December 7th: Golden Potato Casserole and Creamy Brussels Sprouts and Snap Peas

Wednesday night and it was time to buy and decorate our Christmas tree. Greg and Olivia did the decorating while I whipped up a fabulous meal.

First up: Golden Potato Casserole, an old favourite from December 2003's Chatelaine. For those of you who received a compilation of my favourite recipes for Christmas in 2003, this is in it. For the rest of you, I've included it below:


Golden Potato Casserole


6 large Yukon Gold potatoes
3 garlic cloves, peeled
6 green onions
2 cups (500 mL) sour cream (depending on size of potatoes, may not need full amount)
1 1/2 cups (375 mL) grated old Cheddar cheese, divided
1 tsp (5 mL) salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp (5 mL) paprika


Peel potatoes, then slice in half. Place potatoes and garlic in a large saucepan. Cover with water. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium. Boil gently, partially covered, until fork-tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly coat a 9x13-inch baking dish with butter.


Meanwhile, thinly slice green onions. Drain water from cooked potatoes and garlic. Return potatoes and garlic to pan. Mash, leaving lumps. Stir in green onions, sour cream, 1 cup cheese, salt and pepper to taste. Turn into prepared dish. Smooth top. Cover with remaining 1/2 cup cheese and sprinkle evenly with paprika. Bake, uncovered, in centre of preheated oven until cheese is melted and potatoes are hot, 30-40 minutes.


Makes 10 servings.


Although we've had this recipe around for years, I don't make it often. I’m thinking I need to do a cook off between this potato recipe and Cheddar Mashed Potatoes; I suspect the latter might win. Today’s recipe is really good, but super rich (a whole tub of sour cream may be too much!) and slightly on the salty side - so I've reduced the salt in the recipe above. It was well received by the fam.

To accompany, I made Creamy Brussels Sprouts and Snap Peas from December 2011's Chatelaine. One of my favourite things about December – and there are so many! – is that Brussels sprouts recipes abound. Everywhere you look, people are suggesting ways to eat one of my favourite vegetables. I can remember, even as a kid, loving Brussels sprouts (Mom, is this a figment of my imagination? I’m sure I did.). My kid definitely has my gene. Bypassing all the melted cheese-mashed potatoes on her plate, what she liked best were the Brussels sprouts. I’m so proud. Even though she commented on the sauce being spicy, she still ate them all and asked for more. She wouldn’t eat the sugar snap peas, which is ridiculous, because she loves them, but oh well.

This recipe is almost identical to an earlier one I like to make for Thanksgiving, but this one has a spicy kick to it and doubles the veggies with the inclusion of sugar snap peas. I made the full sauce recipe for only half the vegetables, so I’m not sure what it would be like if I cooked it according to the recipe proper, as we like our food super saucy. We used the extra sauce as gravy on our potatoes. I subbed 10% cream for the 35%, and will be doing that from now on. Rich enough. Oh yum. Other than the chicken broth in the Brussels sprouts sauce, this meal was vegetarian, but so rich and filling; it was completely satisfying.

And yes, not to fear, I plan to try out some more Brussels sprouts recipes as the month progresses; should I find something fantastic, I will be sure to share!

Olivia puts the crowning touch on the tree!