Chicken in Potato Baskets

Packers are 4-1 and the city is cautiously hopeful, which in Green Bay Packers terms means irrationally confident dressed in a flannel of pragmatism. Dad and I have our Sunday routine locked: I go to the Cape Cod at noon, I bring food, we watch the game, we do not speak during critical plays. This week I brought Babcia's placki ziemniaczane — potato pancakes — because they're Dad's favorite game-day food and because potato pancakes require exactly the right amount of attention (enough to keep your hands busy during commercials, not enough to distract from the game). I made them in Mom's kitchen, grating potatoes on the box grater the old-fashioned way because Babcia's card says "grate by hand, food processor makes them paste" and Babcia is right about everything, even from beyond the grave. Dad ate eight potato pancakes. Eight. With sour cream and applesauce. He looked like a man at peace with the universe. The Packers won. Life was good. At the brewery, I've been developing a winter lineup that I'm excited about: a new batch of Babcia's Kitchen (the winter warmer), a milk stout with vanilla and coffee, and an experimental recipe I've been working on — a smoked porter with maple syrup from a small Wisconsin operation. I'm calling it Sugar Shack. Marcus tasted the test batch and said, "The maple is dangerous. You barely taste it, but you keep drinking." That's the design. The maple should be felt, not tasted. Like good percussion in a song. I walked past a storefront on KK on Saturday. It's been empty for six months — the previous tenant was a vintage clothing shop that closed. Small space. Maybe 900 square feet. A "For Lease" sign in the window. I stood outside and looked through the glass and imagined: a counter here, the kitchen there, stools along the window. A chalkboard menu on the wall. The smell of pierogi and soup. Babcia's name above the door. I didn't call the number on the sign. I'm not ready. But I stared at it long enough that a woman walking her dog asked if I was okay. "Fine," I said. "Just window shopping." For a future.

Dad finished his eighth potato pancake and looked like a man who had found God, and honestly that’s the only review a recipe ever needs. These Chicken in Potato Baskets are my riff on the same idea Babcia built her Sunday table around — hand-grated potatoes, crisped hard in hot oil, shaped to hold something good. You still grate by hand (Babcia’s rule stands), and you still serve them with sour cream, because some things are not up for debate during a Packers game or any other time.

Prep Time: 25 min | Cook Time: 30 min | Total Time: 55 min | Servings: 6

Ingredients

3 large russet potatoes, peeled and hand-grated on the coarse side of a box grater
1 large egg, beaten
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons butter, melted, plus more for greasing
2 cups cooked chicken, finely diced or shredded
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/3 cup sour cream, plus more for serving
1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika

Instructions

Prep the potatoes. After grating, place the potatoes in a clean kitchen towel and wring out as much moisture as possible — this is the difference between crispy and soggy. Do not skip this step.
Make the potato mixture. In a large bowl, combine the drained grated potatoes, beaten egg, salt, pepper, flour, and melted butter. Mix until evenly combined.
Form the baskets. Preheat oven to 400°F. Generously butter a standard 12-cup muffin tin. Press about 3 tablespoons of potato mixture into the bottom and up the sides of each cup, forming a thin, even shell. The sides should be about 1/4 inch thick.
Bake the shells. Bake for 20–22 minutes until the edges are deep golden brown and the bottoms are set. If the centers puff, gently press them back down with the back of a spoon halfway through baking.
Make the chicken filling. While the shells bake, warm the diced chicken in a small saucepan over medium heat with the chicken broth, sour cream, garlic powder, and paprika. Stir until combined and heated through, about 4 minutes. Season to taste.
Fill and finish. Spoon the chicken mixture into the baked potato baskets. Top each with shredded cheddar. Return to the oven for 6–8 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbling.
Serve. Let cool for 2 minutes before removing from the tin. Run a thin spatula around each basket to loosen. Garnish with sliced green onions and serve immediately with sour cream alongside.

Nutrition (per serving)

Chicken in Potato Baskets — Eight Pancakes, One Perfect Sunday