Cheesy Mexican Latkes

Is it sacrilegious to have Mexican food on Chanukkah? It almost feels like it is, but my theory is that as long as it's fried it counts. I made a Mexican themed Chanukkah meal for some family that came over including a "make your own burrito" bar but the highlight to me were these latkes. Potatoes and cheese go SO well together that I do not know why it did not dawn on me sooner to combine the two. The cheese ( in this case cheddar and mozzarella) in the mixture sort of helps to form this crispy cheesy crust on the latke that remains crispy even after many hours and has that unbelievably delicious and addictive taste of baked, slightly well done cheese that I love- you know, like the cheese that falls of your pizza and gets a little done and almost tastes like a cheese cracker? The whole latke is a cheese (and potato) cracker. Trust me on this one, you are going to want to make them. To add to the Mexican theme I added some chopped jalapeno which you could leave out if you are not into heat and some chopped cilantro. I served them topped with guacamole, salsa, sour cream and more cheddar and we could not stop crunching away on them. There are still 4 days left to Chanukkah, plenty of time to add these to your menu! Enjoy!



6 medium potatoes, shredded ( I hand shredded which leaves you with less liquid- if using the food processor, strain out as much liquid as you can)
4 large eggs
1 small jalapeno, chopped finely
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/3 cup flour
1/3 cup oil
3/4 cup finely grated cheddar cheese
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
salt and pepper to taste
oil for frying
guacamole and sour cream for serving

Mix the potatoes, eggs, jalapeno, cilantro, flour, oil, cheeses and season with salt and pepper. Heat about an inch of oil in a frying pan until hot. Fry until crispy and flip over and crisp the other side. Drain on paper towels and serve.