At this point, it might not surprise you to know thatI love agood casserole.
A lineup of my favorite ingredients amassed into a sliceable savory cake of sortswhats not to like?
Monotony, thats what.
Its important to keep it interesting, and my latest finding does exactly that.
Give your casserole a makeover with an instant mashed potato crust.
For our purposes, theyre especially useful because we can control the moisture content.
Could you use homemade mashed potatoes?
Sure, but I would suggest leftovers over freshly-made, creamy mashed potatoes.
TheIdahoan mashed potatoesbox has a helpful little chart of serving-based measurements on the back.
Do not add the liquid measurements as instructed by the box.
Instead, boil some water and drizzle in a half a cup.
Using a rubber spatula, start mixing and mashing the flakes with the other ingredients.
If there are still clusters of dry flakes hanging around, add more water.
I used 1 cup of hot water for 1 1/3 cups of potato flakes.
Add grated parmesan cheese and mix it in.
This cheese is going to help bind the potato mixture once it cools.
Press the cheesy potato-doh into the casserole dish to make an even layer.
I pressed the mixture up the sides about half an inch to build up a slight wall.
The crust is ready for your casserole filling.
The potato layer will continue to bake and get a lovely browned bottom.
Let the casserole cool completely before slicing.
Its fluffy, yet substantial, without being gloppy.
Add any variety of dry spices or fresh herbs to the filling mixture to fit your fancy.
This keeps well-covered in the fridge for up to five days.
Butter a 7-by-9-inch casserole dish.
Mix in the parmesan cheese.
Press the mixture into the bottom of the casserole dish and slightly up the sides.
Bake 350F for 25-30 minutes, or until the edges begin to brown.
While waiting, prepare the filling.
Mix all of the filling ingredients together in a bowl.
(If your spinach is in brick-form, defrost it and break it apart first.)
Bake at 350F for about 35 minutes.
The edges should be puffed and set, and the center should no longer jiggle when shaken.
Cool completely before slicing.
