The Best Lefse Recipe Ever

Today is lefse-making day in my family. This afternoon my kids and I will head over to my sister’s house, where she and my dad have already peeled enough potatoes for a triple batch of lefse for tomorrow’s Thanksgiving dinner.

In honor of the day, and just in time for Thanksgiving, I thought I’d include a recipe from Scandinavian-American chef Beatice Ojakangas’s blog, called “The Best Lefse Recipe Ever.” (Beatrice’s recipes were featured in Viking’s June food issue.) That’s no small claim—I happen to think my dad makes the best lefse ever! Note that Beatrice’s recipe is wonderfully large—it makes about 100 pieces! (Hmmm….could that be what makes it best?) The recipe looks very similar to my family’s recipe, affectionately called “Lena’s Lefse,” (named for Lena Trygestad, who lived near Bellingham, Minn.), although I see that Beatrice’s recipe calls for less flour than Lena used.

This Thanksgiving, I’m grateful to be carrying on this family culinary tradition of lefse making, while teaching the next generation. Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours. And may you find a plate of lefse on your holiday table!

Amy Boxrud is editor of Viking magazine. She lives with her family in Northfield, Minn., where she’s a member of Nordmarka 1-585.

Photo courtesy of Flickr user little blue hen.