Mom's Potato Latkes

This is my recipe. I wanted to let folks know that before you put the potato mixture in the pan, take the scoop and make sure to drain the liquid out by holding the spoonful of potato against the side if the bowl. Also we usually crush the saltines in a Baggie, saves on mess. The saltines act as a binder. Hope you love these as much as we do. My favorite way to eat them is with sour cream. The don't reheat well in microwave (in my experience) but do reheat fairly well in a toaster oven.

Thanks for a great recipe, Lindsay. We enjoyed these very much. I took your advice and used tongs to grab the potatoes without a lot of liquid. Note: I peel russet potatoes and place in cold water in a salad spinner. Then use the food processor to grate the potatoes. The grated potatoes go back into the cold water in the salad spinner. Triple rinse the potatoes until the water is no longer starchy. Spin dry, shake and spin again.

These are darn good...and a little indulgent maybe. These have origin in the Middle East and Europe. Yet, like many things, food is enjoyed and needed by every culture...from the Middle East to Scandinavia to Thailand. Universally good food is just that. It worked well for me to use a little oil on the pan for each pancake and not immersing it, adding more when flipping. Glad I watched the video to freshen up my potato squeezing technique. I don't have a spinner...plus it makes me dizzy. Grated cheese might be good. Seems any kind of binder works...might try pulverized flavored croutons after the roasted Panko crumbs after the home made whole wheat seasoned bread crumbs after the Cheezy crackers (ok, I'll stop now).

These are amazing! The only change I made was to use a 20oz bag of pre shredded potatoes. They have much less moisture so you don't have to squeeze all the water out. They came out perfect, and absolutely delicious. Thanks for sharing the recipe!

A huge hit with everyone in the family BUT we followed the video, not the directions printed here. The directions here don't mention you should soak the potatoes in water to get rid of excess starch, then squeeze the water out of the potatoes by stuffing it into a clean dish towel, then applying as much pressure as you can. I did the same with the onion. I think this made a tremendous difference in the final texture, which was crispy and held together, rather than watery and falling apart (as has happened to me in the past). The video also suggested serving with lox over the sour cream, also a hit. Overall: fantastic! Thank you.

I liked these. If looking for a potato latke recipe, that is more about the potato than a bunch of flour than this is the recipe. I am not a fan of shredding potatoes, so I just used a 20oz bag of simply shredded potatoes. I measured it and it came to 4 cups. I used the whole bag anyhow and it was fine. I followed through the rest of the recipe, although I did not have saltine crackers. So, I used 3 sweet potato and chive flat stick crackers. They can't be seen or tasted anyhow. It is more for a binder. I just pureed the crackers and onions in my Vitamix blender moving the dial to medium for about 10 seconds. That made that part super easy too. I was hoping to not have to use a full 1/2 cup of vegetable oil. I used safflower oil and I did end up using 6 Tablespoons of it divided. Extra oil is needed, in this recipe, to make the potatoes crispy and hold together. With a muffin scoop, and as made, I got 10 patties at 162.5 calories each. ty

Excellent, and just like my Mom's. She made these frequently during Lent as a side dish with salmon patties and stewed tomatoes. I was missing Mom last night and craving this meal, and I was very happy with how the latkes turned out. I layered the shredded potatoes with paper towels in a large bowl to absorb the excess moisture, which worked well. Thanks for a great recipe, one that I'll make for years.

this recipe is great I did learn a new trick to them crispy and less greasy use a hand towel or cheese cloth to remove extra water from the potatoes by squeezing them.

One word: Delicious! I'm glad I chose this recipe to make latkes for the first time. The addition of saltine crackers is what pushed me to try this particular recipe. Very easy to make and tasty! I can't believe I hadn't made latkes sooner and will continue to make them more often now. I served it with some sour cream and diced raw granny smith apples.

