Kugel is a quintessentially Jewish dish that is best described as a baked pudding. The dish originated over 800 years ago in Germany and quickly became popular with Jewish families throughout Eastern Europe. There are many kinds of kugels—noodle kugels, sweet kugels, savory kugels. Slow cooking overnight kugels developed because Orthodox families were not allowed to cook during the hours of Shabbat. During the Passover holiday, noodles and sweets take a back seat to dairy-free and flour-free potato kugels, which are served alongside other holiday classics like brisket, roast chicken and matzo ball soup.
For the past several years I’ve been refining my potato kugel recipe. My goal was to create a kugel with the soul of a latke– one big, fluffy, sliceable latke that can serve a large crowd. I’ve learned, over time, to keep things simple… potatoes, eggs, onions and fat, a little starch, some salt and pepper – that’s all you need to make a great kugel. The rest is all about technique.
I used to put matzo meal in my kugel to bind it, but have since switched over to potato starch (the “secret ingredient” I use to make crispy, amazing latkes). The starch makes for a lighter, fluffier texture inside… it’s also gluten free for those who have dietary restrictions. Over time I learned to preheat my baking dish, a technique I picked up from my sister-in-law. This step produces a really brown, beautiful crust on the kugel that simply can’t be obtained by oven cooking alone.
This Passover Potato Kugel is everything a kugel should be… crispy on the outside while soft, fluffy and tender inside. It’s like one enormous latke, an irresistible addition to any Seder table. I highly recommend the schmaltz (rendered chicken fat) if you can swing it. If you prefer to keep it meat-free, use olive oil and it will still be very, very tasty. Enjoy!
Note: I am always working to make my recipes better. I have improved this recipe and reposted it with new pictures. If you’re looking for the old recipe, leave a comment and let me know. I plan to post another”improved” potato kugel recipe with Sephardic spices in the coming weeks. Stay tuned!
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Passover Potato Kugel
Ingredients
- 5 pounds russet potatoes (about 10 medium-sized potatoes)
- 2 whole large onions
- 6 eggs
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 6 tablespoons potato starch (if not serving for Passover you may substitute corn starch)
- 1/4 cup schmaltz or extra virgin olive oil, divided (schmaltz gives amazing flavor; use olive oil to keep it vegetarian)
Instructions
- Place a 9x13 baking dish or pan in the oven and preheat oven to 400 degrees, letting the dish heat up inside. 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, peel and shred the two large onions in the food processor or with a hand grater. Reserve.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, 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 grated potatoes in a large bowl. Add the seasoned eggs, grated onions and potato starch to the bowl. Use your hands to mix all ingredients together until well combined.
- Take the preheated baking dish out of the oven. Quickly pour in 3 tbsp schmaltz or olive oil, then use a pastry brush to carefully spread the fat around the bottom and sides of the hot dish. Careful, don't burn yourself! The hot dish, while a bit difficult to navigate, will help to form a beautiful brown and crisp crust for the kugel.
- Carefully and quickly spread the potato mixture into an even layer in the baking dish (it should sizzle!), then drizzle remaining 1 tbsp of melted schmaltz or olive oil across the top.
- Bake uncovered at 400 degrees for 60-70 minutes until the top is nicely browned all across the top. If it seems to be browning too fast (before the center is cooked), cover the kugel to keep it from over-browning. You really want it to have a nice golden crust-- at the end of cooking, if it's not quite brown enough, you can put it 6 inches below the broiler for a minute or two to evenly brown it all across the top. This kugel tastes best served hot directly from the oven. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes before slicing and serving.
NOTES
Nutrition
what about replacing the corn starch with matzo meal?
Hi J, I personally prefer starch here as it makes for a lighter, crisper result than matzo meal.
Okay, disregard my previous comment! I learned that the glass could shatter at that heat. Would making it in a disposable foil pan do anything bad to the recipe? I use all my glass pyrex for Pesach, and foil when I can’t.
Foil pan should be fine. 🙂
Beth I have used glass but you need to he extra careful – you must put it in to preheat and remove it as soon as your oven preheats to 400( or about 1 minute past jo longer ). I prepare the mixture first so I dont wind up keeping it in the oven too long to the point of breaking..
I peeled and grated the potatoes and forgot to put into cold water I had to leave it for a few hours and now the potato mixture is very dark brown and gray color, can I still use it for a potato kugel and will it still tastes good in spite of the discoloration?
Please let me know
Thank you
Hi Judit, discoloration doesn’t generally affect the flavor, but it won’t look as nice (obviously). However, I would worry about leaving wet potatoes out at room temperature for more than a couple of hours. Did you refrigerate them? Hopefully the hot oven would kill any bacteria that might have formed.
Hi Tori,
I am a huge fan but have never commented! I am hosting my own Seder for the first time ever this year and was looking for a Passover-friendly – this looks perfect! I have a question about timing. I have only one oven and will also be making a chicken dish that needs to be baked in the oven. You state this tastes best when served directly from the oven, but I won’t be able to cook this and the chicken simultaneously as I’m cooking for 15 in my one little oven. Do you think it will still taste good if cooked ahead?
