Potato and Cheese Purée with Horseradish Cream

This is a dish of potatoes worthy of a holiday table. It is a rich and savory dish full of compelling flavors. The potatoes are cooked, riced, and then whipped with the usuals like butter and milk. Ah, but then comes the Gruyère cheese. Mmmm–cheesy potatoes. If that wasn’t enough, the heavy cream is whipped and flavored with a bit of horseradish, then spread on top of the potatoes. Then the entire dish is brûléed under the broiler.

It’s hard to see from the photos how creamy and cheesy these potatoes are (I had a hungry crowd to feed on Sunday night, so I was pressed for photo time). Rest assured, these will put a whole new spin on the classic comfort food of mashed potatoes. I know a slice of holiday roast would love to have these as company on a plate.

*Note– The original recipe served 6?! Well, we can only get through half for the 5 of us, so I say it serves 8-10. With all the richness, you may want to scale back on the portions for everyone a bit, too.

Potato and Cheese Purée with Horseradish Cream

By Nicole Prep: 15 minsCook: 40 minsTotal: 55 mins Servings: 8 These smooth, creamy, and cheesy mashed potatoes deliver an exhilarating hit of a bruléed horseradish cream on top. They are perfectly paired with holiday roasts!

Equipment

• Potato ricer

Ingredients 

• 6 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, 2 pounds total, peeled and quartered
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1 ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, divided
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• ¾ cup whole milk
• ¾ pound Gruyère cheese, grated (about 5 cups)
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ⅔ cup very cold heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons bottled horseradish

Instructions 

1. In a large pot, cover the potatoes with 1-inch of water and add 1 tablespoon of kosher salt. Bring to a boil; reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until the potatoes can easily be pierced with a sharp knife, about 18-20 minutes. Drain.
2. Meanwhile, mince the garlic and mash to a paste with 1 teaspoon of the salt, using the side of a large knife. Force the potatoes through a ricer into a cleaned saucepan. Add the butter, garlic paste, and milk, and heat over moderately low heat, stirring vigorously with a wooden spoon. Add the cheese and pepper and cook, stirring vigorously, until the cheese is melted and the purée is smooth, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat.
3. Preheat the broiler. Butter a 2-quart capacity baking dish. Transfer the potato mixture to the baking dish, smoothing the top. With a whisk or hand-held mixer, beat the cream until it holds soft peaks. Beat in horseradish and the remaining ¼ teaspoon of salt. Spread the cream over the potato mixture. Broil 4 to 5 inches from the heat, rotating the gratin if it isn't browning evenly, for 1 to 2 minutes. Enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 386kcal, Carbohydrates: 23g, Protein: 16g, Fat: 26g, Saturated Fat: 16g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 7g, Trans Fat: 0.2g, Cholesterol: 83mg, Sodium: 704mg, Potassium: 583mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 866IU, Vitamin C: 24mg, Calcium: 491mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.