Jim Dixon wrote about food for WW for more than 20 years, but these days most of his time is spent at his olive oil-focused specialty food business Wellspent Market. Jim’s always loved to eat, and he encourages his customers to cook by sending them recipes every week through his newsletter. We’re happy to have him back creating some special dishes just for WW readers.

While latkes usually signal that Hanukkah has arrived, the crispy potato pancakes make great eating any time of year. I’ve written about how I discovered latkes before, so won’t rehash that story (read it, along with a basic recipe, here), but once I cracked the latke code I started tweaking the ingredients for versions sure to offend traditionalists.

These push the classic Eastern European dish toward the borderland, where American supermarket ingredients combined with traditional food ways led to the yellow cheese- and chili powder-heavy cuisine we call Tex-Mex.

Tex-Mex Latkes

2 medium potatoes (Russets or yellow potatoes work best)

2 eggs

1-2 shallots, finely chopped (about 1/4 cup)

1 jalapeño, finely chopped (remove seeds and white pith for less heat)

2-3 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, grated

3-4 sprigs cilantro, stems included, finely chopped (optional)

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon chile powder

1/4 cup crushed tortilla chips (about 10-12 chips)

2 tablespoons flour, plus more as needed

1 teaspoon salt

Extra-virgin olive oil for frying

Ketchup for serving (or salsa)

Use a box grater to grate the potatoes directly into a large mixing bowl. (Or grate with a food processor, then transfer to a bowl.) Push the grated spuds to one side of the bowl, grab a small handful, hold it over the sink and squeeze as much liquid out as possible, then return it to the empty side of the bowl. Repeat until you’ve squeezed all the grated potato. Mix in eggs, shallots, jalapeño, cheese, cilantro, spices, crushed chips, flour and salt.

Heat a skillet over medium-high and add enough olive oil to cover the bottom about 1/8-inch deep. Use a spoon to gently drop about 1/4 cup of the mixture into the skillet and form roughly 3-inch wide circular pancakes. Cook a few at a time but don’t crowd the pan. After about 3 minutes, gently flip them over and brown the other side. When brown and crispy on both sides, remove and keep warm in an oven on low while cooking the rest (you may need to add oil). Serve hot with ketchup or salsa.