On Sunday night, when we came home after a combined total of over 2,000 miles of driving over the last few weeks, the kitchen had no fresh food but the Murcotts we’d carried in our bags with us.
So it probably makes sense when I tell you our fare this week, despite all the inspiring, innovative foods we’ve been exposed to lately, has been the simple kind.
Using pantry ingredients and items that arrived (in a timely fashion) in our CSA box, Tim whipped up some Thai noodles on Sunday night, and I used our turnip greens to create a new spin on this kale salad alongside grilled cheese.
At around 7 p.m. last night, after sipping quick smoothies, I said to Tim, “What could you make with a sweet potato and a potato?”
We ended up with this.
My favorite kind of recipe is the type where you make it once, and the ingredient list is simple enough to stay in your head, so that reciting it back to someone else or going to make it again later is almost brainless. I feel that way about the flaky pie crust recipe I inherited from my mom. And I feel that way about these potato pancakes.
Listen, guys: You take a pound of root vegetables, grate them and strain them, and mix them with an egg, onion, parsley, some flour, and salt and pepper.
Easy peasy!
Saute heaps of this mixture in oil, and you’re done. Whatever your schedule or the inside of your fridge is looking like these days, I hope simple, flavorful, home-cooked meals like this one can be a part of it.
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Easy-Peasy Sweet Potato and Potato Pancakes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 12-14 small latkes 1x
Description
Wispy fried potato shreds laced with sweet onions and parsley? Yes, please! These crispy latkes are the perfect choice for any time of day.
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound russet potatoes
- 1/2 pound sweet potatoes
- 1/4 cup finely diced sweet onion
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 1 teaspoon coarse salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- Vegetable oil, for frying
Instructions
- Grate the potatoes using the largest holes on your box grater or the shredding disc of your food processor. Place in a clean dish towel and squeeze out as much moisture as you can.
- In a large bowl, add the dried potato shreds, onion, parsley, egg, salt, and pepper. Mix everything together with a fork, and then add the flour 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring continuously.
- In a large skillet or cast iron pan, heat about 1 inch of vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Carefully drop forkfuls of the potato shreds into the oil and gently flatten them with a spatula. Cook until crispy and golden, about 2-3 minutes per side.
- Place the cooked latkes on a paper towel-lined plate to drain any excess oil. Sprinkle with an additional pinch of salt and serve immediately.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Side Dishes
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Vegetarian
Keywords: latkes, potato, sweet potato, potato pancake, Hanukkah
Cooking By the Numbers…
Step 1 – Grate and Chop
Rinse, scrub, and dry the potatoes. Grate them, using the largest holes on your box grater, or the shredding disc of your food processor.
Keeping the skins on and adding sweet potatoes to the mix brings even more nutrients to the party.
Chop and measure the onions and parsley. Does this task bring you to tears? Check out our tips for chopping onions with a smile on your face!
Step 2 – Squeeze Out the Moisture
Place the shredded sweet and regular potatoes into a clean dish towel.
Squeeze out as much moisture as you can.
Feel free to work in batches, if you like. The more water you can remove, the crispier the latkes will be.
Step 3 – Add the Binders and Make the Batter
In a large bowl, mix the dried potato shreds with the onion, egg, parsley, salt, and pepper.
While stirring with a fork, incorporate the flour about a tablespoon at a time.
Toss and mix thoroughly, to combine all of the ingredients well.
Step 4 – Fry
In a large skillet or cast iron pan, heat about 1 inch of the vegetable oil over medium-high heat.
You can test if the oil is hot enough by dropping in a few shreds of the potatoes. If the oil bubbles and sizzles immediately, it’s ready.
Carefully drop large forkfuls of the mixture into the oil, being sure not to crowd the pan, and gently flatten them with a spatula. Working in batches, cook until crispy and golden, about 2-3 minutes per side.
Place the cooked latkes on a paper-towel lined plate to drain any excess oil.
Sprinkle hot latkes with an additional pinch of salt and serve immediately.
Potato Pancakes Are an Anytime O’Clock Food
Don’t let the word “pancake” trick you into thinking you should only fry up these fritters for the first meal of the day.
Latkes make an ideal partner for any type of protein. Serve them alongside a classic roasted chicken or a big, buttery steak.
These savory rounds may be a side dish, but dollop them with a cinnamon-scented spoonful of a homemade stovetop or pressure cooker applesauce and a swirl of tangy sour cream, and they’ll take center stage on your table whether you’re celebrating a holiday with the family or rustling up a quick dinner after some time away from home.
Looking for more ways to turn up the volume on traditional taters? With these recipes, you’ll see spuds in a whole new light:
- Potato Wedges with Buffalo Blue Cheese Dip
- Cabbage, Potatoes, and White Beans
- Buttered Miso Roasted Potatoes
What will you drape over these crispy latkes? Greek yogurt? Cream cheese and smoked salmon? Share your creative toppings in the comments below! And don’t forget to give this recipe a five-star rating if you loved it.
Photos by Fanny Slater, © Ask the Experts, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. See our TOS for more details. Originally published on October 30, 2013. Last updated: October 18, 2022 at 9:34 am. With additional writing and editing by Fanny Slater and Allison Sidhu.
Nutritional information derived from a database of known generic and branded foods and ingredients and was not compiled by a registered dietitian or submitted for lab testing. It should be viewed as an approximation.
