Jalapeno Cheddar Potato Pancakes

Wash and pat dry potatoes. Cut off any imperfections. Peel the onion. Put a cheesecloth over a medium-sized bowl and grate the potatoes and onion with a box grater. You can also just use a food processor to shred the potatoes and onion, but make sure you still use the cheesecloth to drain the excess liquid.

Squeeze out as much liquid as you can, return potatoes and onion to the bowl, and discard the liquid and cheesecloth. Using the box grater, shred the cheese into the bowl. Add jalapeños, eggs, salt, and pepper. Mix well. (Traditionally, you would use flour as a binding agent, but I’ve always thought that the flour robs some of the flavor, and I’ve found that potatoes are starchy enough that all you need are a couple of eggs. As an added bonus, leaving out the flour makes these gluten-free. Furthermore, instead of shallow-frying them, I just use a little olive oil in a non-stick pan, which also makes these a little healthier than they would be otherwise.)

Use 2 spoons to add mixture to skillet and form pancakes (shape them gently without pushing too hard or you’ll make them stick). Fry for about 5–7 minutes per side, covering with a lid for about 2 of those minutes to ensure they cook through (there are few things worse than biting into a crunchy potato pancake only to find it under-cooked inside). Drain on a paper towel.

Serve with sour cream.