ROMANOFF POTATOES –A twice baked potato casserole with a sea of cheesy sauce made with chicken broth, sour cream, cream cheese and cheddar. Stick-to-your-ribs comfort food. This is a spin on the NYC Strip House Steak Restaurant’s signature side dish, potatoes romanoff.
Russet potatoes are cooked first – either baked or microwaved – chilled, then cut into cubes and smothered in a rich, creamy sauce and baked to perfection to make one of the most decadent potato casseroles you will ever taste.
The casserole takes a little planning because it requires cooked, cold potatoes. You can cook them the night before or the morning of to give them time to chill. My contribution to the recipe is smoked paprika – it adds a subtle layer of smoky flavor. If you don’t have smoked paprika on hand you can use sweet but seek some out when you get a chance because it is good stuff.
I liken the sauce to a thick gravy and being there’s lots of it you can dip dinner rolls or french bread into it. It’s great served with steak or meatloaf to help sop up the delectable sauce. Not one drop of it should go to waste.
Whatever you serve it with know that it’s a showstopper and will steal all the attention.
I can’t help but love that.
ROMANOFF POTATOES
A twice baked potato casserole with a sea of cheesy sauce made with chicken broth, sour cream, cream cheese and cheddar. Stick-to-your-ribs comfort food.
Ingredients
- 3 pounds russet potatoes
- butter, for greasing pan
- 1 + 1/4 cups sour cream (regular or low-fat)
- 4 ounces regular or low-fat cream cheese, softened
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon coarse salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika (or sweet if you don't have smoked on hand)
- 1 can (14 ounces) low-sodium chicken broth
- 4 scallions, white parts minced, green parts sliced thin on the bias
- 2 + 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425ºF.
- Wrap each potato in aluminum foil and pierce several times with a fork. Bake the potatoes right on the oven rack until fork tender, about 1 hour. Remove the foil and let the potatoes cool slightly. Cover with plastic and put them in the refrigerator to cool completely.
- When potatoes are completely cooled preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Butter a 9 x 12 casserole or baking pan.
- Peel and cut the potatoes into 1/2-inch cubes.
- Whisk sour cream, cream cheese, cornstarch, salt, pepper and paprika together in a large bowl until combined - it may look a little curdled - that's ok. Whisk in the chicken broth.
- Add the potatoes, scallions and 2 cups of the cheddar. Stir carefully until well combined. Pour into the casserole dish and sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese over top.
- Bake 30 - 35 minutes until bubbly and lightly golden on top. Let set 5 - 10 minutes before serving.
