Unstuffed Potato Knish

Here is a great recipe for a side dish that can be served at any occasion - whether for a big family get-together or a regular week night dinner. Either way, there won't be much left over!

You may be wondering what a "knish" is and there is no great literal translation that I can give you. Knish is a Yiddish word and according to wikipedia, "a knish consists of a filling covered with dough that is either baked, grilled, or deep fried.... In the most traditional versions, the filling is made entirely of mashed potato, ground meat, sauerkraut, onions, kasha or cheese...." Think of a calzone or empanada to get an idea of what it is.

But this recipe is for an unstuffed knish so you get to save a few calories from not having the dough :-)

Ingredients:
8 potatoes
2 large onions
3/4 cup oil
4 eggs
2 cups flour
1/2 stick margarine (can use a little less)
1 T. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 egg yolk, beaten with a fork (optional to use whole egg)
sesame seeds

(Don't mind the burnt mark on the back splash... That will come up in a future post.)

Directions:
1. Peel and cube potatoes. Cook in a pot of water for 1/2 hour, or until potatoes are soft.
2. While potatoes are cooking, dice onions and saute in a small amount of oil.
3. Mash potatoes until there are little to no clumps and add in onions.
4. Add the oil, eggs, flour, margarine, salt and pepper. Mix well.
5. Transfer mixture to a greased 9x13" pan and smooth out top.
6. Brush egg on top and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
7. Bake at 350 for one hour or until top is golden brown.
8. Enjoy it because once you serve it, it won't last long!

I made this one year (double recipe!) for our family's thanksgiving dinner and ever since then I have gotten requests every year to make it again. I keep telling my relatives that I am open to making something else, but they insist that I bring this!

Let me know how it comes out if you make it.