Cookbook | Ingredients | Recipes

| Cuisine of Lithuania

Kugelis (also bulvių plokštainis, the lexically correct non-foreign name, literally "flat potato dish", or banda, a dialecticism frequent especially in the Dzūkija region) is a baked potato pudding that is a Lithuanian dish. Its main ingredients are potatoes, bacon, milk, onions, and eggs. It may be spiced with salt, black pepper, bay leaves, and/or marjoram. It is usually eaten with sour cream and/or crumbled fried fat white bacon (spirgai).

Ingredients

• 5 lbs. potatoes, peeled and grated (or ground with a food processor)
• 2 med. onions, grated
• 1 lb. bacon, fried and crumbled (reserve about ¼ cup drippings)
• 1 stick of butter, melted
• 6 eggs
• 1 lg. can evaporated milk
• 4 tsp. salt
• pepper to taste (about a teaspoon)

Procedure

1. Peel and grate or grind (with a fine disc) potatoes and onions. Do not drain.
2. Fry and crumble bacon, add to potatoes and onions, along with ¼ cup drippings. Mix well.
3. Beat well 6 eggs, add evaporated milk, melted butter, salt and pepper, and mix well.
4. Add egg mixture to potato mixture, and mix together.
5. Pour into a well greased 9x13 cake pan (yes, it'll fit – barely).
6. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 90 minutes.

To serve: slice into squares, and top with sour cream (applesauce is also suitable).

Leftovers are best reheated sliced thin and sautéed in melted butter. Kugelis also reheats well in the microwave and freezes well.