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 ↓
Stuffed Franks and Taters
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Preheat oven to 400.
In a large bowl, combine the hash brown potatoes, cream of celery soup, 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese, sour cream, 1/2 can French Fried onions, salt, and pepper.
Spread the potato mixture in a 9x13 baking dish.
Split the frankfurters lengthwise almost in half.
Arrange the frankfurters, split side up, along the center of the casserole.
Bake and finish
Bake uncovered for 30 minutes or until heated through.
Fill the frankfurters with the remaining cheese and onions.
Bake uncovered for 1-3 minutes or until the onions are golden brown.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 8 of 10 ingredients. The other 2 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 8 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Potato | 1 medium (173g) baked | 161 |
| Cheddar Cheese | 1 oz (28g) | 113 |
| Yogurt | 170g plain Greek | 100 |
| Cream | 1 tbsp (15ml) heavy | 51 |
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Celery | 1 stalk (40g) | 6 |
| Black Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
| Soup | not in our table | 0 |
| Frankfurter | not in our table | 0 |
One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.
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 pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together9,023 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Celery + peppertop 5% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together16,012 recipes
Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
-
Potato + celerytop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together2,047 recipes
Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
-
Celery + oniontop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together18,518 recipes
Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).
-
Potato + cheddar cheesetop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together932 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Hash brown potatoes
- Form the bulk of the casserole and soak up the creamy sauce as it bakes.
- Cream of celery soup
- Provides moisture and a creamy base that binds the potatoes together.
- Sour cream
- Adds tang and richness, keeping the mixture moist and creamy.
- Cheddar cheese
- Melts into the potatoes and filling, adding savory flavor and a rich texture.
- Frankfurters
- Provide the main protein and savory flavor, heating through in the casserole.
- French fried onions
- Add a crisp, golden topping and a toasty, savory aroma when browned.
The step that matters
Bake the filled frankfurters until the onions are golden brown. The onions go from golden to dark quickly in the final minutes. Watching closely keeps them crisp and toasty rather than burnt and bitter.
Swap the celery
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (potato, cream, cheddar cheese, onion, pepper):
- Garlicfits better
- Celerythe original
- Parsleyfits about as well
- Thymefits about as well
Fit is the average pairing score against potato, cream, cheddar cheese, onion, pepper. 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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