Skip to main content
Epicurious
Gourmet

Potatoes with Cheese Sauce (Papas a la Huancaína)

4.3

(5)

Image may contain Plant Food Meal and Dish
Photo by Marcus Nilsson

Potatoes are a cornerstone of the Peruvian diet, and for good reason: They have been cultivated in the Andes for more than 8,000 years, and the country boasts a whopping 3,000 varieties of the tuber, which comes in a myriad of shapes, colors, and sizes. In the regional capital of Huancayo, creamy, gently spiced cheese sauce is usually poured over the potatoes or served as a dip. To really highlight the potatoes (purple-fleshed ones look especially dramatic), we serve them over the sauce, with accompaniments of lime and meaty olives.

Cooks' Note

Potatoes and sauce can be prepared 1 day ahead and chilled separately. Bring to room temperature before serving (sauce will be very thick; stir and thin with additional milk if desired).

See Related Recipes and Cooking Tips

Read More
Béchamel Sauce
This classic 15-minute sauce is your secret weapon for homemade mac and cheese, chowder, lasagna, and more.
Caramelized Onion Pasta
Turn humble onions into this thrifty yet luxe pasta dinner.
Butternut Squash–Kale Salad With Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette
Round out these autumn greens with tart pomegranate seeds, crunchy pepitas, and a shower of Parmesan.
Crème Anglaise
The silky French vanilla sauce that goes with everything.
Our Favorite French Onion Soup
Caramelized onions, melty Gruyère, and a deeply savory broth deliver the kind of comfort that doesn’t need improving.
Mascarpone Cheesecake
An extra-silky filling (no water bath needed!) and a smooth sour cream topping make this the ultimate cheesecake.
Vodka Gochujang Pasta
This pasta has some really big energy about it. It’s so extra, it’s the type of thing you should be eating in your bikini while drinking a magnum of rosé, not in Hebden Bridge (or wherever you live), but on a beach on Mykonos.
Okonomiyaki Tater Tots
Crispy tots topped with savory-sweet sauce, mayonnaise, furikake, scallion, and katsuobushi.