Horseradish Mashed Sweet Potato Pie

I should start this one off by saying this was the first time I had ever cooked with horseradish anything. Isn't that a fun word, horseradish.  Who comes up with these things? And did that same person also create Worcestershire sauce? Fun words. My husband likes to say Worcestershire with an English accent. It makes me laugh every time. 

Back to the white, spicy, yummy sauce. While I have never cooked with it personally I do have lots of memories with it. Food memories are the best.....As a small child, I remember my grandfather using horseradish to dip beef into. He also secretly mixed some in a spoon full of similarly colored mashed potatoes to surpise us grandchildren. It is a vivid, fun memory. As a young adult, working in high school, I remember serving horseradish next to prime rib at parties and catered events at the local hotel. Later as an adult, I worked in a deli and fell in love with horseradish cheddar cheese. That cheese can make a turkey sandwich the best thing you have ever eaten, and can turn a roast beef sandwich into something magical.  

This dish is perfect Sunday comfort food. I just didn't wait for Sunday. My dad is flying in and I didn't want to experiment on him! I am a good daughter....... well most of the time. 

Look at these fluffy creamy mashed potatoes. I am serious. It is delicious. By the way, this Rachael Ray recipe that I tweaked, says its serves 4 but really serves 6! I have beaucoup leftovers, which isn't a bad thing, but it is a surprise. This recipe isn't the time saver I usually post about, but the flavors and all the chopping is well worth your effort. Trust me. I had to fight the temptation to lick my bowl out!  Here's a link to the original recipe in case you want just want just regular plain mashed potatoes. Personally the sweetness goes with the horseradish perfectly. It's like that unexpected couple that you see out at the store... how did she end up with him? Yes in this dish,  the horseradish sauces marries the sweet potato and they live happily ever after. Okay I need help. Way too many kiddo stories lately. I am thinking in fairy tales. 

The recipe:

   Ingredient list:   
1 large sweet potato, peeled & diced
3 baking russet potatoes, peeled & diced
2 carrots, peeled & diced
1/2 onion, diced 
3 parsnips, peeled & diced
1 rutabaga, peeled & diced
1 tsp + 1/2 tsp + 1/2 tsp salt, divided
1/4 tsp pepper
1 lb of ground beef
1 Tbs half and half or heavy cream
1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth/stock
1 1/2 cups of low sodium beef broth/stock
1 1/2 Tbs prepared horseradish sauce
butter (for prepping the baking casserole dish)
2 Tbs olive oil (eye ball it) 
2 Tbs flour
1 large bay leaf
1 Tbs Worcestershire sauce 
1 large egg
2-3 Tbs of chopped fresh chives

Directions

1. Chop all the veggies into like size cubes

2. Put the diced potatoes and sweet potato into a big pot with cold water. Bring it to a boil with 1/2 tsp salt.


3. Meanwhile put the small diced onion, carrots, parsnips, and rutabaga in a large a very large or deep skillet with the olive oil, 1 tsp salt, a bay leaf, and pepper. Cook over medium heat for  8 - 10 minutes. Think tender crisp. 

4. Once potatoes come to a boil, reduce heat, simmer for approx 10-15 minutes until fork tender. Drain the potatoes and return back to the pot. 

5. To the drained potatoes add in the chicken broth and cream. Mash until smooth. Taste. Then adjust seasonings (add more salt or pepper or leave it). 

6. In a separate bowl, lightly whisk 1 egg with a fork. Pour this and the horseradish sauce into the mashed potatoes and stir until well combined. Set aside. 

7. While waiting for the veggies to saute in the olive oil, pull the beef out of the fridge and let it come to room temp, and preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Butter up a large baking dish and pull out of cookie sheet/baking sheet to go underneath it. 

8. Once the veggies start looking tender add the beef to the pan and cook until all the pink is gone. Stir and break up large pieces often. 

9. After the meat has cooked for approx 10 minutes or whenever it stopped looking pink. Sprinkle in the flour over the top and stir and continue cooking for 1 minute. You don't want to taste the flour. It needs to cook out. Don't skip this tedious step because it will thicken your sauce. 

10. Add the beef broth to the skillet and let it cook for approx 2 minutes. Mine took 2 minutes exactly to thicken. Stir the entire time. You want to get all those bits of yummy veg and meat off the bottom of your skillet. 

11. Dig out the bay leaf. Taste it. If it needs more salt or pepper add it here. Mine needed 1/2 tsp salt. Pour the skillet mixture into the prepared large casserole dish. I used 7" x 11" but it bubbled over. Next time use something bigger.

Great color, amazing rich thick gravy, great texture since we didn't boil the veggies to mush, nice chunks of beef
I could've eaten this with a spoon and called it a day!  

12. Top the baking dish with the reserved sweet potato mixture. Bake for 10- 12 minutes or until golden and browned bits cover the top.

13. Sprinkled chives or parsley over the top for color and freshness.  

After watching the Hobbit in 3d with my hubby, I felt the need to be adventurous, and try a new food or sauce. This dish being a result from a movie? If that is true, I need to watch more adventure epic flicks! This was a great dish I hope you try and like it. It certainly has enough veggies it in to make up for any pizza or busy weekend and start the week off right. Besides if you make it on Sunday, you will have AMAZING leftovers for Monday at lunch.

Cheers to healthy yummy food

From my kitchen to yours