I made these a few times and I think the cracker is a great idea! My grandmother used to make these with farina or matzo ball mix. She also mixed some salt with the shredded potatoes and let them sit for a half hour, (Salt draws the water out of the potatoes, therefore making crispier pancakes) then wring them out with cheese cloth. She used to add parsley, scallion, and ham or bacon too. Serve with sour cream or applesauce

Excellent recipe! Other recipes I've used have involved too many steps so I only made latkes in December for the holiday however, this recipe is super simple and I can definitely see making these more frequently which my husband will enjoy. There were only 2 steps I did differently first, after shredding the potatoes and onions, I placed them in a towel and sprinkled with salt and allowed the water to drain for about 20-30 minutes then squeezed the remainder of the water out and threw all of the ingredients in the bowl. And the final step I did differently was baking in a 375 degree (convection oven) on a foil lined cookie sheet sprayed with Pam for about 20 minutes instead of frying in oil which cuts down on the fat and calories. Wonderful recipe!

I made these for a party I went too.. I fried them as people came up.... The only thin I changed was to use Matzos crackers... I am making them tonight for my friends Seder dinner... Love this recipe.. Thank you

My Jewish husband asked me to try to make latkes. So I went to Allrecipes and I found the perfect recipe! The latkes were crunchy on the outside and soft and flavorful on the inside. We live in Maine now, but he once lived in New York. He said that these were just like the ones at the Carnegie Deli! High praise!!

Loved it. I did not add the salt due to my diet and the latke were great. Will be making again thank you Lindsay for sharing this wonderful recipe.

Awesome! I topped mine with grape/apple relish. Make sure to squeeze out the excess liquid from the potatoes.

did everything and was awesome, burnt it a little and turns out there are other ways of getting bacon flavor, lol.

I loved the recipe however I found that the directions left out the draining of any juice in the potato mixture. I also found that using your hands to shape the latkes was much more effective resulting in the latkes being more put together and flat.

Honestly, the best latkes ever. I made them exactly as the recipe directed! DELISH!

I had never had Latkes before so I really didn't know what to expect. One word describes them "Addictive". I thought that grating the potatoes would take longer but I was surprised at how quickly it went. They were so good and I am grateful to you for sharing your family recipe. Thanks so much Lindsay!!!!

I did not have saltines, so used flour and increased the salt. Added some garlic too.

Amazing! I used a food processor to shred the potatoes and onions. I rinsed and patted dry the potatoes, making sure to have as little water as possible in the mixture. Our 4-H group served these to about 150 people (talk about budget-friendly food!) and got lots of great feedback. I think I may try adding a little garlic powder next time. Oh, and putting a touch of sour cream on them takes them to the next level. This recipe is a keeper!!

I have made potato latkes before but this recipe was the very best! It's simple and most people will have these ingredients handy. Do squeeze the excess liquid from the potatoes and then again when mixed with the onion, eggs, crackers, salt and pepper. I only used 1/2 teaspoon of salt since I always try to reduce my salt intake. Although the latkes still came out great (according to my family's rave reviews) I will use at least 3/4 teaspoon of salt since I felt like I didn't use enough. The latkes are absolutely delicious and not hard to make at all!

Just made it today; easy and delicious. I used EVOO and they were perfect. My wife who is Thai (Thais generally are not wild about western food), just loved it.

This was great! I loved the salad spinner tip, I'm sure that is what made these so good. I don't have a lot of practice making potato cakes, and these were easy to work with and just delicious. Thank you Lindsay!

The BEST batch of latkes I have ever had or made !! Followed the recipe exactly except for making sure I rinsed the starch off the shredded spuds by letting them soak in cold water for about 10 minutes and squeezing them in a towel to make sure they were very dry, as a few other reviewers suggested. I did not have saltines, so used oyster crackers, which are essentially the same thing only littler . Crispy outside, moist inside .... I am glad this was an 8 latke batch for the two of us... we will be having them with eggs for breakfast ! Just great ! It's now shared on my FB page ... thanks for sharing your Mom's recipe !

