No, I didn’t write it wrong. It really is called Potato Cheese and not Cheese Potatoes (that would be a different dish). Potato Cheese (German: Kartoffel Käse or Erdapfel Kas) is a spread made from potatoes and it is delicious on a hearty slice of bread, or fresh pretzels, crackers, or even with some chips.
Potato Cheese is very easy to make and doesn’t need many ingredients. In fact, you can change it in many ways with additional ingredients like chives, paprika powder, garlic … if you like. This recipe is the basic for all that and already tastes great on its own.
It might surprise you that there is no cheese in this recipe. The name potato cheese might refer to the smooth, buttery taste but could as well derive from the word “kas” which in the Bavarian dialect means that things have been mixed and mashed together.
Video: How to Make Potatoe Cheese
Which Potatoes To Use
Use the same type of potatoes that you would for mashed potatoes. Starchy potatoes in the US are Russet and Idaho, but Yukon Gold Potatoes aka yellow potatoes are all-purpose potatoes and will work, too.
Where Does Potato Cheese Come From?
This recipe is common in Bavaria and in Austria where it is called Erdapfel Kas. Back in the day, this spread was made for the harvest workers who harvested the potatoes. In some regions, a boiled egg is added to the mix.
The addition of cumin isn’t to everyones taste so it can be omitted or replaced by other spices.
Potato Cheese
Ingredients
- 400 g Potatoes starchy i.e. Russet
- 1 small onion
- 250 g Sour Cream
- 80 ml Cream
- some Cumin ground, optional
- some Pepper
- Some Salt
- Some Parsley for decoration
Instructions
- Peal, cut and then cook the potatoes until they are cooked through.
- Remove the water and put the pot back on a hot but turned off stovetop to let the remaining water evaporate.
- Cut the onion into very little cubes.
- MIx everything together until a smooth mass and spice with salt and pepper (and cumin) to your taste.
- Put into a bowl and decorate with some chopped parsley.
- Tipp: You can add sliced radish, garlic, french-fried onions, … for an extra kick!
🌿🍁Hello Barbara,
We just love your site ~ because you are so lovely, generous and relaxing to watch with all your wonderful offerings !
– We’re curious that there’s no actual cheese in this recipe for Potato Cheese.
We can’t wait to make it !
🌿🍁Happy Autumn,
~ Nelle
Yes, that’s right, there is actually no cheese in the recipe. The original name of this dish is “Kartoffel Kas” and that originally means that something is mashed and mixed with potatoes. “Kas” in the Bavarian dialect means something like “roughly mixed”. But there is also the word “Käs” which is a short form of Käse, which means cheese. So, over time, the name of the recipe has become Kartoffel Käse … Potato Cheese … in most German speaking regions. So, it’s basically a misunderstanding in Germany, due to dialect, that resulted in this name and not the (missing) ingredient cheese.