In partnership with Cabot

As the weather begins to get cold, our minds turn to comfort food and things we can bake on the Traeger and these cheesy potato knishes hit the spot! One of my favorite recipes that has been passed down among my family members is one for potato knishes and a cheesy twist on the Traeger really takes them up a notch!

JEWISH COMFORT FOOD

We started with this recipe using the information I had from my grandmother who also used to make knishes. I remember when I was younger how tasty they were and how we knew she had just baked them when her house smelled so great. It’s amazing how a scent– like that of baked dough, onions and potatoes– can bring back such strong memories.

She, of course, didn’t bake them in a Traeger. But it wouldn’t be a ThisJewCanQue recipe without some twists and turns and the use of my trusty pellet grill in the backyard. So what started as a traditional family recipe has taken a bit of an evolution to what I’m sharing.

CABOT CREAM CHEESE PASTRY DOUGH

The dough for this recipe for cheesy potato knishes is much like the original– heavy on dairy and the results are tender, flaky and delicious pastry dough. We used Cabot Creamery’s dairy for this recipe– through and through. The result is an amazing cream cheese pastry dough.

It’s important to start with butter and cream cheese that has been allowed to come up to room temperature before you being the process. This will allow it to blend more easily and consistently, so you don’t end up with chunks of either in the dough.

We used Cabot’s unsalted sweet cream butter, a block of their delicious and tangy cream cheese and most of a tub of the silky smooth sour cream as the base for our dough. Into the food processor, it went, until well combined.

Then we added flour and salt– about ⅓ of it at a time– and pulsed until just combined. It’s important when making pastry dough of any type not to over-mix the dough. The last thing you want is the flour to become glutinous. The process of kneading dough (like for bread) relaxes the gluten molecules in the flour and gives it that stretchy and connected texture. Rather, pie crust should be loose and flaky, and that comes from very gentle handling of the dough.

THE CHEESY POTATO FILLING

Here’s where we made some adjustments to my family’s legacy recipe… adding cheese! The traditional filling that I was accustomed to growing up was a blend of potatoes and onions tucked inside the tender dough. But in my mind, everything is better with cheese, and so adding heaps of Cabot Creamery’s Super Sharp Cheddar Cheese seemed like the perfect fit. So we introduce to you: cheesy potato knishes baked on the Traeger!

This recipe calls for both boiled fresh potatoes and a bit of instant mashed potatoes in the mix. From what I understand, the addition of instant potatoes makes it less likely that the dough will get soggy after baking. The way the instant potatoes soak up extra moisture means that the cheesy potato knishes will keep their shape and structure even after cooling.

In addition, we added sour cream to the filling, to give it a little more flavor and tang. This complemented the loads of shredded Super Sharp cheddar cheese that was stirred in at the end.

PUTTING CHEESY POTATO KNISHES TOGETHER

It’s important to roll the dough fairly thin– about ¼ of an inch thick– and ensure the dough i nearly at room temperature when you’re working with it. That will allow the dough to stretch adequately as you wrap it around the filling. It’s a little messy, but using your hands will help you figure out how to make the shape that stays together.

We brushed the top of these cheesy potato knishes with a mixture of beaten egg and cold water, which helped to bring a golden sheen to the finished products. And if eaten quickly enough while still hot, you may just get a stretchy cheese pull from all that Cabot Super Sharp cheddar inside!

PRIMARY INGREDIENTS

Cabot Creamery Unsalted Sweet Cream Butter
Cabot Creamery Cream Cheese
Cabot Creamery Sour Cream
Flour
Salt
Russet potatoes
Yellow onion
Eggs
Instant mashed potatoes
Garlic powder
Hot sauce
Chicken bouillon
Cabot Creamery Seriously Sharp Cheddar Cheese

WHY COOKING KNISHES ON THE TRAEGER WORKS

Baking on the Traeger is one of our favorite things to do. Not only does everything come out perfect, but it’s a fun and unexpected way to bake. The steady temperature that is produced by the Traeger’s auger, combined with the great design of the barrel that encourages convection-style cooking makes for really consistent results.

The Traeger is about as close as you can get to a commercial convection oven– the ability to control the temperature within a few degrees is unmatched. You certainly cannot do that with a gas or charcoal grill– and even indoor ovens have a hard time regulating their temperatures.

Additionally, you get a kiss of wood-fired flavor when you bake on the Traeger– not overpowering but just a little bit. It makes for really delicious results!

STEP-BY-STEP

Bring the butter, cream cheese and sour cream to room temperature.
In a food processor, combine the butter, cream cheese and sour cream and blend until smooth.
To the dairy mixture, add the flour and salt until just combined. Use the pulse feature on your food processor to combine. Do not over-mix!
Transfer the loose dough to a double layer of plastic wrap on the counter.
Using floured hands, bring the dough into a large ball and wrap in the plastic.
Place the dough ball on a plate and refrigerate overnight or for at least 8 hours.
Wash, peel and cube the potatoes and cook them in salted boiling water until very tender.
Drain the potatoes and mash them until nearly smooth.
Finely chop the onion and saute in a few tablespoons of butter until tender and lightly browned.
In a big bowl, combine the mashed potatoes, sauteed onions, eggs, garlic powder, chicken bullion, hot sauce and instant potatoes.
Mix until well combined.
Stir in the shredded cheese and set the filling aside.
Remove the dough from the fridge and allow it to come to room temperature.
Preheat your Traeger grill to 375*.
In a small bowl, whisk one egg with 1 tbsp of cold water.
Prepare a pair of cookie sheets lined with parchment paper.
Cut the dough into quarters and then using a rolling pin, roll each quarter into a ¼ inch thick sheet. Add more flour as necessary to keep from sticking.
Use a large knife to cut the dough sheets into 3” x 3” squares.
To each square, add a 2-tablespoon heap of potato filling and then bring the corners of the dough together to create a little sachet.
Repeat with remaining dough squares and place them on the cookie sheets.
Brush each knish generously with the beaten egg.
Bake the knishes in the preheated Traeger for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown.
Serve these Traeger baked cheesy potato knishes hot!!

RECIPES SIMILAR TO CHEESY POTATO KNISHES

Here are some other recipes for you to consider making, cooked on the Traeger:

Products used in this cook:

Cabot Creamery Cooperative’s dairy. Our family loves using Cabot Creamery Co-operative’s butter, sour cream, cream cheese and extra sharp cheddar cheeses, and they work particularly well in this kind of recipe. Not only does the quality of the cheese stand out, but the distinct and sharp flavor of the cheddar cheese comes through really well with this combination of ingredients. Not only are we using amazing ingredients in our cooking, but we are using products made by a certified B-Corp that has an intent focus on sustainability, land stewardship, and being good community citizens. As a B-Corp, Cabot Creamery Co-operative has hung its hat on being a positive contributor to the community and environmental problems. As an elementary teacher, getting to partner with a company like Cabot means that I’m demonstrating to my students how corporate citizenship can make a positive impact!

Traeger Timberline XL Grill

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