom and sides of the baking dish with 1/4 cup of the schmaltz or oil and return to the oven until very hot, about 15 minutes.
• Place the potatoes in a large bowl of lightly salted cold water. (This keeps them from discoloring.) Grate the potates into the onions, stirring to mix.
• Stir in the eggs, remaining 1/4 cup schmaltz or oil, salt, pepper, and, if desired, gribenes or carrot. Add enough matza meal or flour to bind the batter.
• Pour into the heated dish and bake until golden brown, about 1 hour. Although this is best when warm, the leftovers can be served at room temperature.

POTATO KUGEL

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 350, with a heavy 9-by-9-inch baking pan or 10-inch cast-iron skillet inside.
• Peel the potatoes, and place them in a bowl of water. In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs with the salt and pepper until well combined.
• Using a food processor fitted with the grating plate, grate the onion. Drain the potatoes, then grate them. Quickly add the potatoes and onions to the eggs, and add the oil, flour and baking powder. Mix well. (You can also grate by hand; if you do so, grate the potatoes directly into the eggs and oil, and stir them frequently to coat. This helps slow their browning while you keep grating.)
• Remove the pan from the oven, and slick it with oil. Carefully but quickly add the potato mixture, smoothing it out so that it is as even as possible. Bake for 2 hours, or until the kugel is creamy in the center and the whole top is a rich, crunchy brown.

CRISPY POTATO-LEEK KUGEL

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°. Cut 4 potatoes into 1" chunks and place in a medium pot. Cover with cold water by 1". Season water generously with salt, bring to a boil over medium-high heat, and cook until potatoes are tender, 10-12 minutes. Drain well, transfer to a large bowl, and mash with a potato masher; set aside.
• Meanwhile, heat 2 Tbsp. oil in a large skillet over medium until shimmering. Add leeks, 1/4 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until softened and golden, 5-8 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, 1-2 minutes more. Remove pan from heat and let cool slightly.
• Grease bottom and sides of an 8x8" baking pan with 2 Tbsp. oil. Place pan in oven for 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, grate 3 potatoes and onion using the large holes of a box grater or a food processor fit with a shredding blade. Wrap potatoes and onion in a clean dishtowel or several layers of paper towels and squeeze out as much liquid as you can; add to the bowl with the mashed potatoes. Stir in sautéed leeks and garlic, eggs, 2 Tbsp. oil, 1 Tbsp. thyme, 2 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. pepper; mix until well combined.
• Thinly slice remaining 2 potatoes and toss with remaining 1 Tbsp. oil, 1 tsp. thyme, 1/4 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. pepper in a medium bowl; set aside.
• Carefully remove preheated pan from oven and transfer potato-onion mixture to the pan (it should sizzle when it hits the hot oil). Smooth top with a spatula. Layer potato slices over the top in a shingled fashion. Bake until golden brown and cooked through, 60-75 minutes. Heat broiler; broil kugel until crispy crust forms, 1-2 minutes, watching carefully so it does not burn. Let cool briefly, then cut into squares to serve.

THE BEST (AND EASY!) POTATO KUGEL

Steps:

• Preheat over to 350 degrees.
• Grease a 1 1/2-quart baking dish with the oil.
• In a mixing bowl, beat the eggs well before stirring in the rest of the ingredients in the order given.
• Pour into prepared pan.
• Bake 1 hour.
• Let set about 10 minutes before serving.

CRISPY POTATO KUGEL

Steps:

• Heat oven to 425 degrees. Using a box grater or the shredding attachment on the food processor, grate the potatoes and onion into a colander fitted inside a large bowl (or in the sink).
• Using your hands and working with a bit at a time, squeeze as much water from the potatoes and onions as humanly possible and transfer the dry potatoes to a large bowl (you can use that same bowl, just make sure it's drained and dry). For added insurance, you can also do this with cheesecloth or a porous kitchen towel, if you like.
• Add eggs and 6 tablespoons chicken fat to the potatoes, and season with salt and plenty of pepper, mixing well. Heat another 2 tablespoons fat in a 9- or 10-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-high. (This recipe will work in a 9- or 10-inch skillet, but the kugel will be slightly taller in a 9-inch.) Delicately place the potato mixture into the skillet, taking care not to pack it in tightly. (You want to keep the kugel light and airy.)
• Cook the potatoes, rotating the skillet occasionally to promote even browning, until it's golden brown on the edges and up the sides, 10 to 12 minutes.
• Drizzle the top of the potatoes with the remaining 2 tablespoons fat and place in the oven. Bake until the top of the kugel is deeply golden brown, the edges are wispy and crispy, and the potatoes are completely and totally tender and cooked through, 45 to 50 minutes.
• Remove from oven and top with more pepper, chives and flaky sea salt. Slice and serve warm.

OLD FASHIONED POTATO KUGEL

Steps:

• Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13 inch pan with 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil.
• Combine the potatoes and onions in a large bowl. Mix in the eggs, 1/3 cup of vegetable oil, salt, and pepper. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the top is golden brown and crisp, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

PASSOVER POTATO KUGEL

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Grate potatoes and onion in a food processor. Transfer to a large bowl and add oil, eggs, salt, and pepper. Mix to combine and place in a 9x13-inch baking dish.
• Bake, uncovered, in the preheated oven for 2 hours.

POTATO MATZO KUGEL

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Grease the inside of a 2 quart baking dish.
• Grate the potatoes and onions (food processor will turn the potatoes brown really quickly and it's UGLY - avoid it if possible) and place in a strainer set over a bowl. It's important to work quick so the potatoes don't brown too much.
• Squeeze as much moisture as you can from the potatoes and onions, and remove the strainer from the bowl.
• In the bowl, you will see a liquid that sits on top of starch that is sticking to the bottom.
• Discard the liquid being very careful not to discard the starch underneath.
• Add the potatoes and onions to the bowl with the starch, along with the eggs, matzo meal, oil, and salt and pepper. I have not given a specific amount of salt as this is an individual preference - I like a lot of salt, and if I would post the amount, people's hypertension would soar just at reading it.
• Stir very well.
• Insert the mixture into the baking dish and bake for 45minutes-1hour, until the kugel is browned and bubbling.