This recipe is both Passover-friendly and delicious. Usually, I shy away from making Kosher for Passover (KFP?) meals outside of Passover, but this dish was definitely yummy enough to make during the rest of the year.
This dish calls for some preparation (I may or may not have injured myself in the line of duty) so definitely plan on actively working for at least 30 minutes to prepare this recipe.
Potato Leek Kugel
Original Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 medium russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1″ chunks
- 3 medium russet potatoes, peeled and grated
- 1 onion, grated
- 5 tablespoons of olive oil, divided
- 2 large leeks, thinly sliced crosswise
- 2-4 teaspoons of garlic powder
- 4 egg whites
- 2 teaspoons of fresh thyme, plus more
- 2 teaspoons of salt, plus more
- 1 teaspoon of black pepper, plus more
- 2 medium russet potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
Directions
Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C) and grease the bottom and sides of a baking dish.
As the oven is heating up, place the potato chunks in a medium pot. Add water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook potatoes until tender, at least 10-12 minutes, and then drain and transfer the potatoes to a large mixing bowl. Mash the potatoes with a potato masher (or two forks!), add the grated potatoes, 2 tablespoons of oil, and the grated onion, mix, and set aside.
Place the baking dish in the oven for 10 minutes. Concurrently, heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced leeks, garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper, stirring frequently until the leeks turn soft and golden, about 5-10 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat, allowing the leeks to cool slightly.Add the leeks to the mixing bowl; also add the egg whites, thyme, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper, and then mix until all of the ingredients are well-combined.
Remove the baking dish from the oven. Pour the mixture into the baking pan and smooth out the top with a spatula.
In a medium-sized mixing bowl, toss the sliced potatoes with about 1 tablespoon of oil, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper. Layer the potato slices on top of the mixture in the baking dish like shingles. Sprinkle some extra salt, pepper, and thyme on top – and be generous with the thyme.
Place the baking dish in the oven for about 60-75 minutes, or until the potatoes become a light golden brown. Heat the broiler and broil the dish until the shingled potato slices become crispy, about 1-2 minutes (keep an eye on it so it doesn’t burn!)
Let the dish cool for a few minutes before cutting into squares. Serve very warm.