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Potato Pancakes

Stephanie Wise
Created January 10, 2017
Potato pancakes are a signature dish at the annual German Fest in Milwaukee. Now you can recreate the festival fun in your home kitchen!
potato pancakes

Growing up, German Fest in Milwaukee was one of my favorite festivals to go to, and one of the best things to do there was eat! Let me tell you, there is no shortage of options in the culinary department at a German festival. From bratwurst to sauerkraut, traditional foods are in abundance. But none is more popular than the potato pancake.

At German Fest, they go through more than five tons of potatoes over the course of four days to make its signature pancakes. Shredded spuds are fried on a hot griddle then topped with cool applesauce or sausage. When you see long lines at German Fest, chances are people are waiting in line for the “kartoffelpfannkuchen.”

Potato Pancakes

There’s no secret to how these pancakes are made–in fact, they’re a cinch to recreate at home. Just mix together shredded potatoes, chopped scallions, a few spices and binding ingredients, and you’ve got a festival favorite on your own kitchen table. I like to top my homemade pancakes with sour cream, but if you want to keep with tradition, serve them with applesauce or your favorite sausage links.

Potato Pancakes

In less than an hour, you can bring home festival fun without ever having to leave your kitchen–or having to stand in any long lines.

Ingredients

    • 2eggs, beaten
    • 3green onions, chopped
    • 2lb frozen shredded hash brown potatoes, thawed, or shredded fresh potatoes
    • 2tablespoons Gold Medal™ all-purpose or unbleached flour
    • 1/4teaspoon baking powder
    • Dash salt
    • Dash pepper
    • Olive oil for frying
    • Sour cream or applesauce for topping

Directions

  • 1In large bowl, stir together thoroughly eggs, green onions, potatoes, flour, baking powder, salt and pepper.
  • 2Heat 10-inch cast-iron skillet or large griddle over medium-high heat. Coat bottom of skillet with 1 tablespoon olive oil.
  • 3Scoop heaping tablespoonfuls potato mixture into skillet; use pancake turner to flatten into pancake shape. Cook about 3 minutes on each side until deep golden brown and crispy. Make sure skillet is fully coated with oil before each batch.
  • 4Serve warm with sour cream or applesauce.

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