German Potato Cake Recipe
This German Potato Cake Recipe combines shredded potatoes, bacon, eggs, onion, and cheddar into one crispy, savory comfort dish.
Equipment
- Large mixing bowl
- Box grater or food processor
- Sharp knife
- Cutting board
- Large skillet
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
- Wooden spoon
- 9x13-inch baking dish or large cast iron skillet
- Paper towels or clean kitchen towel
- Oven mitts
Ingredients
- 3 pounds russet potatoes peeled
- 1 medium yellow onion
- 6 slices bacon chopped
- 3 large eggs
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup melted butter
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese optional but delicious
- Butter or cooking spray for greasing the baking dish
Instructions
Step 1: Preheat the oven
- Preheat your oven to 375°F.
- Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with butter or cooking spray.
Step 2: Cook the bacon
- Place the chopped bacon in a skillet over medium heat.
- Cook until crispy, about 8 to 10 minutes.
- Transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate, but keep about 1 tablespoon of bacon grease in the skillet.
Step 3: Grate the potatoes and onion
- Using a box grater or food processor, grate the potatoes and onion.
- This step can get messy fast, but don’t rush it.
- Once grated, place the mixture into a clean kitchen towel and squeeze out as much liquid as possible. This is one of the most important steps for getting crispy results.
- The first time I skipped this step because I was tired and impatient. The potato cake still tasted good, but the texture was way too soft.
- Now I squeeze aggressively.
Step 4: Mix the ingredients
- In a large mixing bowl, combine:
- Grated potatoes
- Onion
- Crispy bacon
- Eggs
- Flour
- Melted butter
- Salt
- Black pepper
- Garlic powder
- Smoked paprika
- Parsley
- Cheese if using
- Mix everything thoroughly until evenly combined.
Step 5: Transfer to baking dish
- Spread the potato mixture evenly into the prepared baking dish.
- Press the top down lightly with a spoon or spatula.
Step 6: Bake
- Bake uncovered for 60 to 70 minutes.
- The top should become deeply golden brown and crispy around the edges.
- If the top browns too quickly, loosely cover it with foil during the last part of baking.
Step 7: Rest before serving
- Let the potato cake rest for about 10 minutes before slicing.
- This helps everything firm up and makes serving much easier.
- Sprinkle with extra parsley if desired.