We used Ritz crackers as we didn't have saltines and it still came out great. I might try adding some minced scallions next time . Thanks Lindsey!

I followed the recipe exactly as written and they came out great!

I used caramelized onions and adobo instead of salt. Also squeezed the water out of the potatoes with a ricer. They came out nice and crispy, and very flavorful.

This recipe was perfect for traditional Hanukkah latkes. I did use matzo meal instead of the saltines to make them more authentic and easier since its already ground but I doubt that makes much of a difference. I might have used a bit more than the recipe called for since I didn't measure anything. The potatoes were surprisingly easy to hand grate. The moisture from the potatoes makes this a bit messy to make but no big deal. Just had to squeeze it out with my hands when forming the pancakes. I will never make the boxed latkes again.

First few were too wet, I drained with a strainer...the taste was perfect!

These are a great treat for the Potato Latke lover…I liked the simplicity of the recipe and really appreciated the advice to make sure and drain the excess liquid from the potatoes…. We had these with sour cream and my daughter topped hers with a spicy cranberry chutney… Thank you Lindsay for a lovely recipe.

thanks for the recipe Lindsay, kids loved it

Super yummy delicious, and oh so easy. I chop the onion then shred up the potato on top of it all in the food processor. Then, just dump it out into a bowl and add the rest. I use matzoh ball mix instead of plain flour.

had a guest from Germany for brunch when I made these. Said they are the real thing. A little difficult to keep together and get them to look like anything you want to eat when frying them

Very good and tasty! I would suggest to squeeze the liquid out of shredded potatoes before mixing the eggs. The liquid could make the oil jump on you and burn your skin.

Excellent just as written. I let the shredded potatoes sit for a while before mixing with the other ingredients and the moisture came out on it's own. I used these as a side to lamb loin chops. We ate these without any toppings and they were perfect. When I make again, I may try to cut back a bit on the oil. Thank you Lindsay!

My friend in the Czech Republic used to make these for me and I have been trying to make her recipe for 3 years and they never tasted quite right but this recipe makes them taste exactly how they are supposed to taste. I followed the recipe exactly as is and will be putting this is my recipe book for the future.

excellent!

Filled the recipe exactly (I halved it though). They were delicious. My husband is looking forward to more of this on big weekend breakfast. Happy I found this recipe.

This is the third time I've made this recipe but the first time I've rinsed and rerinsed the potatoes and it made a world of difference. I soaked the potatoes after peeling them and then several times after shredding them in the food processor. I rerinsed again and again and again until the water ran clear, ran them through the salad spinner, and then used cheesecloth and then paper towels to remove all the water. Thanks to everyone for the suggestions about how to remove the water. One more thing ~ it really helped that I had my teenage son to help because wringing out the water is cumbersome ??

Made these and added some fressh chives and a bit of garlic....3 words...DEE LISH OUS!

My boyfriend has been asking me to make latkes forever and I’d never heard of them, so I was a little apprehensive when I found this recipe. Thank goodness for a recipe that can be followed as written and produce awesome results! He was THRILLED when he came home to these - said they were exactly what he was hoping for. Thanks for sharing your recipe!!

No changes...unless being to lazy to grate onions and chopping them fine counts. I take that back, I did squeeze the potatoes dry as I could through paper towels. They were Excellent!!

Yum! I used 1.5 cups sweet potato, 1.5 cups regular potato and 5 tsp of panko bread crumbs in the recipe because that's what I had on hand and they were excellent. I also wrung the shredded potatoes in a clean cloth to get the majority of the liquid out before adding other ingredients. I would definitely make these again! :)

Ended up having a lot of fries left offer the other night so I pulverized them in my processor in place of the shredded potato. This turned out beautifully and flavorful

My only change was using Matzo ball meal instead of flour. These came out delicious!!

I've made these with both sweet potatoes and white potatoes, and they were delicious both ways. I think I'm going to try them with turnips, next.

