Baked Rutabaga & Potato Latkes

Every year around this time, I talk about how I only fry anything once a year. Of course, that something is latkes. Because it’s Hanukkah, and it might as well be a commandment to fry (so that we recall the miracle of the holiday, when just one day’s worth of oil was enough to light the menorah in our Temple for a whole eight days.)

But in reality, there’s another reason I fry. And that’s the fact that baked latkes, or even those pan-seared in just a tiny bit of oil, just don’t stand up. At least that’s what I thought, before I perfected a method for baking them and wrote it up for Clean Eating Magazine.

Fortunately, the tradition is simply that we eat things with oil – not that they must contain copious amounts. And this recipe does contain oil, just a heck of a lot less than is normally used. So this year, I propose a new Hanukkah miracle: how just a little bit of oil can create the same crispy-yet-tender potato pancakes and that we look forward to all year long.

Head over to Clean Eating Magazine to check out the recipe for my Baked Latkes with Potato and Rutabaga, and let me know what you think!

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17 Responses to “Baked Rutabaga & Potato Latkes”

  1. 1

    Kat — December 7, 2012 @ 8:39 am Reply

    Awesome idea! I love learning new recipes particularly from other cultures and celebrations!

  2. 2

    Stephanie Wilson — December 7, 2012 @ 9:47 am Reply

    I love rutabaga! I have been roasting it quite a bit lately, but I have been looking for other ways to prepare it, so I am so glad you shared this recipe today! It looks amazing and I cannot wait to test it out! Thanks!

    • 2.1

      Cara — December 7, 2012 @ 10:44 pm

      Here’s another idea that my family LOVED: I boiled rutabaga and sweet potato chunks together, then drained & pureed with almond milk, a little full fat coconut milk, cinnamon, vanilla, chili powder and a pinch of salt. It was so rich and creamy, they couldn’t believe there was no butter in there 🙂

  3. 3

    Emily — December 7, 2012 @ 1:55 pm Reply

    I can’t wait to try these, but may need to scale back to 3 servings, 3 lbs of starch seems like SO much for a recipe, or is it because the excess water/weight is squeezed out?

    Also, WHAT is the delicious looking dip in the middle of your picture? Homemade chunky apple sauce??

    • 3.1

      Cara — December 7, 2012 @ 10:40 pm

      Hi Emily,
      You could certainly scale it back, but 3lbs really isn’t *that* much – the recipe yields 24 small-ish latkes, and we figured 4 per serving. Also keep in mind that latkes freeze well so it doesn’t hurt to make extra. When I reheat frozen latkes, I put a baking sheet in the oven and preheat to 425ºF, then put the frozen latkes on the hot baking sheet for 10-15 minutes.
      And yes, that’s a quick applesauce I threw together – no real recipe, just diced apples, water and cinnamon.

  4. 4

    Erin @ Texanerin Baking — December 7, 2012 @ 4:41 pm Reply

    I have to admit… I have no idea what rutabaga is. Going to have to go look that up and check out the recipe! I LOVE latkes. In fact, I think I’m going to make some for breakfast tomorrow. Haven’t had them in about a year!

    • 4.1

      Cara — December 7, 2012 @ 10:42 pm

      Rutabagas are like big yellow turnips! They are so good. A couple weeks ago, I made mashed rutabaga + sweet potato with some almond milk, coconut milk, vanilla, cinnamon and little chili powder and served it to my family (none of whom ever ate rutabaga before) and they LOVED it. In fact my 25 year old single brother texted me that he made rutabaga tonight 🙂 I consider that a win!

  5. 5

    Alisa — December 7, 2012 @ 7:09 pm Reply

    They are so lucky to have you Cara – those are Gorgeous! (with a capital G)!

    • 5.1

      Cara — December 7, 2012 @ 10:44 pm

      aww, thanks Alisa!

  6. 6

    Joanne — December 7, 2012 @ 10:23 pm Reply

    I look forward to your crazy latke recipes every year! They never fail to satisfy. Can’t wait to head over and check out this no-fry version!

  7. 7

    Kate — December 8, 2012 @ 1:24 am Reply

    I love my latkes baked…when I’m reheating them 😉

  8. 8

    grace — December 8, 2012 @ 3:58 pm Reply

    i personally don’t think rutabagas get enough glory. 🙂

  9. 9

    Bianca @ Confessions of a Chocoholic — December 12, 2012 @ 11:26 am Reply

    I love latkes but never tried one with rutabaga! These sound delicious.

  10. 10

    Jen @ The Scrumptious Pumpkin — December 12, 2012 @ 12:46 pm Reply

    I love latkes so I’d love to try this lighter baked version. Love the addition of healthy rutabaga too! 🙂

  11. 11

    Hannah — December 13, 2012 @ 9:29 pm Reply

    Amazing that these are baked and not fried- They look impossibly crispy! Love how you shined the spotlight on rutabaga, since it’s a root vegetable that’s so often pushed to the side. Great twist on tradition!

  12. 12

    elizabeth — December 23, 2014 @ 5:04 pm Reply

    The link is broken. Do you still have the recipe?

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