About Shanna Mallon
Shanna Mallon is a freelance writer who holds an MA in writing from DePaul University. Her work has been featured in a variety of media outlets, including The Kitchn, Better Homes & Gardens, Taste of Home, Houzz.com, Foodista, Entrepreneur, and Ragan PR. In 2014, she co-authored The Einkorn Cookbook with her husband, Tim. Today, you can find her digging into food topics and celebrating the everyday grace of eating on her blog, Go Eat Your Bread with Joy. Shanna lives in Nashville, Tennessee, with Tim and their two small kids.
Beautiful comfort food!
I think comfort food is my favorite food.
YUM. This is probably happening in our kitchen this weekend.
Yay! Another way we are connected across the miles!
Mmm these sound awesome! Love it!
Thanks, Katrina!
Thanks for sharing some of the less glamorous aspects of your trip ;-). So often we see the polished perfection that people choose to post on blogs, and we forget that everyone has “messy” days, less-than-perfect meals, and, even on vacations, breakdown moments. I love that you allow yourself to be raw and real here, Shanna.
You’re nice. Comments like this one definitely make it easier. The first night when I had the headache, it hit me that even wonderful things like vacations (and to places you’ve always wanted to visit!) aren’t perfect in this life. Sometimes we believe, when we look at what someone else is doing or being, that their situation would make things so swell… when in reality, everything is tinged with imperfection because everything we do includes us. : ) Thanks for your sweet words, Lindsey! Always appreciated.
looks delicious. I will give an Asian-inspired version of this a go this weekend.
Cool. Would love to hear what you think!
Oh wow – you guys have been all over the place these past couple weeks! I’m with you thought, there’s nothing that feels quite as good as coming home to familiarity and comforting, simple meals. I’ve been splurging on sweet potatoes (they’re hard to come by here), and have fallen back in love witn them. These will be next on the list!
I always love hearing about the difference in food availability over there, Jess — it reminds me how big the world is! and how even the simple things here are luxuries somewhere else. Would love to hear what you think about these if you try them!
I was expected the typical pancake with baked, mashed sweet potato added in but was delighted to see a shredded version! They look so good and I bet would be good for breakfast or dinner 🙂
Indeed, Elissa! I think of them as either breakfast or a side dish. : )
hey shanna, i was just thinking of how simple foods are the best kind to enjoy with the people we love most – with whom there is no need for fancy napkins nor complicated recipes to impress; just sitting together, munching on simple fare and enjoying each other’s company. I’m always encouraged by how you and Tim make the most of whatever you have on hand. btw, the need-to-pee-so-bad anecdote was funny (i don’t mean to laugh at your discomfort), but I know how it is! Sometimes I feel that way too and dont even mind stopping the car and settling it in the midst of fields where only cows exist!!
sending plenty of love my dear friend!
Haha, Felicia! Thanks for the empathy… makes me feel a little better…. : )
I know exactly what you mean. Whenever I get back from a trip, and for some reason especially when it’s been a trip full of inspiring food, I find that all I want to do is boil some pasta and make the simplest dishes possible. It takes me awhile to get my kitchen energy back, I suppose. 😉
Right? You’d think some time away from cooking would renew the vigor… but sometimes you’re just tired. : )
You pretty much made latkes! One of our good friends is Jewish and he invites us over whenever he’s making latkes. Usually they are made with just potatoes but he liked to do a potato and sweet potato mix. As strange and it sounds, they are DIVINE with some applesauce and sour cream on top. Yumm.
Alexis, I grew up in a home that celebrated Passover and sometimes Hanukkah, and right after this post went up I was reminiscing with my mom about a time she made 300+ latkes for one of those parties, keeping them in the oven warmer, divvying them out plate by plate. I told her it was amazing. She said it was crazy. Haha! : ) And I couldn’t agree more about the applesauce!
This is my kind of side dish or main dish. I’m eating Paleo lately and if I make these with just the sweet potatoes, I’m in. Love.
Oh, I hope you like them, Angela!
How did I miss these last week?! This is totally, totally my kind of food. Simple but perfect.
Aw, thanks, K!
Oooh – yum, yum, yum! These look so crispy and delicious. And I love that you’ve added some sweet potato – a little nod to healthy, vitamin filled veggies. Can’t wait to try and make these…
By the way – I have only just discovered your site and it is beautiful – such great photos and such mouthwatering recipes… Looking forward to reading more…
Thanks so much, Skye! I’m glad you found us, and I appreciate your kind words!
I love the sound of this — and I like it even more after reading that it came out of the necessity of the moment. I absolutely hate cooking as soon as I get back from a trip. It’s the worst combination of road fatigue, hunger, and a lack of inspiration in the kitchen. So glad you figured out a way around it to make something that looks darn-right delicious.
People always say necessity is the mother of invention, and I guess it’s true. We tend to be much more creative (or, at least, creative in a more obvious way) when we’re spent than when we’re full and rested. Such a strange irony!
these are a family fav. I love anything sweet potato
I like easy because I cook for myself all the time I substituted and added a few things. My grandma was a cook, she made a great latke. I’ve come to use nutrition to heal myself , suddenly realized I was not looking at all options. I love using sweet potatoes this way, thanks
★★★★
So glad you found another healthful way to use sweet potatoes in our homemade recipe, Pamela!