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Potatoes Romanoff has shredded baked potatoes in a zesty mixture of shallots, sour cream and horseradish – all topped with cheddar cheese and baked until golden brown and crispy on top.
What is Potatoes Romanoff?
It’s a very flavorful and cheesy potato casserole created by Chef John Schenk at a restaurant called Strip House in Las Vegas. He created this dish based on a childhood recipe his mother used to make.
Potatoes Romanoff has been described as an ‘elevated steakhouse version of funeral potatoes’ – and there are some similarities. This dish, however, gets a wonderful kick of flavor from the addition of shallots and horseradish in the mix.
Having worked in restaurants himself – where nothing goes to waste – my husband Jack suspects that this Potatoes Romanoff recipe was created as a way to use up baked potatoes from the night before at the Chef Schenk’s restaurant.
The recipe starts by wrapping the potatoes in foil, baking them, then chilling overnight before shredding the potatoes to start the dish preparation.
Why you’ll love Potatoes Romanoff
- This is a delicious side dish option to feed a crowd at holiday meals or cookouts.
- The zesty, creamy potatoes with cheese on top go with so many dishes – but we think this side dish is particularly good with prime rib or a grilled steak.
- You can make this recipe ahead of time – either assembling ahead and baking just before serving. Or, fully bake, then reheat individual portions for serving.
Key Ingredients & Substitutions
- Russet Potatoes – This ingredient is the star of the show. They are baked with the skin on then shredded after cooling. Don’t be tempted to use any other potato variety in this dish – the russets have the perfect moisture level and flavor.
- Shallots
- Unsalted Butter
- Fresh Garlic
- Sour Cream
- Mayonnaise
- Cheese – You’ll include both Sharp White Cheddar Cheese and Parmesan Cheese in the topping.
- Seasonings – Kosher salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper.
- Optional Ingredients (but highly recommended) – Prepared horseradish and fresh lemon juice
Special Tools Needed
- Foil – To wrap each potato before baking.
- Box Grater
- Various Measuring Cups and Spoons
- Large Bowl
- Medium Bowl
- Sauté Pan
- Wooden Spoon
- Rubber Spatula
- 2-quart Casserole Dish (ours was oval shaped measuring 12x8x3-inches)
- Dinner Fork – To rough-up the top before baking.
- Probe Thermometer – To test for doneness.
How do I make Potatoes Romanoff?
- Wrap and bake the potatoes the day before you plan to serve this dish.
- Refrigerate the cooked potatoes overnight.
- Shred the cooked and chilled potatoes using the large holes of a box grater.
- Sauté shallots and garlic together in butter.
- Mix shredded potatoes, shallot mixture, and all other ingredients in a bowl.
- Pour into a buttered casserole dish and use a fork to rough-up the top.
- Sprinkle on more cheddar and Parmesan and bake until heated through and golden. Broil to get the top extra crispy.
- Serve immediately.
Tips & Tricks
- Bake the potatoes until just slightly under done so that they are easier to shred and won’t overcook in the casserole.
- Be careful with the added salt. The cheddar and Parmesan cheeses, plus the butter all bring some salt to the flavor profile so start with a single teaspoon of salt when seasoning the mixture, then add more as needed after tasting.
- If your casserole dish is not as deep as our three-inch-deep dish, your baking time may be less. Plan accordingly.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Can I make Potatoes Romanoff ahead of time? Yes, the entire dish can be assembled in the casserole dish and baked when you are ready to serve. Or bake it ahead of time and reheat individual servings.
- How do I store leftovers? Store covered and refrigerated for up to three days.
- How do I reheat leftovers? Reheat individual portions in the microwave, or reheat the entire casserole in the oven to warm through.
- Can I freeze this dish? We don’t recommend it. The potatoes will get mushy and watery after freezing and thawing.
You might like these other Potato Casserole Recipes:
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Potatoes Romanoff
Potatoes Romanoff has shredded baked potatoes in a zesty mixture of shallots, sour cream and horseradish – all topped with cheddar cheese and baked until golden brown and crispy on top.
Ingredients
4 medium Russet potatoes (about 2 1/2 – 3 pounds)
3 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup chopped shallots
1 tablespoon fresh garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups full fat sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
8 ounces good quality sharp white cheddar cheese, shredded and divided (don’t buy preshredded)
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon prepared horseradish (optional, but it gives the dish a nice kick)
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Instructions
- The day prior to serving, wrap each potato in foil and bake at 425 degrees F. for about 50-60 minutes or until tender but firm. You want the potatoes to be a bit undercooked since they will cook further in the casserole. Refrigerate overnight.
- The day of serving, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Butter a 2-quart casserole dish. Ours was 12x8x3 inches.
- Remove foil and grate each skin-on potato on the large holes of a box grater into a large bowl.
- Place shallots and butter in a saute pan and cook for three minutes on medium. Add garlic and cook for one more minute. Set it aside.
- In a medium bowl, place the sour cream, mayonnaise, all but ½ cup of the cheddar and all but ¼ cup of the Parmesan. Set those two cheeses aside to top the casserole before baking. The amount of cheddar going into the mixture is about three cups and about ½ cup of Parmesan. The remainder goes over the top before baking.
- Stir in the salt, pepper, lemon juice, optional horseradish, and the cayenne pepper into the medium bowl with the mixture.
- Add this mixture to the shredded potatoes along with the shallot mixture. Taste and add more salt if needed.
- Scrape into the buttered casserole dish and use a fork to rough-up the top.
- Sprinkle on the reserved cheddar and Parmesan cheeses and bake for 45 – 60 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches at least 145 degrees F when poked with a probe thermometer. Ours took 50 minutes. If your casserole dish is not as deep as our three inch deep dish, your baking time will be less.
- Place under the broiler to brown and crisp the top. Up to you on how brown and crisp you like it. We liked the cheese extra crispy on top.
- Serve immediately.
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HELLO MARTHAT AND JACK!
I am about to put these potatoes in the oven for Thanksgiving but need to know one thing… before wrapping in aluminum foil, do you prick the potatoes? It isn’t mentioned in the recipe but thought I would ask. Have a lovely holiday and of course, you know I love yours and Jack’s recipes!
Hi Doris – Sorry for the delay in responding…no need to prick the potatoes!
Hi Martha:
I did in fact prick the potatoes but they turned out fine. Let me tell you…. this casserole was a huge hit! I was actually eating some cold last night! I always have fantastic results with your recipes and I did add the horseradish too. I hope you had a great Thanksgiving and best to you and Jack and your family always.
So glad to hear this Doris! Thank you and I hope you had a great Thanksgiving too!
Hi Martha and Jack!
Saw this just now and printing off for Thanksgiving feast. You have to know if it has garlic , I’m in! Hope you and family are well. Enjoying the lovely fall weather in N. C. and hope you are as well. As always…. your recipes never fail to be anything but delish!
lol – I’m sure you will love this recipe Doris! 😀. Hope you are enjoying this wonderful weather too!