Nanny’s Pennsylvania Dutch Potato Filling

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by Destiny Alenovitz
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My favorite holiday dish is indisputably my Nanny’s Pennsylvania Dutch potato filling. Imagine if stuffing and mashed potatoes were to have a baby; this would be it. Perhaps you know this dish as potato dressing or potato stuffing. Regardless of what you call it, it is that savory goodness that comes to mind with ‘back home’ holiday comfort food. Traditionally, my Nanny would make this dish in a casserole dish in the oven or in a Crockpot, giving the smoothest consistency. Of course, I had to test this out in cast iron in the fire. I used my 8-inch cast iron skillet, with another 8-inch cast iron skillet flipped over top for a makeshift Dutch oven. The results- not my Nanny’s Dutch potato filling, but only differing in the best of ways. The edges of the filling started to brown, giving the perfect subtle crisp. The dish took on more of its stuffing mama’s traits, in all of its thick, melt-in-your-mouth, glory.

I love the way food does so much more than nourish our bodies. It can nourish our souls, carrying memories from its savored past reunions. For me, this dish’s warmth surpasses that of its flavor, it holds the warmest of thoughts of my Nanny. For my Nanny, this dish grasps the memories of her mother cooking for her as a child. Years from now, this dish will hold memories of me for my children, as this will be the dish I bring to holiday gatherings, bringing the warmth of the generations before.

This potato filling can be tweaked to your likings! In essence, its stuffing baked with mashed potatoes. You could make your stuffing or dressing however you fancy and follow this potato filling recipe from there.

If you’re looking to bring a dish to holiday dinner to impress, try adding ground sausage to this dish! My nanny wouldn’t bring sausage potato filling to holidays, but sausage is the secret ingredient I never knew it was missing.

Let’s make this Dutch potato filling.

Yous will need:

  • Cast iron skillet (You could also use a casserole dish in the oven or a crockpot!)
  • Potatoes
  • Onions
  • Celery
  • Butter
  • Bread (Day old, or toasted)
  • Pepper
  • Poultry Seasoning
  • Chicken Bouillon
  • Eggs
  • Milk (my Nanny uses condensed)

Instructions:

  1. Peel and dice potatoes. Boil in water.
  2. Finely dice celery and onion. If you prefer a chunkier, thicker consistency you can dice the celery and onion into larger pieces.
  3. Add stick of butter, celery, and onion over medium to low heat. Sautee until softened and translucent.
  4. Cube up the bread to about 1 imch pieces. You can toast the bread if you do not have day old or stale bread.
  5. Add the bread, poultry seasoning, chicken bouillon and pepper into the skillet.
  6. Combine until the bread is softened.
  7. Mash the potatoes. If you want a thicker texture, wait to mash until after the other ingredients are combined.
  8. Add the filling mixture, milk and eggs. Combine.
  9. Transfer to a cast iron skillet, casserole dish or crockpot.
  10. Add a few slices of butter on top.
  11. If cooking in the fire, covering with a cast iron skillet over top, and place over hot coals. Add hot coals on top. Cook until edges start to brown. If cooking in the oven, cook at 350 for 40 minutes. If cooking in a crockpot, cook on low for about 2-4 hours.

Watch me make it! For more things cooking, campfires and recipes, follow me @theoutcastcook on TikTok!

https://www.tiktok.com/@theoutcastcook/video/7210064225396395306

Nanny’s Pennsylvania Dutch Potato Filling

My favorite holiday dish is indisputably my Nanny's Pennsylvania Dutch potato filling. Imagine if stuffing and mashed potatoes were to have a baby; this would be it. Perhaps you know this dish as potato dressing or potato stuffing. Regardless of what you call it, it is that savory goodness that comes to mind with 'back home' holiday comfort food. Traditionally, my Nanny would make this dish in a casserole dish in the oven or in a Crockpot, giving the smoothest consistency. Of course, I had to test this out in cast iron in the fire. I used my 8-inch cast iron skillet, with another 8-inch cast iron skillet flipped over top for a makeshift Dutch oven. The results- not my Nanny's Dutch potato filling, but only differing in the best of ways. The edges of the filling started to brown, giving the perfect subtle crisp. The dish took on more of its stuffing mama's traits, in all of its thick, melt-in-your-mouth, glory.
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Ingredients
  

  • 1 stick butter
  • 4 stalks celery
  • 2 onion large
  • 5 slices white bread stale or toasted
  • 1 tbsp poultry seasoning
  • 1 tbsp chicken bouillon
  • pepper to taste
  • salt to taste
  • 3 eggs
  • 1½ cups milk or condensed milk

Instructions
 

  • Peel and dice potatoes. Boil in water.
  • Finely dice celery and onion. If you prefer a chunkier, thicker consistency you can dice the celery and onion into larger pieces.
  • Add stick of butter, celery, and onion over medium to low heat. Sautee until softened and translucent.
  • Cube up the bread to about 1 inch pieces. You can toast the bread if you do not have day old or stale bread.
  • Add the bread, poultry seasoning, chicken bouillon and pepper into the skillet. Combine until the bread is softened.
  • Mash the potatoes. If you want a thicker texture, wait to mash until after the other ingredients are combined.
  • Add the filling mixture, milk and eggs. Combine.
  • Transfer to a cast iron skillet, casserole dish or crockpot.
  • Add a few slices of butter on top.
  • If cooking in the fire, covering with a cast iron skillet over top, and place over hot coals. Add hot coals on top. Cook until edges start to brown. If cooking in the oven, cook at 350 for 40 minutes. If cooking in a crockpot, cook on low for about 2-4 hours.

Published by

Destiny Alenovitz