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Sharing my twist on the classic holiday latke with these Herbed Cheddar Latkes. Shredded potatoes, sharp cheddar cheese, and fresh herbs, all mixed together and pan-fried into a delicious and crisp potato pancake. Finish these off with a little flaky sea salt for the most addicting and perfect latke, that’s just as good as an appetizer as it is as a side dish.
I’m often asked how I come up with recipes, and what I do when I run out of inspiration. Whenever I need some fresh ideas my first source is always my family. And more often than not, it’s my soon to be sister-in-law, Lyndsie. She’s traveled the world and experienced so many different cultures and foods. Lynds is full of ideas. She prefers veggies, soups, and sides, and is oddly a big fan of lamb. She’s currently begging me to do some kind of holiday lamb roast, but I’m hesitant. What do you guys think?
I was talking to Lynds the other day and she insisted that I needed to make latkes. She was truly appalled that I didn’t have a good latke recipe on HBH already. Honestly, I had other plans for today’s post. But the idea of latkes excited me so much that I decided to rearrange. So, today we’re talking latkes!
I’m very, very excited, and could hardly wait to share this recipe with you. It truly is SO GOOD and great for both Hanukkah (which is very traditional) and Christmas entertaining.
There’s a lot of different versions of latkes out in this world. But after researching, I decided I wanted to do something herby and cheesy. No surprise there, I know. Hey, sometimes you just shouldn’t mess with a good thing. My favorite way to do potatoes is with herbs, cheese, and a little sea salt.
If you’ve never made a latke, prepare yourself, they’re EASY! I was actually shocked with how quickly and painlessly these came together.
The batter is a simple mix of shredded potatoes, onion, bread crumbs, eggs, cheese, and herbs. All of which are ingredients you should keep on hand at all times, especially during the holidays.
Mix the batter up and then pan fry in a little olive oil. Pan frying in oil is what gives the latkes that extra crisp outside. And? Because we’re adding cheese, these latkes have a nice soft, cheesy (and herby) center.
My personal favorite way to enjoy these is right off the skillet, while they’re still extra crisp. I sprinkle them with some fresh chives and my favorite flaky sea salt…one of the best indulgences there is. Think about it. Crisp on the outside, cheesy on the inside, filled with delicious fresh herbs, and perfectly salted to your taste.
Melt in your mouth GOOD! And one of those foods that will always excite you.
Of course, if you prefer, you can also enjoy these the more traditional way. With either applesauce (Lyndsie’s personal favorite), or Greek yogurt (my mom and dad’s personal favorite).
If you’d like to make these for your next holiday party, you can easily make them in advance and just rewarm the latkes in the oven before serving. They won’t be quite as crisp as they are right out of the skillet, but still delicious, and oh so flavorful.
Honestly, if there was one potato dish to make this week, it’s these latkes. For the longest time I never really wanted to mess around with a latke recipe. But after making this recipe, it’s safe to say that I finally see what all the fuss is about.
Guys, latkes are the best! And yes, I even like them served with applesauce…although at first, I thought that sounded incredibly odd. It’s true what they say, don’t knock it till you try it!
It’s also true that these will become a new holiday tradition for my family. I already know that Lyndsie will be demanding we make a few batches for our family Christmas dinner. We better get an assembly line going…
That would sure make for a great Gerard family photo. Last time I had the brothers in the kitchen, Red rolled out pie dough… and then put it right back in the mixing bowl because he thought that was a pie plate.
Yikes.
If you make these latkes, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to also tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Herbed Cheddar Latkes
Servings: 16 makes about
Calories Per Serving: 765 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 6 medium russet potatoes, grated
- 1 yellow onion, grated
- 2 tablespoons panko bread crumbs
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1 1/2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1/3 cup chopped fresh herbs, such as oregano, thyme, and sage
- kosher salt and black pepper
- extra virgin olive oil
- flaky salt and fresh chopped chives, for serving
- plain greek yogurt and apple sauce, for serving
Instructions
- 1. Place the potatoes and onion in a large kitchen towel and squeeze out any excess moisture. Add to a large mixing bowl along with the bread crumbs, eggs, cheddar cheese, herbs, and a large pinch each of salt and pepper. Mix to evenly combine. 2. Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When the oil shimmers, scoop about 1/4 cup of the potato mix and add to the pan, flattening down with a spatula. Work in batches of 3-4 and cook 4-5 minutes per side or until deeply golden brown and crisp. Transfer to a wire cooling rack and sprinkle with flaky salt.3. Serve immediately with applesauce and/or Greek yogurt.