Made this just like the recipe said. It was GREAT! Thank you.

This is a great recipe! I followed it almost exactly except I used panko breadcrumbs instead of crushed saltine crackers. After soaking the shredded potatoes and getting rid of excess moisture in a salad spinner, I combined all the ingredients in a bowl and put it in the fridge for about an hour until I was ready to make the latkes. I noticed that even after adding more panko there was quite a bit of liquid in the bottom of the bowl, so next time I'll also squeeze excess liquid through a clean tea towel after the salad spinner step. Anyway, I formed the patties by hand and squeezed the excess moisture out prior to putting the patties in the hot canola oil and they turned out great. Both my wife and 11 year old son really enjoyed them and I did too, so we'll be making these often. Thanks very much for sharing your recipe Lindsay!

I made this recipe for dinner last night. That was my first time ever trying to make Latkes. The shredded potatoes separated and basically became hash browns. Perhaps one or two more eggs may have helped keep their shape, but then they might have become like omelets. Maybe some flour or a lot more Saltines may have helped. I will be trying different recipe.

first time making these, not bad. a little bland. i sprinkled with onion powder while they were cooling. our 5 yo dtr loved them! def making again

These were delicious. I loved using the crushed saltines instead of using flour it was so much easier to distribute through the potatoes and they seasoned the mixture nicely. Everyone loved them..I'll definitely make these again.

Tasty enough. As others have done I used some flour instead of saltines. I also fried some bacon and sausage patties for the grease and crumbled some of the bacon into the mix. I overcooked the first two but learned from them. I strongly suggest using a food processor (mini) for the onion, but a hand grater isn't too bad for the potatoes. This will be an occasional alternative to Swedish potato pancakes.

I have never made these before. I am learning to cook. After watching a video on how to shred with my food processor the hardest part was peeling the potatoes. I did cut the recipe in half since it was just for me. They stuck together just fine and fried up easily. I wasn't sure how much salt etc to add since I cut the recipe in half so they were a bit bland my fault not the recipe. I don't like onion but next time I will add some for flavor.

This is my first time having, or making latkes, and they were delicious. I watched the video and rinsed the potatoes to remove the starch. I love the mild onion flavor. Thanks!

I used a bag of refrigerated shredded potatoes...worked like a charm.

This is my new favorite Latke recipe. My whole family loved them.

I made these for my family and they were delicious! Even though we're not Jewish, this will definitely become a family tradition!

I followed the recipe EXACTLY and they turned out awesome!

Very Delicious, I would definitely recommend doubling the recipe...they go quickly!!!

this is a great recipe i'm not that much into sour cream or applesauce but i had them with mayo and mustard mixed together 2parts mayo 1parts mustard is really good with fried potatoes as a dip. this recipe is so good these are great with salt alone. really easy and good.

Grated the potatoes on the coarse wheel of the processor and they came out crispy, crunchy and very nice. Will keep this as my "go to" recipe. . Thanks for posting it.

Excellent recipe! These were the best latkes I've ever made. My husband loved them as well. Will definitely make these again. A keeper!

I used frozen shredded potatoes (defrosted) and the latkes turned out just fine. I froze them and, when ready to use, put them still frozen on a cookie sheet lined with brown paper ( I cut up a grocery bag) and heated them in a pre-heated 400 degree oven until they were hot.

I used frozen hash browns. This recipe turned out perfectly.

I made these exactly as written except I used 3-4 tablespoons of flour instead of the crackers. I used my large cast iron skillet and simply used a slotted serving spoon to hold a spoonful of the mixture against the bowl to drain. Easy recipe and tasty!

Left out the saltines. Had to make 2 more batches to freeze as my son wants them with his breakfast daily ??

Easy and delicious! I made them in the oven instead and they were incredible!

These were tasty with sour cream on top! The only thing I changed was to add some garlic powder. Next time I would maybe add some other spices. Thank you!

