Spinach and Potato Knish with Caramelized Onions

There is nothing like a well made potato knish that brings me right back to my childhood! These mini potato knishes are slightly elevated with the additions of caramelized onions and sautéed spinach all wrapped in an easy to make tender dough.

Potato Knish

If you've ever had a New York knish, you know how absolutely delicious and comforting they are. Knishes have a rich culinary history, coming from Eastern European Jews in New York.

I have had every kind of potato knish. I have had round ones and square ones. Fried ones and baked ones. Knishes stuffed with mashed potatoes and knishes stuffed with kasha.

I've eaten knishes everywhere from gas stations to the corner liquor store. I've had them at popular Jewish delis (Hello Katz knish!) and from the frozen aisle. I know a good knish when I see one. I recreated another Katz favorite when I made my Reuben Sandwich, Kicked Up a Notch.

What is a Potato Knish?

Potato Knishes consist of mashed potatoes that are wrapped in a flakey dough and baked. The results are a tender and flakey crust with a smooth and creamy potato mixture inside.

Traditionally (or how I grew up eating them), is to serve knishes with classic deli mustard to dip into.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Knishes are a great way to use up leftover mashed potatoes!
• This is a great recipe to make ahead. You can make the filling and/or the dough recipe ahead of time.
• These potato knishes are so comforting and full of flavors!

Ingredients

• Flour: All purpose flour is used as the base for the knish dough.
• Baking Powder: This helps give the dough a tender crumb.
• Eggs: Used both in the dough and for an egg wash before baking.
• Vegetable Oil: Oil is added in the knish dough.
• White Vinegar: The vinegar reacts to the baking powder which helps in giving the dough a nice light and flakey texture.
• Onions: Yellow onions are finely diced and caramelized until deeply golden brown and added to the mashed potato mixture.
• Potatoes: This is a great time to use leftover mashed potatoes but if you don't have any, boil Yukon gold potatoes until incredibly soft, then mash the potatoes and add the caramelized onions and sautéed spinach.
• Spinach: After the onions are sautéed, add spinach to the skillet and saute until just wilted. You can also saute kale or chard instead of spinach.
• Sesame Seeds: These are optional, but gives a nice crunch to the potato knishes. Add the sesame seeds on top of the knishes before baking.

How to Make Spinach and Potato Knishes

Make the Knish Dough

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the flour and make a well in the center and add the wet ingredients; the egg, oil, vinegar and water. Use a dough hook to mix together until it forms into a cohesive mass. You may need to use a spatula every so often to push down the flour from the sides.
2. Bring the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead by hand for about 5-8 minutes until it becomes a smooth and slightly elastic dough.
3. Cover the knish dough with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rest in a bowl for about an hour, while you make the filling.

Make the Knish Filling

1. Boil the potatoes until very soft and can easily be pierced with a fork. Drain the potatoes and add to a large bowl and mash.
2. In a medium skillet, add olive oil and chopped onions and saute until deeply caramelized and soft, about 10-12 minutes.
3. Add the spinach and saute for another 2-3 minutes until the spinach is just wilted. Add mixture to the potatoes.
4. Mash the potatoes and spinach mixture together and mix to combine well. Season with salt and pepper and set aside to cool.

Assemble and Bake

1. Once the dough has been rested, it will feel pretty oily which is ok. Cut the dough in half and roll out the first piece of dough to about a 9 x 13 rectangle.
2. Add half of the potato mixture onto the dough and form into a long rectangle log. Brush the seam of the dough with water to help it stick.
3. Fold the dough over twice so the dough wraps around the potato filling and place the log seam side down.
4. Cut log into 8 pieces, pinching the dough on one of the sides and gently forming into a little round knish.
5. Place the knishes onto a parchment lined baking sheet and brush with egg wash and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
6. Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 30-35 minutes until golden brown.

Serve the Knishes

1. Serve the knishes as is or with a side of deli style mustard.

More Jewish Recipes

• Sweet and Sour Cabbage Rolls
• Garlic Rosemary Challah
• Slow Cooker Brisket with Red Wine and Onions

More classic deli inspiration

Spinach and Potato Knish with Caramelized Onions

Samantha Ferraro

LittleFerraroKitchen.com

These potato knishes are filled with caramelized onions and sautéed spinach all wrapped in an easy to make tender dough.

5 from 11 votes

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Prep Time 1 hour hr 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 35 minutes mins

Dough Resting 1 hour hr

Total Time 2 hours hrs 55 minutes mins

Course Appetizer, Snack

Cuisine Jewish

Servings 16 knishes

Calories 135 kcal

Equipment

• ▢
  Rolling Pin
• ▢
  Silpat

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

Dough

• ▢ 2 ½ cups flour sifted
• ▢ 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ▢ ½ teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1 egg
• ▢ ½ cup vegetable oil
• ▢ 1 teaspoon white vinegar
• ▢ ½ cup warm water

Filling

• ▢ 2 tablespoons Olive oil
• ▢ 1 yellow onion diced
• ▢ 2 cups fresh spinach
• ▢ 5-6 Yukon potatoes peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
• ▢ ½ teaspoon Ground black pepper

Toppings

• ▢ Sesame seeds for garnish
• ▢ Egg wash (egg whisked with water) for brushing onto knishes

Instructions

 

Make the Knish Dough

• In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the flour and make a well in the center and add the wet ingredients; the egg, oil, vinegar and water. Use a dough hook to mix together until it forms into a cohesive mass. You may need to use a spatula every so often to push down the flour from the sides.
• Bring the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead by hand for about 5-8 minutes until it becomes a smooth and slightly elastic dough.
• Cover the knish dough with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rest in a bowl for about an hour, while you make the filling.

Make the Knish Filling

• Boil the potatoes until very soft and can easily be pierced with a fork. Drain the potatoes and add to a large bowl and mash.
• In a medium skillet, add olive oil and chopped onions and saute until deeply caramelized and soft, about 10-12 minutes.
• Add the spinach and saute for another 2-3 minutes until the spinach is just wilted. Add mixture to the potatoes.
• Mash the potatoes and spinach mixture together and mix to combine well. Season with salt and pepper and set aside to cool.

Assemble and Bake

• Once the dough has been rested, it will feel pretty oily which is ok. Cut the dough in half and roll out the first piece of dough to about a 9 x 13 rectangle.
• Add half of the potato mixture onto the dough and form into a long rectangle log. Brush the seam of the dough with water to help it stick.
• Fold the dough over twice so the dough wraps around the potato filling and place the log seam side down.
• Cut log into 8 pieces, pinching the dough on one of the sides and gently forming into a little round knish.
• Place the knishes onto a parchment lined baking sheet and brush with egg wash and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
• Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 30-35 minutes until golden brown.

Serve the Knishes

• Serve the knishes as is or with a side of deli style mustard.

Notes

Make sure the potato sand spinach filling is cooled before adding to the dough. 

Knishes can be made ahead of time, cooled and frozen. T0 reheat, place the knishes on a baking sheet and warm in a 350 degree oven until warmed through. 

Nutrition

Calories: 135kcalCarbohydrates: 25gProtein: 4gFat: 2gSaturated Fat: 0.4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.3gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.001gCholesterol: 10mgSodium: 229mgPotassium: 306mgFiber: 2gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 368IUVitamin C: 12mgCalcium: 28mgIron: 2mg

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