Potato Filling
intro
Creamy, savory baked potato filling with buttery herbs and soft bread, a hearty Pennsylvania Dutch Thanksgiving side with German roots, perfect alongside roasted turkey.
Ingredients
Steps
Cook the potatoes
Place 900g peeled, 1-inch cubed russet potatoes in a large stockpot, cover with 2 liters of cold water mixed with 9g (1.5 tsp) kosher salt, bring to a rolling boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to medium heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook for 12-15 minutes until fork-tender, when a paring knife slides through a potato cube with no resistance. Drain fully in a colander and set aside.
Sauté aromatic vegetables
Heat 80g (≈5.5 tbsp) unsalted butter in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Once the butter melts and foaming subsides, add 150g finely diced yellow onion and 100g finely diced celery. Cook for 7-8 minutes, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, until vegetables are soft and translucent. Add 9g minced garlic, 1g dried sage, and 0.5g dried thyme, stir constantly for 30 seconds until fragrant (do not let garlic burn), then remove the pan from heat.
Combine filling base
Transfer the drained cooked potatoes to a 3-liter large mixing bowl, add the sautéed aromatic butter and vegetable mixture, 180ml whole milk, 120ml low-sodium chicken broth, 50g lightly beaten large egg, remaining 9g (1.5 tsp) kosher salt, and 1g ground black pepper. Mash with a potato masher until mostly smooth, leaving a few small soft potato chunks for texture. Fold in 120g ½-inch cubed day-old white bread and 4g chopped fresh parsley until all ingredients are evenly distributed.
Assemble baking dish
Preheat your oven to 190°C (375°F). Use 5g (1 tsp) of the remaining unsalted butter to grease the bottom and sides of a 23x23cm (9x9 inch) square baking dish evenly. Scoop the entire potato filling mixture into the prepared dish, spreading it into a smooth, even layer with a silicone spatula.
Bake until golden
Melt the remaining 28g (2 tbsp) unsalted butter, then drizzle it evenly over the top of the unbaked filling. Place the dish on the middle rack of the preheated oven, bake uncovered for 30-35 minutes, until the top is lightly golden brown and the edges are actively bubbling. Remove from the oven, let the filling rest for 5 minutes at room temperature, then garnish with the remaining 2g chopped fresh parsley before serving.
Tips
2.This dish is very make-ahead friendly: assemble the unbaked filling in the greased dish, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Add 10 minutes to the baking time when cooking straight from the refrigerator.
3.Customize the filling to your taste: swap chicken broth for vegetable broth to make it vegetarian, add 60g crumbled cooked breakfast sausage for extra savoriness, or top with 30g toasted breadcrumbs for a crunchier top.
OMG this classic baked potato filling is a total game changer for our weekly family dinner nights! I added a little extra shredded cheddar and crumbled bacon on top before popping it back in the oven for 5 minutes, and my husband and three kids practically licked their plates clean. So easy to throw together even on chaotic school nights, 10/10.
This filling is perfect for Sunday meal prep! I made a big batch on Sunday, stuffed it back into the potato skins, wrapped them individually, and grabbed one for lunch every day this week. Held up perfectly in the fridge, reheats like a dream in the air fryer. Only note is I wish I’d added a little more sour cream next time for extra creaminess.
First recipe I’ve tried in my new apartment that didn’t turn out a total disaster lmao. Super straightforward, didn’t require any fancy tools, and tasted exactly like the loaded baked potatoes I get at the campus sports bar. Saved this to my rotation for sure!
Made this for my kids’ post-soccer practice dinner last night and all three of them asked for seconds, which never happens. I used the leftover filling to make little potato skin appetizers for my buddy who came over to watch the game later, and he raved about them too. SO good, way better than the sad frozen stuffed potatoes I used to buy.
I was worried this would be too bland since it’s a “classic” recipe, but the balance of butter, chives, salt, and pepper is absolutely perfect. I served these alongside grilled steak for my date night in, and my date thought I spent way more time on them than I actually did. Win win!
Made this vegan by swapping the butter for plant-based butter, using vegan sour cream, and adding some roasted broccoli bits into the filling. It came out so creamy and flavorful, even my omnivore roommate stole a bite and said it was amazing. Great base recipe to customize however you want!
Wait, 55 minutes total cook time? I thought baked potatoes took forever, but this was so quick on a weeknight. Wait no — hold on, did I do something wrong? My potatoes were still a little hard in the middle when I pulled them out to scoop the filling after 45 minutes of baking? Maybe my oven runs cool? Still tasted great once I popped them back in for 10 more minutes though.
I brought these to our church potluck last Sunday and the pan was completely empty by the time everyone went through the line. Multiple people came up to ask for the recipe, which always makes me feel like a winner. I topped half with bacon bits and half with chopped chives for the vegetarians in the group, which worked out perfectly.
As someone who can barely boil water without messing it up, this recipe was so easy to follow. The steps were super clear, no weird ingredients I had to run to three different grocery stores to find, and the end result tasted like something from a restaurant. Can’t wait to make it again for my parents when they visit next weekend!
This is exactly the classic baked potato filling I grew up eating at my grandma’s house! I was worried I’d never be able to replicate that fluffy, buttery, perfectly salty flavor, but this recipe nailed it. I got a little emotional taking the first bite, it tasted just like childhood.
Great base recipe! I stirred in a handful of pickled jalapeños and a sprinkle of pepper jack cheese into the filling for a little kick, and it was chef’s kiss. Perfect balance of creamy, salty, and spicy. My only complaint is I made way too little, my roommates ate half of it before I even got to sit down for dinner.