Fumbling Toward Culinary Talent: Mashed Potato Spinach Casserole

Since I grew my own spinach this spring, I had a hankering for more although I used frozen spinach for this recipe. And Mrs. Nasty likes her some potatoes. So here comes the compromise.

Ingredients:

12 medium Yukon Gold potatoes (yellow potatoes), peel and quartered

2 thawed packages (10 oz.) of chopped spinach

1 1/2 cups of sour cream

1/4 butter, cubed

2-4 tablespoons of chopped flat leaf parsley

2-4 tablespoons of chopped chives

6 green onions chopped roughly, just the whites

3 cloves of garlic minced

2 cups of shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

Put the potatoes in a large saucepan and cover them with water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and cook for approximately 15-20 minutes. Some time during that time squeeze out the water from the spinach. Drain the potatoes, mash 'em, and combine them with the spinach, sour cream, butter, herbs, and seasonings in a large bowl. Transfer the stuff to a large, greased casserole dish and sprinkle the top with the shredded cheese. Bake at 400 for 20-30 minutes.

Mrs. Nasty is a big fan of the dish, and I don't mind it. I think it needs a little something extra--maybe smoked paprika, roasted garlic instead of chopped, fresh spinach instead of frozen, bell peppers, something. We'll get to the bottom of this eventually, what this casserole needs.