If you're of Norwegian decent you've probably heard of lefse, but if you're not, don't worry I'm about to tell you. Lefse is a potato flatbread often served with butter and sugar. Think of it like a mix between naan and a tortilla, but made with potatoes. In the Midwest it's most often made and enjoyed around Thanksgiving and Christmas, but it tastes just as good any day of the year.
While lefse is traditionally made on a large round griddle with special wooden tools, you most definitely don't need it. You can use an electric griddle or a griddle pan, you just won't be able to roll out the lefse as large. The trick to lefse is to make sure you're rolling it out thin enough, about 1/8"-1/16" thick. If it's too thick, the outside will burn without the middle cooking through.
Once you've got your lefse cooked, there are endless ways to enjoy it. You can top it with butter and sugar, lingonberries--my favorite is brown sugar and cinnamon. You can use it similarly to a tortilla and wrap up whatever filling you like. There isn't really a wrong way to eat it, at least in my book.
This recipe is the one that I ate growing up and that my mom continues to make to this day. While is isn't the most traditional to use potato flakes, it's super easy to keep these ingredients on hand so you can make this lefse whenever you want!
The Easiest Lefse in the World
Ingredients
3 C. Water
2 tsp. Salt
⅛ C. Sugar
1½ sticks Butter
2¼ C. Half and Half
4 C. Potato flakes
3 C. Flour
Directions
1. Bring water to a boil. Add salt, sugar, half & half and butter.
2. Once butter has melted, whisk in the potato flakes. Remove from heat. Stir thoroughly for at least 1 minute until thick. Then cover with a wet towel and refrigerate overnight.
3. The next day, add flour and mix into potato mixture with pastry blender until it has a bread dough consistency. Knead and cut in 24 equal pieces.
4. Roll out into flat rounds, roughly 1/16"-1/8" thick. (Hint: keep Lefse balls refrigerated until you roll out one at a time). Carefully lift the circle from the middle with a lefse stick or wooden spoon handle.
5. Fry on medium heat on either a Lefse griddle or electric skillet. Flip once you start seeing small bubbles on the top and you should see golden brown spots.
6. Transfer to a plate lined with a damp cloth to cool. Keep covered until you're finished cooking the lefse and ready to serve.
7. Top as desired, roll up and enjoy!
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