Meet the mini potato knish! It's appetizer-sized and perfect for Passover. But you don't have to celebrate a Jewish holiday to enjoy these. I've made these for my New Year's Eve party and they disappeared quickly.
WHAT IS A POTATO KNISH ANYWAY?
A potato knish is one of the best food inventions of all times. Whoever thought to turn caramelized-onion mashed potatoes into something you can grab and eat, holding it in your hands, was a genius!
Knish is a Yiddish word meaning pastry. Knishes came to American via Jewish Immigrants in the 1800's, so New York City (my home town) became the land of knishes. They were first sold in push carts, then knisheries and Jewish delis.
Yonah Schimmel's Knish Bakery is the most famous NYC destination for a potato knish. It opened in 1910 on Manhattan's Lower East Side and has been there, selling knishes, for over 100 years and counting.
Whenever I eat a potato knish or even think of one, it evokes memories from childhood. Eating a knish was not usually a planned thing. It was more like an amazing discovery that would magically appear before my eyes just when I was feeling famished.
My Dad would take me out for lunch to a Jewish deli. We'd stroll into the restaurant and suddenly dozens of knishes were before me, lined up in the deli case at my eye-level, strategically placed, I'm sure, to inspire an impulse buy.
When you're hungry and you spot a potato knish, your dreams have come true.
I developed this potato knish appetizer recipe spinach and potato knishes for the Idaho Potato Commission. My goal was to create an easy recipe for a bite-sized potato knish that would be delicious and festive enough for any occasion.
I've tested these out many times on friends and family to rave reviews. I even had the occasion to serve them on a silver platter with creme fraiche and finely minced red onion.
AN EASIER WAY TO MAKE POTATO KNISHES
These mini spinach potato knishes are inspired by the Yonah Shimmel type knishes of my childhood but they are not made in the traditional way. The more traditional potato knish recipe is quite a big undertaking. It takes about three hours because the potato filling is wrapped in dough that has to be mixed, rested, rolled, filled, shaped and baked.
For this recipe, Instead of making dough and stuffing it with potato filling, I added a small amount of flour (or matzo meal for Passover) right in with the filling, just enough to hold the knishes together and give them that authentic potato knish taste without compromising the fluffy texture.
Make The Knish dough Ahead of Time
- These mini knishes are best served warm and fresh from the oven.
- If you want to do some of the prep work in advance, the potato-spinach mixture can be made up to a day ahead and kept covered in the fridge.
- Roll, shape and bake the knishes just before serving.
These delicious knishes are a perfect appetizer for Passover but, as I already said and want to emphasize, you don't have to celebrate a Jewish holiday to enjoy these. Everyone should have the pleasure of eating potato knishes - they are very special!
If you like this kind of dish, you may want to check out this recipe for Turkey Kreplach Soup and Quick Potato Knishes. And you may also enjoy these simple and delicious Ecuadorian Cheese and Potato Patties.
Here's the mini spinach potato knish appetizer recipe. If you make these I hope you'll come back and leave a star rating and a comment. I'd love to know what you think.
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Mini Spinach Potato Knish Appetizer Recipe
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 mins
- Yield: 50 mini knishes 1x
Description
Baked Mini Spinach Potato Knishes are great little appetizers and the dough can be made ahead
Ingredients
- 2 pounds Idaho® russet potatoes, peeled and quartered (4 medium)
- 2 tablespoons cooking oil, such as canola
- 2 tablespoons butter or schmaltz (chicken fat)
- 3 medium yellow onions, peeled and diced (1 ½ pounds)
- 2 large eggs
- ⅓ cup matzo meal or all purpose flour
- 5 ounces spinach leaves, slivered or roughly chopped
- Salt and Pepper
- Garnish:
- ½ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup finely minced red onion, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375ºF and set oven racks in the top and bottom of the oven.
- Place potatoes and 2 teaspoons salt in a pot and cover with cold water by an inch. Bring to a boil, then gently boil for 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Drain, mash well, and set aside to cool.
- Heat oil and butter (or schmaltz) over medium heat in a large skillet. Cook onions, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes, until golden brown. Scrape onions into the bowl of a food processor. (Don't clean the skillet - you'll use it for the spinach.) Add eggs, 1 teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper to the onions and pulse several times until the onions are finely chopped. Scrape the onion-egg mixture into the bowl with the potatoes. Add matzoh meal. Mix thoroughly.
