Name: Lithuanian Potato Pudding I
Ingredients: 6 oz. thick cut bacon, cut into 1/8 inch pieces; 6 lbs. Russet potatoes, peeled and finely grated; 1 med. yellow onion, peeled and finely grated; 1 (5 oz.) can evaporated milk; 5 eggs, beaten; 2 tsp. salt; Freshly ground black pepper to taste; 1 tbsp. butter, melted

Why it works: Potato and onion are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 3% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 9,023 recipes. Both carry 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine, which smells earthy, pea. The science ↓

Lithuanian Potato Pudding I

Oven425 degrees, then 375 degrees

Ingredients

6 oz. thick cut bacon, cut into 1/8 inch pieces
6 lbs. Russet potatoes, peeled and finely grated
1 med. yellow onion, peeled and finely grated
1 (5 oz.) can evaporated milk
5 eggs, beaten
2 tsp. salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 tbsp. butter, melted

Directions

Prepare

Fry the bacon until crisp and set aside.
Run the grated potato and onion through a meat grinder on coarse.

Mix and bake

Add the bacon and the remaining ingredients, except the butter.
Mix well and pour into a 13x8x2 inch buttered glass baking dish.
Bake at 425 degrees for 1/2 hour, then reduce the heat to 375 degrees for 25 minutes or more.
For best results the pudding should be at least 2 inches deep in the pan.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

583Calories

23 gProtein

28 gFat

61 gCarbs

What these numbers assume: 8 portions

Ingredient	Portion assumed	kcal
Potato	1 medium (173g) baked	161
Milk	1 cup (244ml) whole	149
Butter	1 tbsp (14g)	102
Egg	1 large egg (50g)	78
Onion	1 medium (110g)	44
Bacon	1 slice cooked (8g)	43
Black Pepper	1 tsp ground (2.3g)	6
Salt	1 tsp (6g)	0

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Recipes Wiki (Fandom).

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

Potato + oniontop 3% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together9,023 recipes

Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
Potato + peppertop 9% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together8,305 recipes

Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
Onion + peppertop 11% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together68,474 recipes

Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
Potato + buttertop 13% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together6,456 recipes

Shared aroma: (z)-4-heptenal (biscuit, cream).
Onion + buttertop 15% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together42,912 recipes

Shared aroma: decanal (soap, orange peel).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Russet potatoes: Starch that becomes the bulk of the pudding and sets into a sliceable body as it bakes.
Eggs: Bind the grated potato into a custard-like mass that holds its shape when baked.
Evaporated milk: Adds moisture and richness, helping the pudding stay tender through baking.
Bacon: Adds salty, smoky fat that flavours the pudding and crisps in the baked surface.
Yellow onion: Adds aromatic sweetness and moisture that complements the potato.

The step that matters

Start hot, then reduce the heat. Grated potato is mostly water and starch. The high first bake sets the surface and browns it, and the lower heat then cooks the centre through without drying or scorching the edges.

Swap the onion

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (potato, evaporated milk, egg, pepper, butter):

Capsicumfits better
Chivefits about as well
Onionthe original
Spinachfits about as well

Fit is the average pairing score against potato, evaporated milk, egg, pepper, butter. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

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Lithuanian Potato Pudding I