Hi Jennifer! It’s a tricky dish that I really only recommend serving from oven to table, unfortunately. There are other dishes that are better made ahead. Are you serving an Ashkenazi or Sephardic Passover meal? I can make some suggestions on other dishes that will work better made ahead, if you let me know how strict your guidelines are. 🙂
Hello. I will be making this recipe for Passover. I plan to make it right we leave for dinner. It says best to eat immediately. It may be a hour or so before it is served. Do you have a temperture and amount of time you recommend to keep it warm after a complete cooking?
You can keep it in a very low oven– 200 degrees or less– until ready to serve. If you will be taking it out of the oven for transport, reheat it when you get to your destination at 350 until warmed through.
can you make ahead and freeze?
No, I do not recommend it for this recipe. It will turn dry as it reheats.
Me encanta esta receta porque es sencilla y debe ser exquisita!
Hoy la hago.
Do you think this wonderful kugel could be made with previously frozen (and defrosted) potato shreds to save prep time on the day you want to serve it?
Thank you, I love all your recipes! (I have made your mandelbrot a thousand times!)
Hi Lois! I think that would probably work, but I haven’t tested it myself so can’t promise… I don’t like to recommend changes unless I have personally tested them, and this recipe is pretty finicky. 🙂 That said, I use frozen shreds for hash brows with no issue, so in theory it should work. If you try it will you please let us know how it goes? Also– my grandma was named Lois, when I saw your name it brought a smile to my face. 🙂
can i cut the recipe in half, and bake it in a smaller baking dish. i would love to try it.
many thanks.
That should be fine.
Amazing recipe
When I was younger and living in New York I would go to the deli any day of the week and have potato kugel.
I moved to New Jersey over 40 years ago and haven’t had any since. I found a Jewish deli but they only have kugel on holidays. Why is that?
Can I put all this in a container and freeze it, and on the day I need it, bake it? Thank you
Hi there– I wouldn’t recommend freezing this dish either baked or unbaked. It’s just not a freezer friendly dish, based on my experimentation. Sorry!
I tried this last night for a Sukkot gathering, so I used organic corn starch. I was so nervous about putting 6 T. (thought you may have meant t.). It is the secret ingredient, ans the best I’ve ever made! Baked exactly 70 min. it was crispy on the outside, soft and light on the inside. Thank you so much for sharing♡
Fabulous! 🙂
Hi Tori
Any way to make a kugel vegan? I really want to make one and am doing a all vegan Rosh Hashana dinner.
Hi Jackie, it depends on what kind of kugel you are looking for. This Passover potato kugel really relies on eggs for the proper texture. Here is a vegan kugel I love (use butter substitute): https://toriavey.com/toris-kitchen/matzo-crisp-pear-apple-cranberries/ and here are more vegan recipe ideas for the holiday: https://toriavey.com/recipes/vegan-rosh-hashanah-recipes/
Made this last year for Seder but need to make ahead for holiday on Wed.. how much should I cook it ahead of time and then finish/reheat at Mom’s?
Hi Sara, unfortunately I do not recommend making this kugel ahead. It is best served fresh out of the oven; the texture does not withstand making ahead, refrigerating or freezing.
I have made this twice. First time was perfect but second time I cooked for 40 mins and next day completed for 30 more. The inside never cooked and I had raw potatoes can you suggest a way to cook in Advance?
I don’t recommend cooking this particular recipe in advance… so sorry!
Can I make ahead and freeze this?
I do not recommend making this kugel ahead; I have frozen it in the past but it never tastes the same reheated.
Unfortunately, this did not work well for me. I used yellow potatoes instead. I divided and cooked the mixture in two, nonstick cake pans since you said not to use glass. The tops looked great, but the inside seems uncooked and does not stick together like a kugel.
The best kugel recipe by far… and my parents are caterers…and I’m from a family that the first things babies want to eat is kugel… so here goes my five star…
Terrific recipe. I tried another for our first seder and this for our second seder – yours was the winner hands down. I love that the inside texture is moist while the outside crispy – and I love that the recipe is gluten free, not only for those with a sensitivity, but also because it is lighter and fluffier than kugels made with matzah meal. One point I can share: I happened to be short on eggs (one of those situations where I sent my 8 year old around to borrow eggs from our kind neighbors!) I made the recipe with 5 eggs and it turned out fine. Thank you so much!
I am very excited about making this great recipe. Thanks! As I will be using a glass pan, alas, can you please suggest what I can do to compensate for my cookware failure, e.g., cook longer or shorter time, more oil, etc.? Thank you.
Joe
Be careful! THE Glass can shatter if the pan is heated too ling without anything in it
If you can live with a little color in your kugel don’t bother to peel the potatoes..