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Classic Potato Kugel

I still recall my mother's Shabbat potato kugel — yaptzug she called it — baked in a cast-iron pot and left on the metal stove cover (blech) overnight. What a marvelous taste it had the next morning! The following potato kugel is easy to make — a flavorful side dish for Shabbat or any time.

8 medium potatoes
1 medium onion
4 large eggs
1/4 cup matzo meal or sifted flour, optional
1/4 cup oil
11/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup oil, for pan

Grate potatoes and onion together, either by hand or in a food processor. Let stand for 5 minutes. Squeeze out excess liquid. Stir in remaining ingredients except oil for the pan. Pour the 1/4 cup of oil into a 9x13-inch baking pan or a 21/2-quart casserole. Place pan or casserole in oven, while preheating to 350o for about 15 minutes to prevent kugel from sticking. Remove and pour in potato mixture. Return to oven and bake at 350o for 1 hour or until brown. Serves 12.

Variations

Make potato kugelettes by spooning mixture into muffin tins, greased and lined with fluted paper cups. Pour a teaspoon of oil on top of each and bake in a preheated 350o oven for 40 minutes or until golden brown. Serves 18.

For a low-calorie version, substitute raw, grated cauliflower — about half a medium head — for half the amount of potatoes.

Zucchini potato kugel: Use raw, shredded zucchini in place of half the amount of potatoes.