Like many traditional holiday dishes, latkes can inspire heated controversy. Grate the potatoes by hand or by machine? Peel them first, or simply scrub? Applesauce or sour cream? The debates rage on.

Traditionalists often insist that hand-grating the potato is essential for a perfect pancake—though they often change their minds, knuckles bleeding, about halfway through a 10-pound bag of russets. Some cooks opt for only a whisper of onion in the mix, others favor a potent ratio of nearly 50-50. Some get wild and throw in a little shredded carrot. As for applesauce versus sour cream, it’s easy enough to serve both—then watch in amusement as your guests argue about it. And they will.

Amidst all this discord, one point is indisputable: there’s no substitute for a freshly fried latke. Reheating simply can’t restore the exquisitely crisp, toasty exterior and tender fluffy inside of a potato pancake fresh from the pan.

That said, standing over a stove frying latkes is hard, hot, messy work – and no way to spend a party. If you want to spare yourself the hassle, fry your goodies in advance, cool briefly and freeze them immediately on baking sheets in a single layer, well wrapped. Reheat the latkes at 425 degrees straight from the freezer, and drain them for a moment on paper towels before serving. They won’t be perfect, but how bad can fried potatoes really be?

Yes, there’s a risk your guests will argue fry-and-freeze is sacrilege. But face it, with latkes around, they’d surely be arguing anyway.

Beyond Wonderful Potato Latkes recipe.