Thanksgiving 2013

I wish I could tell you that you got to enjoy lots of yummy Thanksgiving dishes this year, but the truth is I just didn't have room for very much food! I think I made myself the smallest Thanksgiving plate I've ever had, but I somehow made some room for a family favorite: The Toomey Potato Leek Pie.

Your mommy's side of the family has made this dish for years, though it's evolved over time. We cut out the pie crust because we decided it was too carby. We were pretty pleased with that adjustment, but the dish as a whole was still a little too bland for your daddy. A couple of years ago, I figured out what needed to change. The pie needed some heat, and it needed some smokiness. Additionally, the pie wasn't so much a pie now that it didn't have a crust. I decided to add some cayenne pepper and some bacon crumbles, and I decided to cook it in a casserole dish rather than one or two pie dishes. I'm not really sure whether this makes it a casserole, a soufflé, or something else, but either way it's easier to serve!

The Toomey Potato Leek Pie (with italicized updates by Mommy!)

Ingredients

• 3-6 leeks
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 4 cups mashed potatoes (use whatever recipe you prefer; my recipe makes 4 cups with 2 pounds of Yukon golds)
• 2 cups large curd cottage cheese
• 2 large eggs
• 1 (8 oz.) container sour cream
• Cayenne pepper to taste (I used about 1.5 tablespoons. Seriously.)
• 1 wedge of parmesan cheese, divided
• 6-8 slices of bacon, cooked to a crisp, drained, and crumbled
• Paprika

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Trim the leeks to about 6 inches each. Cut into thin slices and rinse in a colander.
3. Saute in 1T butter until wilted. I usually have to do this in two batches in order to cook evenly.
4. Blend mashed potatoes through sour cream in food processor. Stir in leeks.
5. Pour into 9x13 corningware, or similar casserole dish of your choice.
6. Stir in cayenne pepper, to taste. Yes, I know I just told you to taste raw egg. Deal with it.
7. Stir in half of the parmesan cheese and the bacon.
8. Top the casserole (pie?) with remaining cheese and garnish liberally with paprika.
9. Bake at 350 for an hour until set.
10. Serve immediately, or cool completely and refrigerate. To reheat, bring to room temperature, then bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes. Freezes well.

We can't wait to teach you all about our Thanksgiving family traditions (and start some new ones!) in 2014!