By Claire Saffitz
- Total Time
- 2 hours 15 minutes
- Rating
- 4(1,362)
- Notes
- Read community notes
If you like the creaminess of mashed potatoes but not the uniform texture, try this potato cake, which is like a cross between hash browns and a classic mash. Made with fluffy baked russet potatoes and flavored with garlic, browned butter and tangy sour cream, the cake is cooked on the stovetop, then transferred to the oven, where it takes on a crispy, golden brown crust. Make sure your nonstick skillet is oven-safe, or use a very well-seasoned cast-iron skillet.
Featured in: 3 Thanksgiving Potato Dishes That Are Better Than Mashed
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Ingredients
Yield:8 servings
- 3pounds russet potatoes (about 6 medium-large), scrubbed
- 6tablespoons unsalted butter
- 6garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Pinch of ground nutmeg
- ½cup crème fraîche or sour cream, at room temperature
- 1tablespoon finely chopped chives
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)
243 calories; 12 grams fat; 7 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 3 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 32 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 1 gram sugars; 4 grams protein; 460 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
Step
1
Arrange an oven rack in the center position and heat the oven to 425 degrees. Bake the potatoes directly on the oven rack until the flesh is soft and tender and the skins are crispy, 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes. Remove the potatoes from the oven and let them sit at room temperature just until they’re cool enough to handle (they should still be hot). Lower the oven temperature to 400 degrees.
Step
See AlsoChickpea Stew With Orzo and Mustard Greens RecipeRed Lentil Soup RecipeLinguine With Chickpeas, Broccoli and Ricotta RecipeCauliflower Piccata Recipe2
Meanwhile, heat a 10-inch nonstick, oven-safe skillet over medium. Add the butter and swirl the skillet until the butter is melted and foamy, then add the garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until both the garlic and butter are golden brown, about 3 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and set aside.
Step
3
Cut the still-hot potatoes in half and scoop the flesh out onto a cutting board (save the skins for snacking or discard). Use a knife or bench scraper to chop up the flesh so you have pieces of various sizes but none larger than a walnut half.
Step
4
Add the potato flesh to the skillet, season generously with salt and pepper and add a pinch of nutmeg. Add the crème fraîche or sour cream, and fold the mixture gently until the potatoes are evenly coated, then flatten it gently into a single layer. Place the skillet over medium-high heat and cook undisturbed until all of the moisture has evaporated and the potatoes are starting to turn golden on the bottom, 5 to 8 minutes.
Step
5
Gently shake the skillet to loosen the potato cake, then transfer it to the oven and bake until the potatoes are lightly browned across the surface, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove the skillet and let sit for 10 minutes, then carefully invert the potato cake onto a serving platter (if making ahead, see note below). Top with chives and serve.
Tip
- DO AHEAD: The potato cake can be made several hours in advance. Leave it in the skillet and set aside at room temperature, then reheat in the oven at 425 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.
Ratings
4
out of 5
1,362
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Cooking Notes
BettyJo
Induction? Cast Iron. Non-stick? Cast Iron. Perfect crunchy bottom? Cast Iron. Hubby gets back from the bar too late? Cast Iron.
Abby
Mixing up the potatoes, garlic, butter, and sour cream inside the skillet was a headache. Do yourself a favor and mix it up in a separate bowl. Yes, it's one more dish to clean, but saves you getting potato mash all over the stove, and everything gets mixed up much more smoothly.
sandra
My husband who is Swiss has been making this for years. It’s a Swiss classic called rosti. He always uses Yukon golds which he boils the day before and the next days he uses a box grater. No crème fraîche. He cooks it all in one big potato cake in the pan using butter and olive oil. It’s light as a feather. In Switzerland it’s often served with a fried egg and a slice of ham on top. It’s a very special treat.
Berenice
I would think a cast iron skillet would be good. It's not considered "nonstick," but I think it would give the bottom of the cake a nice crunchy texture. I'd love opinions on that idea.
Lorraine Fina Stevenski
Save energy. Microwave the potatoes until soft, probably 10 minutes.
MAK
That’s only 1T butter per spud. If you go out to eat you’re being served a lot more than that.
