Latkes on Hanukkah? Of course! But cheese is also a Hanukkah tradition.

I’ve written about it before.

Why cheese?

Because of the role a woman named Judith, who lived in Judea, in biblical times. According to legend, the Syrian-Greek army was about to invade. Holofernes, the general of the enemy army, was smitten with Judith. So she agreed to dine with him and at that dinner she fed him lots and lots of cheese, which got him thirsty, so he drank lots and lots of wine, which made him sleepy. At long last he fell asleep and she cut off his head! Upon hearing that their leader had been killed, the enemy army fled instead.

So, cheese. To celebrate!

Good cheese is worth celebrating too. Like the ones from Sincerely Brigitte, which produces delicious cheeses with interesting flavors, like Jack with Parsley and Chives. Besides a good variety, Sincerely Brigitte cheeses have a lot more to offer. They are made without animal sourced rennet and starters. The milk comes from a small Wisconsin farm and is rBST-free. Also, the cheeses are kosher.  

I wanted to develop some good Hanukkah-cheese recipes and this Potato Galette with Parsley and Chives Cheese was a big winner at our house. Not just fabulously rich and tasty, but simple. 

AND you can make it ahead and pop it into the oven to complete the cooking a day or so later.

Perfect for Hanukkah. Or anytime really.

Potato Galette with Caramelized Onions and Sincerely Brigitte Parsley and Chives Cheese

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large or 2 medium Vidalia or other sweet onions, thinly sliced
• 3 tablespoons melted butter
• 2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme or rosemary
• 7-ounces Sincerely Brigitte Parsley and Chives Cheese, grated

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Heat one tablespoon of the olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5-6 minutes or until softened and golden brown. Remove the onions to a bowl to cool. In another bowl, mix the melted butter with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Brush a film of this mixture inside a baking pan about 11”x7” (or 10” round). Peel the potatoes and cut them into thin slices. Wipe the potatoes with paper towels to dry the surface. Place the potato slices in the bowl with the melted butter and olive oil and toss them around to coat them completely. Place a layer of potatoes in the pan, overlapping the slices. Top with some of the onions. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and some of the thyme or rosemary. Repeat layers two more times. Scatter the cheese on top. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the cover and bake for another 25-30 minutes or until the potatoes are tender and the cheese is bubbly and lightly browned.

Note: You can make these in individual ramekins; cooking time after you remove the cover will be shorter; check after 20 minutes.

Makes 6-8 servings