Just like my German granny used to make. Served with sour cream and grape jelly.

I will definitely make this recipe again!

My first time, and they turned out incredible! Great recipe. Key: get the potatoes dry enough. This is a keeper!

I cooked it in bacon grease, it was good. My husband gave these a 7.5. He just ate these plain.

I have made the several times now. They are so good. We don’t change a thing. Perfect latkes every time.

Fantastic! My eleven year old son said these were the best things he ever ate. I was initially alarmed by the amount of water that came from the potatoes but I kept pouring it out and then flattened the mix to the side of the bowl as directed and they came out great!

These were very tasty. I did follow another reviewers advice and soaked and rinsed the starch out of the grated potato. I then put it in a clean Tea towel and squeezed the water out. They turned out crunchy and delicious.

excellent!

Fast and easy using refrigerated pre-shredded potatoes and instant minced onion for the first night of Chanukah. I also substituted crushed Ritz crackers. I will make them again for Passover using matzo meal.

Taste was 5 star, but I couldn't get them to stay together.

I used red onion and chives. Also, I used a small strainer to form the latkes and press out the excess liquid. Since I was making it for 50 people, that really streamlined the process. The rRitz crackers definitely made the flavor difference.

Wonderful, easy recipe. Made it exactly as written.

This recipe is my first experience with latkes and I absolutely loved their delicious simplicity. I've made them twice now. The only variation I did from the recipe is dabbing up excessive moisture from the potatoes with paper towels, but even so it requires squeezing off excess fluid with a spoon.

Delicious! Even my picky eaters loved them. My husband asked if I could make them every week.

Perfect Recipe!

This was my first time making Latkas with crushed saltine crackers and it totally surprised me they were delicious will be a definite keeper makes a great side dish very yummy

I made this the other day. It was the second time I've made Latkes but the first time I used this recipe. They turned out MUCH better than last year's! The kids both gave them 2 thumbs up! Will definitely use this recipe again.

I'm gonna echo the recipe description. These are now my favorite latkes. So, so good!

These were easy to make and were very tasty. I received lots of compliments on them.

First time I've tried saltines in a recipe. Delicious! Family said they're the best I've made!

made these for an event a while back. The people loved them! a nice, quick, tasty dish. I also found that it takes about one egg per latke.

I only had two cups of frozen hash browns, so I added in a cup of cheese. No onions, but garlic powder instead. Worked perfectly! No moisture issues, and I didn't squeeze it.

These we wonderful! I substituted the crackers for a handful of Bread crumbs with Italian spices. AWESOME!!! They were gone in seconds. The trick is to bring the oil to high heat and then cook the latke on medium to low and make them have a "belly" - not flatten them out. This way they are hearty.

These were very easy to make and very delicious. I plan on making these again in a few days. I'll probably add another egg though. They fell apart fairly easily.

Yum! This batch was just enough for my husband and I on a particularly hungry night. I would definitely suggest pairing it with sour cream, yogurt, applesauce or (as I had none of those) a tomato sauce!

This was my first time making Latkas with crushed saltine crackers and it totally surprised me they were delicious will be a definite keeper makes a great side dish very yummy

Overall, I enjoyed these. I omitted the onion (personal preference) and used crushed butter & garlic croutons in place of saltines. The latkes were too salty for my taste but my boyfriend didn't think so. I put grape jelly on mine to cut the saltiness which tasted great. 5 stars with half the salt!

I use frozen shredded potato for these latkes. I just unthaw them according to the package directions and follow through with the recipe. It takes a lot more than 6 saltines to get the mixture to stick, so if I have garlic breadcrumbs on hand I use those. If not, just more saltines. Make these all the time!

I made no changes to the recipe, but heeded the updated advice provided by the recipe's owner. They came out perfectly -- best fried latkes I've ever made.

Yummy! I made them ahead and reheated them at 400 f for 8-10 minutes.