- Add the chopped spinach to the skillet and sauté over medium heat, stirring constantly, until wilted (a minute or two) Add to the potato mixture and stir through. The dough is now ready to make into knishes or, if you're prepping these ahead, see notes below.
- Spray or lightly oil two baking sheet pans. Scoop up a heaping tablespoon of potato mixture, roll it into a ping-pong sized ball, place it on the prepared pan. Repeat until you've used up all the potato mixture. You should get about 50 pieces. Push your thumb down on the center of each ball to flatten it slightly and make a depression - similar to how you'd make thumbprint cookies.
- Bake knishes for 30 minutes in the top and bottom of the oven, switching the position of the trays half way through. Turn the oven up to broil and let the top tray brown for 2-3 minutes. Remove it and set the other tray on the top shelf and let it brown for 2-3 minutes.
- Set knishes out on a platter or serving tray. Dollop a little sour cream in the center of each knish and serve.
Notes
PREP THESE AHEAD: After you've made the dough (step 4) roll it into a ball, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and store in the fridge for up to 24 hours. Let chilled dough sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before proceeding to step 5.
Nutrition Information: The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator and is not a substitute for the advice of a professional nutritionist.
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: baking
- Cuisine: Polish
Amanda
Can we omit the spinach for picky little eaters?
Lisa
Hi Amanda. Yes, absolutely! I would have had to do the same thing when my boys were little. 🙂
kimberly
Could I sub the spinach for zucchini?
Lisa
Hi Kimberly. Yes, I think zucchini would work well. Zucchini contains a lot of water so I suggest you grate the zucchini and then squeeze out some of the water. You can just squeeze it in your hands or you can put it in a colander and push on it with the back of a spoon. Enjoy!
Debbie
What ingredient can be used instead of eggs to bind the dough so they can be Vegan?
Lisa
I've never tried this recipe with an egg substitute, but here's an article with some good suggestions: https://onceamonthmeals.com/blog/series/kitchen-tips/egg-substitutes-for-cooking/ I hope this helps!
Mark Klassen
Hi Lisa, love this recipe, made it for the first time for a birthday party today.. I added horseradish to the sour creame for some extra zing and substituted green onion for red. Best potatoe applying I have made and you can feed the masses for about $12.00
Lisa
Great to hear! I love the horseradish idea!!
Beth (OMG! Yummy)
OMG! I love these! aaahhh - yonah shimmel, Lower East Side. So much good food and memories. This is a great idea for Passover or anytime.
Judee@gluten freeA-Z Blog
Love this appetizer for Passover.. I would use the GF matzo meal or maybe I'll try almond meal and I'm in business.
I was looking for something to make extra for the seder .. thanks
Lauren Dellinger
I hope your son was successful in his marathon endeavor.
Excited to try this recipe. Being from SC this will be my first knish.
I do like that the ingredients are readily available, inexpensive, and yet
the finished product is kinda sexy!
Lisa
Thanks Lauren - yes Paul finished the marathon. It was a really difficult run but he absolutely loved the experience. I hope you become a knish fan! Let me know. 🙂
Rebeccah @ Of Hops and Honey
These are adorable! Love me a good knish 🙂
AmyBR
Looks delicious! Do you think it would keep well in the freezer? I am looking to pre-cook a few things for Passover. Hope your son completed the Marathon safely!
Lisa
Hi Amy, I haven't tried freezing them but my research tells me that you can cook them, cool them completely, cover them tightly, and freeze them. To cook, set frozen knishes on prepared sheet pans and let them defrost. Brush them with a little oil and cook them in a 375F oven for 5 minutes to heat through and then turn up the oven to broil for the last minute or two of cooking, to brown them a bit. I suggest that when you cook them initially, leave off the last few minutes of cooking time - the part where you brown them - since you'll be doing that part later. I hope you have a happy Passover.
pete goldyn
Question: Are you keeping track of all the things you need to cook for me when I'm in town?
YUMMMMMM
Lisa
Pete, I actually do have a mental list. I'll add the knishes 🙂