Potato Pancakes Recipe

This was one of my mom’s go to recipes during Lent. The recipe comes from my Grandma Bertha and I’m guessing it is polish, although I don’t think the grape jelly was a typical polish accompaniment. But, maybe it is? Either way, super easy and delicious recipe, you will love this breakfast, lunch or dinner. I’ve modified it to make it quicker and easier to make. You can see my grandma’s original recipe below.

Potato Pancakes Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 bag of shredded potatoes or 4 cups grated potatoes
• 1 cup chopped yellow onion
• 1 Egg
• 2 Tbl flour
• 1/4 cup milk
• Oil for frying
• Grape Jelly on top

Instructions

Mix the potatoes, onions, egg, milk and flour together.

In large skillet, add enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan and heat on medium.

When the oil is hot, spoon mixture into round patties, being sure to give enough room to keep the patties separated. Cook on medium to medium high heat. When bottom is browned, flip and continue cooking until crispy and light brown.

Note: Do not cook on high heat, you will get a browned pancake with an uncooked center.

Remove when browned and place on paper towels to remove excess oil.

Serve with Grape Jelly or Ketchup, or serve as a side to your dinner instead of baked potatoes or fries.

Grandma Prosnick’s original Recipe

This is the recipe that my mom has written down. I distinctly remember her putting milk in the recipe, so that’s what I do above. But, just to capture it, this is the recipe as my mom Cherri wrote it in her cookbook.

As you can see from above, the “mix together”, really did not mean mix the grape jelly into the potatoes, and I’ve increased the flour and added milk.

Helpful Hints

My friend Jay commented on my request to see how others make their potato pancakes. If you want to make the pancakes from fresh potatoes like my grandma’s recipe above, his comments are very useful:

You want to know how I make ’em for Hanukkah? No milk. Onion,
Potato, a tbsp or two of flour and one egg. Pan fry in peanut oil. I like to make a batch of Idaho potato and a batch of sweet potato. I use the shredder attachment on my cuisinart – saves a lot of time. And I alternate shredding potato and onion which keeps the potato from oxidizing. I place the shredded potato/onions in cheese cloth and squeeze the crap out of it to get out as much moisture as possible. I squeeze the liquid into a bowl and pour it off then put the starch from the bottom back into the mix. Add the flour and egg and mix. Then use a couple tablespoons to form the pancakes as I add them to the pan. I keep my oven at 200 and place the cooked pancakes onto a cookie sheet between layers of paper towels. Serve with applesauce or (my favorite) sour cream. Oh almost forgot, salt and pepper the mix. Don’t be shy on the salt.

Pictures