Notes
- To keep the latkes warm, transfer to a wire cooling rack set inside a baking sheet and place in a 250 degree oven for up to 30 minutes.
I would agree with one of the other commenters that’s it’s weird to have a latke recipe without the mention of Hanukkah. Regardless- why not usd matzoh meal instead of panko? That’s what really makes a latke. Otherwise I think it’s just a potato pancake (not that there’s anything wrong with that).
One of the secrets to a really good latke is soaking the shredded potatoes in cold seltzer (refrigerate for about 1/2) before mixing up the batch. Obviously drain the seltzer out. Grandmas secret tip.
Thank you so much Lindsey! I love the secret tips, they’re always the best!
I’m going to try this with the sweet potatoes I have from my CSA. I think the applesauce will work well them! Thanks for the inspiration! I was looking for something different to do with them!
I hope you love these! Let me know how they turn out for you. Thank you Denise!
Yum! Potatoes all the time!
Thank you Donna!
These look so good, nice and crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside. Perfect lakes. I think doing lamb chops for a Christmas dinner. Would be amazing. I use a garlic herb lamb chop recipe. It’s super easy and tastes great. Good luck, you wont be disappointed.
Thank you so much Wendy! I am so glad you love this recipe and I hope they turn out amazing for you!
I’m going to make these but change up the choice of cheese.. Love cheeses of all types except the cheddar. No idea why it just is. I love a good latke with homemade chunky applesauce — fresh from the pan or next day heated up. Best “stand around the kitchen” entertainment!! Happy holidays!
Hi Tanya! I hope these turn out amazing for you and you love them! Happy Holidays to you as well!
Yes please to the lamb recipe. With a poultry allergy to work around and the fact that we’re not that big on turkey; we serve either lamb, or prime rib for Christmas and Thanksgiving. I will look forward to your sister inlaw’s recipe!
Thank you so much Carolynn!
These latkes look amazing! And that’s so awesome that you have a source of inspiration in your family 🙂
Thank you so much Sarah! I am so glad you like this!
The cheesy latkes do look yummy, but please be aware that they are traditionally associated with the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah (different spellings are each okay) and it would have been respectful of you to have acknowledged that fact. It’s also important to point out that because this variation on latkes includes cheese, someone who adheres to Jewish dietary law could not eat these at a Hanukkah meal that includes meat. That’s because dietary law prohibits mixing meat and dairy foods. So it would be thoughtful of you to make sure your readers know that if they plan to bring latkes to a Hanukkah dinner they’re sharing with Jewish friends who adhere to dietary law, the readers should ask their hosts if the meal will include meat.
Happy holidays 🙂
Janet
Hi Janet! Thank you so much for letting me know all of this information! I was not aware of these dietary laws and I will let people know if they ask!
I’ve never made latkes before so I’m super excited to try this recipe. So interesting about the applesauce to go with it. I’m such a sucker to try anything new, so I’ll definitely give the applesauce a try. The herbs and cheddar cheese that you have included sound amazing. And congratulations on Lyndsie being added soon to your family.
Thank you so much! I am so excited that she is going to be apart of the family! Also, I hope you love these!
Gotta try this as it looks amazing. I do think a nice lamb recipe would be great. My one suggestion tough would be to make sure your lamb is Australian. I don’t know why, but of the lamb I have cooked which have been many the Australian lamb just has a wonderful not to gamy taste.
Thank you so much Deb! I hope you absolutely love this recipe!
These sound amazing. My boyfriend’s parent have a Hanukkah party each year where his mom serves latkes. I’d love to introduce her to this version because they sound so flavorful!
Thank you so much Danielle! I am so glad you loved this!
Love this cheddar twist on latkes (I’m partisl to a sour cream accompaniment, but applesauce definitely works too); and I say YES to satisfying her request for the lamb roast 🙂 No doubt you’ll create something beyond delicious!
Thank you so much Liz!
hey girl- these look amazing!
Thank you Shawnna!
This recipe looks delicious! However, I find it strange to read a whole recipe about latkes that doesn’t mention Hannukah even once (and even mentions them being served for Christmas instead). Latkes are more than just a new trendy blog food – they are something that has been eaten for the Jewish holiday for many many many generations. I love your blog especially around the holidays and was sad to feel that the cultural context of this dish was just kind of swept under the rug.
Hi Liv! I am so sorry about that, and thank you for letting me know. I will try to reference the cultural context in other recipes that are coming up. I hope you have a great rest of your week!
hmmmm these sound so moore-ish!!
Thank you Ruth!