Crispy potato pancake casserole
Imagine being able to eat potato pancakes without the annoying shaping and endless frying in oil. Plus, the crispiest cheese topping in the world awaits you. How tempting does that sound? If it were up to us, we'd snack on potato pancakes at every fair, but most of them aren't vegan.
- For the casserole:
- 800 g hard-boiling potatoes
- 1 onion
- 100g smoked tofu or vegan ham cubes
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 TL Liquid Smoke
- 200g vegan cottage pearls (e.g. from Züger)
- 4 EL Reismehl
- 2 EL vegane Butter
- vegan butter for frying and greasing
- Salt
- Pfeffer
- Nutmeg
- chives
- For the crispy cheese layer:
- 100g vegan shredded cheese
- 30 g panko breadcrumbs
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- To serve:
- Side salad
- vegan Crème fraîche (e.g. B. von Züger)
- applesauce
- Peel the potatoes, grate them and squeeze out the excess liquid well in a clean kitchen towel.
- Finely dice the onion and smoked tofu. Heat a pan with vegan butter and sauté the onions until translucent. Add the smoked tofu and sauté as well. Finally, deglaze with soy sauce and liquid smoke.
- Preheat the oven to 200°C (convection). In a large bowl, combine the squeezed potatoes and sautéed onion and smoked tofu cubes with cottage pearls, rice flour, and vegan butter. Season generously with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
- Grease a casserole dish or cast-iron skillet (28 cm) with vegan butter, add the mixture, and press down firmly. For the crispy cheese layer, mix vegan shredded cheese with panko breadcrumbs and olive oil, and spread it over the casserole.
- Bake at 200°C (fan-assisted oven) for about 30 minutes, until the cheese topping is golden brown. Meanwhile, finely chop the chives. After baking, let cool for 10–15 minutes and serve with vegan crème fraîche or applesauce.
And to make sure nothing goes wrong, we'll answer all your questions about this wonderfully crispy potato pancake casserole, which you've probably never eaten before:
Which potatoes are best? Definitely use waxy potatoes! They have less starch and hold their shape better when baking. Floury potatoes would become too mushy and the casserole would fall apart. Classic varieties like Linda, Nicola, or Annabelle are perfect for this recipe.
Do I really need to squeeze the potatoes? Yes, absolutely! Potatoes contain a lot of water, and if you don't squeeze it out, your casserole will be too soft. So: put grated potatoes in a clean kitchen towel and wring them out really firmly. Your forearms will feel it, but the casserole will thank you.
What are Cottage Pearls and where can I get them? We used Züger's vegan Cottage Pearls, which are a wonderful alternative to cottage cheese. They give the casserole a creamy consistency, hold everything together well, and also have a clean ingredient list and good nutritional values. You can find them in organic markets or online.
Why rice flour and not regular wheat flour? Rice flour is super fine and binds the potato mixture without making it heavy or lumpy. It also ensures that the casserole retains its structure and doesn't fall apart. If you don't have rice flour, potato starch or cornstarch work perfectly well too.
Can I omit or substitute the smoked tofu? Absolutely! The smoked tofu gives the casserole a lovely smoky flavor and is reminiscent of the savory taste of classic potato pancakes. Alternatively, you can use vegan ham cubes or simply omit the tofu altogether.
How do I get the cheese layer really crispy? The secret lies in the combination of shredded cheese, panko breadcrumbs, and olive oil. The oil ensures that everything turns a beautiful golden brown, and the panko provides the extra crunch.
How best to serve the casserole? You can choose whether you want to serve it sweet or savory. Either use applesauce or vegan crème fraîche (the one from Züger is also a very good choice here). A fresh side salad or a cucumber salad also goes perfectly with it. And if you serve the casserole directly from the cast-iron skillet, it not only looks great but also keeps it warm for longer.
Can I prepare the casserole in advance? Yes, you can! You can prepare the potato mixture the day before and put it in the dish. Then cover it well and refrigerate it. The next day, simply add the cheese layer and bake it in the oven. Perfect if you have guests and don't want to spend hours in the kitchen.