Cynthia
Properly tempered cast iron IS the ultimate nonstick pan.
Lora
I made this with olive oil and omitted butter. They were tasty and very good.
Rachel
We made this last night to go with beef short ribs. It was delicious -- but four of us ate the whole thing with no leftovers. I don't know if we had especially big appetites, but this seems a little skimpy for 8 people...
Gabrielle
Safety note: Teflon pans are generally not oven-safe above 350 degrees. If you haven't put your non-stick pan in the oven before, check to make sure its coating can withstand the temperature.
Beth H
Made a halved recipe tonight. Really good even thou mine didn't have the same even brown crust as shown in the picture. I was using an 8"cast iron pan for about 1.75lb russets.
gg
For dairy-free and vegan, Tofutti makes a tasty vegan sour cream.
Sherry
Do you think I could make it with sweet potatoes and leave out the garlic, replacing it with cinnamon, brown sugar and butter? Perhaps pecans and bourbon as well.
Ahuva Greenblatt
On the day you buy the six potatoes also buy the sour cream.
Kathleen
The intro suggests a " very well-seasoned" cast iron skillet as an alternative. I agree that cast iron would be the way to go here!
kaia
Would add slightly less butter! 4T I think
justine
1/2 onion half olive oil half butter. Some olive oil In mix.
justine
A Suggestion: perhaps the cooks who don’t want to make a recipe because they think there is too much sugar or fat could just move on to their fav low fat or low sugar recipe and spare the rest of us their negative comments. If you’re not making the recipe anyway, why comment? The rest of us like real food and if you practice moderation and exercise some real butter and sugar is really ok.
TryingToExperiment
I don't have an oven safe pan. Can I flip the cake onto a baking sheet and bake?
Dennis from Berkeley
I used russets as instructed, but I think a more flavorful and creamier potato would make this better. It was fun to make, but not a huge step above garlic mashed potatoes, which I love to fry as leftovers. Would likely do that instead next time: make the potatoes the day before and just fry patties.
Evelyn Pearl
This recipe is a good “base,” but like many of the other reviewers I put my own spin on the dish using some ingredients I had on hand. I included an entire yellow onion, fully caramelized, and a large heap of shredded sharp cheddar cheese. I also gave it 5-10 additional minutes in the oven a minute under the broiler to get extra crispy edges all around.
sam
Made with leftover mashed. Added one egg and heaping spoonful of flour. Added parm and cheddar. Used dried garlic instead of fresh.
Juliet
I used natural yogurt instead of sour cream. Less calories.
Brandon
It never browned, didn't get crunchy, and eventually just burned black in the pan on the stove (was waiting for it to lose it's moisture). In the end it was still soggy (from the oil) and also burned. Not sure how I completely messed this entire thing up, it seemed pretty simple, but it was awful.
Megan
Great way to use up leftover mashed potatoes.
Matt
I made this yesterday in a fairly standard Lodge 10" cast iron skillet (very well-seasoned). Absolutely delicious. But, with 3 lb of russets, the potato cake was fairly thin (short?) at full diameter. Next time, I'll probably try doubling the recipe to get more tasty innards to go with the crispy outards. Adjust oven time accordingly.
Jayeff
It makes a nice colcannon cake.
MK
I always make mashers the same as in her step 1. For just 2, I scrub 2 large russets, then bake on the lowest rack of my large toaster oven at 350° for 1 1/2 hrs. I just scoop out the flesh from skin into a large bowl and hand mash (we like it with lumps remaining). I always stir in grated cheese to melt (often sharp cheddar), then I add butter, sour cream, chopped green onion and fresh garlic. I'll definitely try sautéing my add-ins in the butter, then frying and roasting. Looks amazing.
Dayna
3lbs of russet potatoes made an obscene amount. I boiled the potatoes and mashed them with seasoning and milk and sour cream. I fried the mash in butter and oil then flipped it and put it in the oven. Good but not great
david
my Calphalon 1390 10" pan is, according to the manufacturer, oven-safe. i suggest checking to see if yours might be as well. i don't cook with cast-iron pans (and yes i know they're the best etc.).
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