Need a make-ahead dish for Passover dinner? Let this sweet and satisfying matzo bake with apples and sweet potatoes be your saving grace! Serve it on the side with brisket or roast chicken.
Tired of the usual tsimmes and kugel served at Passover dinner? Make a beautifully layered matzo bake this year!
A MODERN SIDE DISH FOR PASSOVER DINNER!
Tsimmes is a mix of sweet potatoes and dried fruits sweetened with orange juice, and kugel is a casserole of noodles or potatoes. They might seem almost dessert-like in their sweetness, but they are most commonly served as side dishes alongside a savory main course.
Think of them as the Jewish holiday equivalents of Thanksgiving sweet potato casserole—sweet dishes meant to accompany a table of savory foods.
While they’re both delicious side dishes, they can’t compete with the look of this layered Matzo Bake! I absolutely love how pretty this is when cut into slices. The bright orange layers of sweet potato make this a showstopper dish!
WHAT’S IN THIS MATZO BAKE?
If you’ve ever made a skillet of matzo brei, the matzo and egg layers in this bake will look familiar. In fact, this Matzo Bake works for breakfast, brunch, or as a side dish to brisket or roast chicken at dinner!
It’s got layers of egg-soaked matzo, thinly sliced sweet potatoes, and cinnamon-spiced apples. You’ll dot the top with some margarine, and bake it for a few extra minutes so it gets crispy and browned before serving.
Margarine rather than butter is used here, since kosher dietary laws dictate that dairy cannot be eaten alongside or directly after a meal that also includes meat. If your Passover meal is completely vegetarian or you don’t follow kosher law, feel free to use butter instead.
A MAKE-AHEAD PASSOVER SIDE DISH
To streamline your day-of-Seder routine, you can assemble the Matzo Bake a day in advance. Just be prepared to add a few minutes to the cooking time if you’re taking it straight from the refrigerator to the oven.
Once baked, it will keep for up to three days in the fridge.
MORE RECIPES FOR YOUR PASSOVER TABLE!
Apple and Sweet Potato Matzo Bake Recipe
- Prep time: 15 minutes
- Cook time: 1 hour, 5 minutes
- Cooling Time time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients
- 6 large eggs
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 cups hot water
- 6 sheets (6 ounces) matzo crackers, broken into 1-inch pieces
- 1 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1/8-inch-thick rounds
- 2 large Fuji or gala apples, peeled, quartered, cored, and sliced into 1/4-inch-thick slices
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons margarine
Method
1 Preheat oven and prepare baking dish: Preheat the oven to 325º F. Grease a 9×13 baking dish with margarine, olive oil, or grapeseed oil.
2 Beat the eggs and soak the matzo: In a medium bowl, beat the eggs, salt, and pepper until no streaks of yolk remain.
In separate large bowl, pour the hot water over the matzo crackers. Let sit for just a minute. Drain the excess water.
3 Add the eggs mixture to the matzo: Pour the egg mixture over the drained matzo and gently fold to combine. You don’t want to break up or smush the matzo pieces too much, just coat them evenly in egg.
4 Layer the potatoes and apples: Place half of the sweet potato slices in the baking dish in an even layer. Place half of the apple slices on top of the sweet potatoes, then sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon of the cinnamon over the apples. Spoon half of the matzo/egg mixture over the apples and spread it out in an even layer.
Repeat the layers of sweet potato, apple, cinnamon, and matzo/egg mixture once more, then cover the dish with aluminum foil, making sure the foil isn’t touching the matzo.
5 Bake the casserole and dot with margarine: Bake the casserole, covered, for 1 hour. Remove from the oven, uncover, and poke with a paring knife or toothpick to make sure the sweet potatoes are softened and cooked through. (If they aren’t soft yet, re-cover the casserole and bake for another 10 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are soft enough to easily pierce.)
Dot the top of the casserole with margarine and bake, uncovered, for another 5 minutes, until the margarine is melted and the matzo is lightly browned.
6 Cool and cut: Remove the matzo bake from the oven, let stand for 15 minutes, then cut into slices and serve warm.
