baked mashed potato casserole

Our garden is no more. I visited it last weekend only to find everything shriveled and dying. Our little beans & brussel sprouts and assorted fall squashes couldn't withstand the wind and rainstorms of the previous week. Our beautiful eggplant (that had 5 eggplants on it in various stages of growth) was blown over and laying limply in a mud puddle. We were able to harvest a few beans (& they were delicious, see picture below) and fall squashes, but sadly the brussel sprouts didn't make it. Fortunately we harvested all the potatoes a week earlier and were able to use them in a variety of dishes such as this one! We have a wonderful experience gardening this past summer and look forward to expanding our garden next year!


We made dinner for our friends last week and this was a delicious side dish to add to the lentil loaf we made.

Baked Mashed Potato Casserole

4 medium russet or red potatoes, cut into quarters
2 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 to 4 tablespoons milk
1 small onion, finely chopped (we used leeks)
1 large stalk celery, finely chopped (we used carrots)
1/2 cup red pepper, finely choppedsea salt to tastewhite pepper to taste
2 tablespoons freshly grated Fulvi Romano Cheese (optional)
paprika to garnish

Cook the potatoes in boiling salted water until tender, about 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 450°F.

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat in a skillet. Sauté the onions, celery and red pepper for 7 minutes, or until tender, stirring often. Set aside.

When the potatoes are done, drain them well and return to the cooking pot. Add the butter and the milk. Mash together well. Add the sautéed vegetables. Season the mixture to taste with sea salt and white pepper.

Spread the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in an 8x8 or 9x9 casserole dish. Spoon mashed potatoes into the dish and sprinkle with grated Romano cheese and paprika. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

recipe courtesy of thedailygreen.com