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Rutabaga casserole, by Lisa Holm

1 lb rutabaga, peeled and cut into pieces
1/2 lb floury potatoes, peeled and cubed
Water for boiling
1 cup unbleached white flour
1 cup milk
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1/3 cup cream
1/3 cup molasses
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted
2 eggs lightly beaten
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ginger
Butter

Start making this the night before serving. Boil the rutabaga pieces and potatoes separately in small amounts of water until done. When soft, drain and reserve the cooking liquids. Mash the rutabaga and potatoes in a large bowl. Add the flour and about 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid. Put into a warm place, cover with a towel and let stand overnight to sweeten.

The next day soak the breadcrumbs in milk. Add them to the rutabaga/potato mixture. Add the cream, molasses, melted butter, eggs, salt, allspice, pepper, nutmeg and ginger. Mix well.

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Grease a 2 quart loaf pan and pour the mixture in. Flatten the surface. Sprinkle with bread crumbs and dot with a little butter. Bake 1 1/2 to 2 hours. The surface should be golden brown and the casserole will start coming loose from the sides of the dish.

Best with ham and pork dishes. Make a large amount and freeze.
Servings: 6 to 8

Note: I always use half & half instead of milk and cream. The sum total is the same. Also, I bake this in a 10,5 x 6.5 x 2.5 Pyrex pan. I don't have a loaf pan. It works just as well so use what you have available. And as I told you when we met I cut it to smaller, serving size pieces using something like a spatula or cake cutter to get the pieces out of the pan (the first piece gets messy) and rap them in wax paper and foil. Since this is a somewhat time consuming dish to make I make it in advance and reheat it. Just be sure to remove the wax paper before putting it in the oven. Enjoy!

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Lisa