Kartoffelkloesse..Don't worry I can't pronounce it either. So lets just call it potato dumpl

 German potato dumplings, you're going to get your hands messy but its so worth it! You know i'm not about a long story so lets jump right in. You are going to need:

2 eggs

1 cup flour

2 large russet potatoes

Chives (Just for garnish)

1 stick unsalted butter (Or 1/2 cup if you are crazy enough not to keep stick butter around)

2 cups fresh bread cubes (Any type of loaf bread will work. I used a loaf of mountain bread)

Kosher salt

Pepper

Nutmeg (ground or freshly grated)

Tony Chachere's (Ok look, this is a German recipe and I know you're saying yeahhhhh that can't be legit. And its not, but I'm from New Orleans and I put it in everything. So you could leave it out...but I wouldn't! It really added a nice twist to the dish)

The first step is to bake your potatoes in a 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes. They need to be just tender, as soon as you can stick a knife in with little to no resistance they are good to go.

While those bake you can start on your homemade croutons. These are going to go right in the center of your dumplings to add some texture, and will also be crumbled over the top. So take your bread and cut it into cubes. The size doesn't really matter too much, as long as you keep things even. I kept mine a bit large since they will get smaller when they cook. Any type of loaf bread will work, I picked up some mountain bread from the grocery store and it worked great. *Side note, I have no freaking clue what mountain bread is* 

​​SMLXL

 Next melt one stick of butter in a pan over medium heat. Once melted go ahead and add the bread cubes. Keep the heat on medium, and stir while cooking. You want to let them get nice and crispy. But once they are crisp make sure to take them off the heat. You want crisp not burned. 

 After the croutons have cooled off a bit and are ready to handle you can separate half and

crumble them. Those will be used for topping the dumplings. Set your whole and crumbled croutons aside and now you can get to work on the potatoes. And do not get rid of that browned butter from making the croutons. When your dumplings are all finished make sure to pour some of that delicious browned butter over top of them. It is going to add some great flavor. 

 Next up its time to peel your potatoes and place them in a large mixing bowl. Then you can get to mashing. Don't worry about getting them perfectly smooth. Leaving some unmashed (Is that a word?) pieces will add to the texture of the finished dumpling. Just try not to let those stay too large or you will have trouble rolling them into shape. 

 Once those are nice and mashed its time to season. Add your kosher salt, pepper, nutmeg and Tony's to your hearts content. (Which means as usual I didn't measure anything at all. I just added, stirred and tasted until it felt right. I will say be a light with the nutmeg, a little will go a long way.) Once seasoned to your liking add in your two eggs and get everything all mixed up. Finally you can add in the flour. Now its time to get your hands dirty! Mixing the flour in with your hands is going to be the best way to make sure everything is combined, without over working the flour. If the flour becomes over worked, you could end up with some really rubbery dumplings and nobody wants that. When you are finished the mixture should look something like this.

 **Before you start shaping the dumplings get some salted water boiling. Make sure the water is well salted. Once you reach a boil move the heat down to medium/low. You want to keep things at a simmer and not a rolling boil**

Keeping your fingers damp, you will want to roll one large spoonful into a ball shape. Then making an indention into the center add in about 2 or 3 of your croutons. This is going to add some really nice texture to the dumplings. Make sure that all your dumplings are rolled smooth with no openings or gaps. If there are too many cracks you risk them busting open while cooking. 

 Once formed carefully lower the dumplings into your simmering water. Depending on how big your pot is, you made need to cook these in batches. You want to make sure you do not crowd them. The dumplings should not be touching. You don't want to risk them sticking together. Cover your pot and let these bad boys simmer about 20 minutes. *You will want to give them a flip about halfway through to make sure they cook evenly*

Next remove the dumplings from the water with a slotted spoon and place them on a serving dish. Top  with browned butter, crunched croutons and some fresh chives. And all that's left is to eat! You probably can't pronounce their name, but you sure as hell can enjoy them!