Baked Beet and Potato Cutlets with Yogurt Dill Dip

Technique

• After roasting your beets, don't throw away those stained fingers—rub them with half a lemon and a pinch of salt, then rinse. It lifts the stain like magic, and your hands will smell like a Polish summer.

Make Ahead

• The cutlet mixture refrigerates beautifully for up to two days. Just pull it out twenty minutes before shaping so the breadcrumbs soften and the mixture holds together without cracking. My babcia always said a patient cutlet is a happy cutlet.

Storage

• These freeze uncooked beautifully. Layer them between wax paper and freeze on the sheet until solid, then transfer to a bag. Bake straight from frozen at 400°F for 35 minutes—no thawing needed.

Substitution

• No sunflower oil? A good olive oil works, though it changes the flavor slightly. The real crime is using nothing at all—that brushing step is what gives you the crust that holds everything together.

Flavor Boost

• Before mixing the onions into the cutlets, sauté them slowly in butter until deeply golden and sweet. It takes ten extra minutes and turns a good cutlet into one your guests will be talking about for weeks.