Mashed Potato Casserole

Mashed Potato Casserole

from cooking.nytimes.com

This casserole may upset some mashed potato purists, but take heart: one bite and they'll be won over. The genius of this recipe, besides its utter deliciousness, is that it can be made the day before, or even two. Cook the potatoes, assemble the casserole, wrap tightly and store it in the refrigerator. When dinnertime comes, dust it with the cheese, butter and bread crumbs and bake the whole thing off. (And for everything you need to know to make perfect potatoes, visit our <a href="http://cooking.nytimes.com/guides/how-to-make-potatoes">potato guide.</a>)

Ingredients

  • 14 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, and more for the pan
  • 6 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
  • 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 1/2 cups sour cream
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 6 tablespoons finely chopped chives
  • 2/3 cup bread crumbs
  • 2/3 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Directions

  1. 1

    Lightly grease a 9-inch-by-13-inch baking pan.

  2. 2

    In a large pot, bring the potatoes, 4 quarts water and 2 tablespoons salt to a boil. Boil potatoes until fork tender, about 20 minutes. Drain.

  3. 3

    Mash potatoes with 10 tablespoons butter, sour cream, 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper. Mash in the chives. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary. Spread potatoes into the prepared pan. Cover and refrigerate for up to three days.

  4. 4

    In a small bowl, combine the remaining 4 tablespoons butter, bread crumbs and cheese. Mix together until it forms coarse crumbs. Crumbs can be refrigerated for three days.

  5. 5

    Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Sprinkle crumbs over the top of the potato casserole and bake until golden and crisp, 30 to 40 minutes.