The Easy Way to Turn Latkes Into a Party

Alison Ashton
·2 min read
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Latke Tray from "Everyday Snack Tray"

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Latke—traditional homemade potato pancakes—are the centerpiece of this smashing Hanukkah spread from Everyday Snack Tray by Frances Largeman-Roth, RDN.

“If you’ve never made latkes, the first thing you should know is that making them is a labor of love,” says Largeman-Roth. “While it’s not complicated, there’s a lot of hands-on work to make a delicious, crispy potato pancake. But they’re SO worth it!”

She calls for hand-grating the potatoes and onion for light, crisp latkes vs. using a food processor, which can lead to dense pancakes. If you have sensitive eyes, freeze the onion for 10-15 minutes before grating it.

Related: 8 Great Hanukkah Desserts

For entertaining, Largeman-Roth notes that you can make the latkes a few hours ahead of time and reheat them in a low oven before arranging them on a tray with all the fixings.

And the great thing about the fixings is that they come together with a trip to the supermarket and some light chopping. There's lox, applesauce, spicy ketchup and beet hummus, which you can find in many markets. If you can't find it, your favorite store-bought hummus will be delicious here, too. Drain some capers, slice up some red onion, cucumbers and fresh dill and you've got a party!

Although this recipe was created for Hanukkah and is absolutely perfect for celebrating the holiday, it’s also a terrific idea to keep in mind for brunch any time of year.

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Adapted by permission from Everyday Snack Tray by Frances Largeman-Roth, R.D.N. © 2023. Published by Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group. Photographs by Lauren Volo.

Prices are accurate and items in stock at time of publishing.

Loaded Latke Tray

Ingredients

  • 1 lb russet potatoes, peeled

  • ½ yellow onion

  • 1 large egg, beaten

  • ¼ tsp salt

  • ¼ tsp pepper

  • ½ cup olive oil

1. To make the latkes, using a box grater, coarsely grate potatoes into a large bowl. Transfer potatoes to a fine-mesh sieve over a bowl, and press with a wooden spoon, squeezing the excess water into the bowl. Discard liquid; transfer potatoes back to original bowl.

2. Using a separate bowl, grate the onion. Squeeze out the excess water like you did with the potatoes. Transfer onion to the bowl with the potatoes. Add egg, salt and pepper; combine.

3. Heat oil in a large skillet over high until shimmering. Place a piece of grated potato mixture into the pan. If it sizzles, you’re ready to fry! Working batches, add potato mixture ¼ cup at a time to the pan, squeezing out any remaining liquid first. Flatten tops of latkes slightly with a spatula. Reduce heat to medium; cook 5 minutes or until latkes are golden. Flip, and cook 4 minutes.

4. Drain latkes on a paper-towel-lined plate. (Latkes can be made a few hours in advance and reheated in a 200°F oven for 10 minutes.)

5. Arrange latkes on a tray with sour cream, lox, dill, applesauce, hummus, red onion, lemon slices, cucumber slices, capers and spicy ketchup.

Makes 8 latkes.