Hungarian Layered Potatoes Recipe (Rakott Krumpli)

Why You Will Love This Recipe

- Creamy garlic butter bechamel sauce makes this potato casserole much creamier and richer than most of the other traditional Hungarian potato recipes

- The sausage adds the smokey flavor along with umami notes that make this potato dish scrumptious

- Yellow potatoes and caramelized onions add an extra sweetness that completes the flavor profile of the dish

- The rich cheese layering makes this casserole dish even more filling!

• Yellow potatoes – this type of potato is my personal favorite for this dish. Yellow potatoes are sweet on their own and add to the dish rather than take away from it. You will need to be careful not to overcook the potatoes as they will fall apart easily and lose some of their natural flavors.

• Smoked sausage – here you have freedom for imagination and experimentation! There are plenty of different smoked sausage types, choose the one you like the most (you can even go with spicy!).

• Eggs – we traditionally use hard-boiled chopped eggs for this recipe.

• Onions – yellow onions are my go-to for this casserole, but you can experiment with red or white onions if you like!

• Bechamel sauce – all you need to make this scrumptious sauce is butter, flour, milk, and a few add-ins like garlic, ground nutmeg, salt, and pepper.

• White Cheddar Cheese – I use Irish cheddar for this recipe, yet, you are free to go with your favorite cheese type. Cheddar has a strong flavor that makes the flavors shine even more!

Step by Step Recipe

Step 1 - Boil and chop the potatoes

Place the potatoes into a large pot, place them on the stove on high heat, and cover them with cold water (cold water will ensure an even cook-through). You don’t need to either peel or cut the potatoes before boiling – this way you ensure minimal flavor loss! Boil your potatoes for about 20-25 minutes or until a fork comes through easily.

When the potatoes are done, place them under cold water to cool down. After the potatoes are at room temperature you can peel them by simply pulling the skins off with your hand or with a knife. Slice the potatoes into round pieces and set them aside.

Step 2 - Boil and chop the eggs

While the potatoes are boiling you can boil the eggs. Place the eggs into a medium size pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil and cook the eggs for 10 minutes. Turn the heat off and place the eggs under cold water to cool down. Once cooled, peel the eggs and slice them into small pieces.

Step 3 - Make the bechamel sauce

While the eggs and the potatoes are cooking you can start working on your bechamel sauce. Place the butter into a medium size saucepan and set it on the stove at low-medium heat. Make sure the butter doesn't burn as it melts. Once the butter has melted, add the gluten-free flour and stir with a rubber spatula or a whisk to prevent lumps from forming.

Once the mixture has been incorporated, pour the milk in and continue stirring. You can bring the heat up a bit at this point to speed up the process, just make sure your milk doesn’t burn on the bottom. Once you see that the sauce is starting to thicken add chopped or grated garlic, ground nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Continue stirring until the sauce is at the desired thickness, then turn the stove off and set the sauce aside.

Step 4 - Chop the onion and the sausage

Chop the onion and the sausage as you see in the picture and set them aside.

Update:

Caramelizing onions makes the dish SO much better! It takes a little bit more work but it is so worth it. For this option, you will need about 4 onions as they reduce in volume after being sauteed for a long time.

Step 5 - Assemble the casserole

Time to assemble the casserole! Spread a little bit of bechamel sauce on the bottom of the baking dish.

Then, place the first layer of potatoes, eggs, sausage, and cover with a layer of bechamel sauce (use a spoon or a spatula to carefully spread the sauce across the dish).

Repeat all the layers once again, then cover with shredded cheese on top. If you have any leftover ingredients, you can place them on the top first, and then add the cheese.

Update:

Use more cheese and cover each layer with a generous sprinkle of shredded cheese. You can use a cheaper kind as you will need a lot of it. At first, I thought a lighter cheese will compromise the flavor but if you add A LOT of it, the casserole will still taste delicious!

Step 6 - Bake the casserole

Place the casserole into a preheated oven at 350F (170C) and bake for about 20 minutes. During baking the sausage lets its juices out, the bechamel sauce penetrates into the rest of the ingredients, and the cheese melts creating a flavorful top for your dish. Once the casserole is baked through, serve it as soon as you’d like to!

Serving Suggestions

• Traditionally this Hungarian potato dish is made with sour cream, but since we used a different sauce, feel free to add some sour cream on the side when you serve the potatoes!
• Pickles are also a great addition to this layered potato casserole.

Tips for Success

• Place potatoes and eggs on the stove first, so that they are done by the time you finish preparing the rest of the ingredients.
• Use a good quality cheese as it will add to the overall flavor of the dish.
• White (or yellow) potatoes are my personal favorite for casserole as they have a naturally sweet flavor.
• Add hot pepper or jalapenos to the dish for a spicy version and serve with sour cream!