I love scalloped potatoes, potato gratins, and just about every which way you can think of to calorie up cut potatoes and bake them in the oven. But after discovering this recipe inspired by Tory Avery, I now have a way of serving a potato casserole without as many calories as most of my regular favorites. And why is that you might ask. Well, notice the absence of two of the most caloric ingredients in most potato casseroles – cheese and heavy cream. And yet, even without these ingredients, this kugel is creamy and delicious.

Now granted, you are invited to add a bit of sour cream as a topping. But I never said it was a low calorie dish. It just has less calories than most of its potato casserole predecessors. (At least the ones I love the most.)

But, boy oh boy is this kugel delicious. It’s like a big old potato latke, without having to spend time frying large spoonful’s of potato mixture in hot oil on top of your stove. (And if you have never done this, please take it from me. You can spend hours frying potato latkes. Because as soon as you fry a couple three, they’re gone. So you have to fry more. You see where I’m going with this, right?)

Anyway, if you want a simple potato dish to add a certain je ne sais quoi to an otherwise traditional assortment of other offerings on your table, give this recipe a try. It’s really yummy, easy to fix, economical, and different from most other potato preparations. Just remember to include something crunchy in your menu. Actually that’s important regardless of whether you serve this dish or not. If you don’t already, get used to planning for at least one crunchy component in every meal you serve. It will soon become a habit, and as you well know, habits are hard to break. Happy kugel to you and yours.

5 lbs. russet potatoes (about 10 medium-sized potatoes)

1 bunch green onions, divided

6 eggs

6 T. potato or corn starch  

2 tsp. kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

4 T. extra virgin olive oil, divided

sour cream, opt. for garnish

Place a 9×13 metal or ceramic baking dish or pan in the oven and preheat oven to 400 degrees, letting the dish heat up inside. (Glass does not work well for this recipe.)

Peel the potatoes, then use a food processor or hand grater to grate them into large shreds. Place the potato shreds in a large mixing bowl and cover with cold water. Let the shreds sit for a few minutes.

Meanwhile, wash and mince the green onions. (Don’t even think about discarding the green part. Cut that part up too.) Set aside.  

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, potato starch, salt, and pepper until fluffy. Drain the potato shreds in a colander, pushing down firmly on top of the shreds with your hands to push out the excess liquid. Place the grated potatoes in the bowl with the seasoned eggs. Stir in about ¾ of the minced green onions and mix all together until well combined.

Take the preheated baking dish out of the oven. Quickly pour in 3 tablespoons of the olive oil, then use a pastry brush to carefully spread the oil around the bottom and sides of the hot dish. (The hot dish and oil will help guarantee a beautiful brown and crisp bottom crust for the kugel.)

Quickly spread the potato mixture into an even layer in the baking dish, then drizzle remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil across the top.

Bake uncovered in a pre-heated 400 degree oven for 60-70 minutes or until the top is nicely browned. If the kugel seems to be browning too quickly, cover the pan with aluminum foil to keep it from over-browning. But in order for the potatoes to become tender, it truly takes about 70 minutes of baking time.

The kugel tastes best hot from the oven, but do let it set up for 5-10 minutes before slicing and serving. Pass the sour cream and remaining minced green onion.