Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Potato, Beet, and Wild Mushroom Casserole

I made this gorgeous Casserole last week when it was damp and gloomy and we were in need of some hearty sustenance.
It is totally genius. You spoon (piping would be so pretty!) the mashed potatoes around the outer rim of the casserole dish, fill the center with this creamy onion, beet, horseradish, shallot deliciousness, and then  pile these nutty wild mushrooms and parsley on top. Then the whole thing bakes and magical scents dance throughout your house. Everything is already technically "cooked" so no one could stop you from say, sampling a few bites here and there, as it finishes. Not that I did.

I've been dying to make this for years because of the scrumptious photo in one of my oldest cookbooks (yes, years. This came from a cookbook that's been one of my favorites for over five years) and I am so glad I finally did because for all of the steps it was surprisingly simple. I was waiting for... A special event? Fall weekend with hours to spare?  Who knows. We celebrated an average early spring night with panache and savored every minute of it. We were joined by a heaping bowl of herbes de Provence vegetables.
The best part is that the extra bit of oven time crisps the potatoes up a little so the whole dish turns into some kind of giant and decadent potato skin.... especially if when re-heating the left overs, you happen to leave it in for too long. Even the mushrooms took on a bit of extra depth. This picture does not at all do the dish justice but I should point out that this is the serving dish after we went back for a third "last little bit" during the first night we ate it. Seriously good.
I'm beat but promise to post the recipe if not tomorrow, for sure over the weekend. xN

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