Rakott Krumpli
Rakott krumpli is the everyday Hungarian layered potato bake, built from ingredients nearly every household kept on hand: potatoes, eggs, smoked sausage, and sour cream. It belongs to a broader family of Central European "rakott" dishes, a word that simply means "layered" or "stacked," and it likely grew out of the practical habit of stretching a handful of pantry staples into a filling one-dish meal for a large family. Because it required no special equipment beyond an oven dish, rakott krumpli became a staple of Hungarian Sunday lunches and school cafeterias alike, prized for reheating just as well the next day. Regional and family variations abound — some cooks add a layer of grated cheese, others skip the sausage entirely for a meatless version during fasting periods — but the core stack of potato, egg, and sour cream remains constant across the country.
Built in layers
Sliced boiled potatoes, hard-boiled eggs, and smoked sausage are stacked in repeating layers in a deep baking dish.
Sour cream between each layer
A generous spoonful of sour cream is spread over every layer, keeping the casserole moist as it bakes.
Butter and breadcrumb crust
Melted butter and a scattering of breadcrumbs on top form a crisp, golden crust as it bakes.
Baked and cut into squares
The whole dish bakes until bubbling, then rests briefly before being cut into hearty squares.
Ingredients 4 servings
- 1kg potatoes, boiled and sliced
- 6 hard-boiled eggs, sliced
- 300g smoked Hungarian sausage, sliced
- 400ml sour cream
- 60g butter, melted
- 2 tbsp breadcrumbs
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
- Salt and black pepper
- Fresh dill, chopped, for garnish
How to make it
- 1Boil the potatoes whole in their skins until just tender, then peel and slice them into thick rounds once cool enough to handle.
- 2Boil the eggs until hard, cool them under running water, peel, and slice them into rounds as well.
- 3Grease a deep baking dish with butter and scatter breadcrumbs over the bottom to keep the base from sticking.
- 4Layer a third of the potato slices in the dish, season lightly with salt and pepper, then add a layer of sliced eggs and a layer of sausage.
- 5Spoon a generous layer of sour cream over the top, sprinkle with a little paprika, and repeat the layering twice more, finishing with potatoes and a final coat of sour cream.
- 6Drizzle the melted butter over the top and scatter the remaining breadcrumbs to encourage a golden crust, then bake until bubbling and lightly browned.
- 7Let the casserole rest for ten minutes before cutting into squares, scattering with fresh dill just before serving.
Nutritional info
per serving (~350 g)
Estimated nutritional values.
Pairs perfectly with
