Sometime last week, while I was on the phone with my mom, she said, "Just a second, there's a recipe I want to read to you." Pulling out an ancient pumpkin cookbook, she proceeded to narrate a recipe that consisted of pumpkin, potato, cheese and egg, all mashed together and baked in a casserole dish. It sounded yummy, but a little plain, and so I tucked it into the back of my mind to let it hang out for a couple of days.
Then Friday rolled around and I needed a recipe that would be delicious, seasonal and just ever-so-slightly impressive because it would be my offering at the first-ever Philly food blogger potluck. I called my mom for the exact recipe to use as inspiration and then went my own way with the dish. The final product was amazingly good, full of acorn and butternut squashes, yukon gold potatoes, gruyere, parmesan, sage and nutmeg. It was something of a hit with the food bloggers and by the end of the night there was only a little bit left in the far corner of the pan. If you're looking for something new for your Thanksgiving table, this would be an excellent way to go. Potato and Pumpkin Bake
2 pounds of potatoes, peeled and quartered (I used Yukon Golds, but you can use any good masher)
2 pounds of squash (pumpkin, acorn, butternut or delicata would all work. I used a combo of roasted butternut squash and cubed acorn that I boiled with the potatoes)
1 1/2 cups shredded gruyere
1/2 cup shredded parmesan
4 tablespoons butter
3 eggs, beaten
3-4 minced sage leaves
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg (freshly grated is always better)
Salt and pepper
Bring a large pot of water to boil and cook the potatoes and squash until soft. While they are cooking, grate your cheese and toss together. Reserve 1/2 cup for sprinkling over the top. Drain, making sure to reserve one cup of the cooking water in case you need some extra liquid. Return potatoes and squash to pot and mash. Add butter and 1 1/2 cups cheese and mash some more. Add seasonings, stir and taste. Adjust seasoning if necessary. When you like how it tastes, stir in the beaten eggs (it's better to do your tasting before the raw eggs are added). Pour into a baking dish and top with the remaining cheese. Bake at 350 degrees until the top is browned and the casserole bubbles. Serve as soon as possible, because it is best warm.
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