Looking for a cozy, no-fuss comfort dish that’s easy to make and impossible to mess up? This Hungarian potato casserole—aka rakott krumpli—is the definition of homestyle goodness. Creamy, smoky, and packed with simple ingredients, it’s a recipe you’ll come back to over and over again.
Ingredients
- 1,5 kg waxy potatoes the firm kind that holds its shape
- 6 large eggs
- 300 g Hungarian smoked sausage (kolbász) or similar
- 2 cups full-fat sour cream
- Butter for greasing your dish
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Optional: grated cheese like Emmental, cheddar, or something melty
Instructions
- Boil your potatoes and eggs. Potatoes go in whole, skins on. Eggs get hard-boiled. Let both cool, peel, and set aside. You don’t want mushy potatoes—just tender enough to slice.
- Slice it all up. Potatoes, eggs, and sausage — go for slices around 5 mm thick. Doesn’t have to be perfect.
- Start the layering game. Grease your baking dish with butter. First layer is potatoes. Then eggs. Then sausage. Then a generous spoonful of sour cream. Lightly salt and pepper it. Repeat. Top it all off with a final layer of potatoes and the rest of the sour cream. Cheese on top if you're into that (you should be).
- Bake it. Into a 180°C (350°F) oven it goes. Bake uncovered for 40–45 minutes, or until golden brown on top and bubbling around the edges. Let it cool for a bit before serving so it holds together better.
Notes
Hungarian layered potato casserole: the kind of food that just feels right
Let’s be honest — sometimes, you just want something warm and filling without the drama. No complicated prep, no exotic spices you’ll only use once. Just real, honest food. That’s exactly what rakott krumpli is all about. This isn’t a fancy, five-star dish. It’s the kind of thing people make when they want to feed a hungry family, warm up a cold evening, or just enjoy something simple and satisfying. It’s built on layers of boiled potatoes, hard-boiled eggs, smoked sausage, and sour cream—baked until golden and bubbling. That’s it. But when it comes out of the oven? Pure magic.
I grew up eating versions of this casserole, sometimes with cheese on top, sometimes with bacon instead of sausage, sometimes reheated in a pan the next day for breakfast (highly recommend, by the way). No matter the variation, it always hit the spot.
What makes it so good?
- 🥔 Thin slices of soft, buttery potatoes
- 🥚 Creamy eggs that melt into the layers
- 🌭 Smoky sausage that brings the depth and richness
- 🥄 A whole lot of sour cream to tie it all together
- 🧀 Optional cheese on top because… obviously
- 🔥 A crispy, golden top that seals the deal
Serving suggestions
- 🍽 Perfect as a main dish with a side salad or pickled veggies
- 🍳 Also weirdly amazing for breakfast the next day
- 🥄 Dollop extra sour cream on top if you're feeling extra
- 🌿 Sprinkle some chopped parsley or chives to make it Instagram-worthy
Why you’ll want to make it again
- 🧡 Pure comfort in casserole form
- 🔥 Almost no prep — just boil, slice, layer, bake
- 🔥 A little taste of Hungary without leaving your kitchen
- 🍲 Tastes even better the next day (honestly, it kinda levels up)
More Hungarian recipes
