This dish combines two holiday favorites—mashed potatoes and green vegetables—for a fun twist on tradition! Green beans and broccoli pair perfectly with mashed potatoes. Enjoy as is or with Creamy Mushroom Gravy!
Mashed Potato Bake
- Total Time: 55 mins
- Yield: 8-10 1x
Ingredients
- Sauce:
- ½ cup water
- 2 ounces raw, unsalted cashews (about ½ cup)
- ¾ teaspoon granulated onion
- 1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning
- Potatoes:
- 3½ pounds white potatoes (about 5 large russets), peeled and cut into ¾-inch chunks (about 8 cups)
- ¾ teaspoon granulated garlic
- Vegetables:
- 3 cups green beans cut into small pieces (see photo below)
- 4 cups broccoli florets
Instructions
- Place all of sauce ingredients, except for the Italian seasoning, into a small blender, and set aside. Preheat the oven to 400°F, and set out a 3-quart casserole dish.
- Place the potatoes into a pot and cover with water. Stir in the granulated garlic. Bring to a boil on high heat, and cook until tender and soft, 8 to 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the cooked potatoes to a glass or metal mixing bowl, reserving the cooking water in the pot.
- Bring 8 cups of water to a boil in a separate pot. Once boiling, add the green beans and broccoli, and cook until both are tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain and set aside.
- Blend the sauce ingredients until very smooth, then stir in the Italian seasoning (don’t blend it). Pour this into the bowl of potatoes.
- Blend the potato-sauce mixture with an electric hand mixer (or handheld potato masher), adding 1 to 2 cups of the cooking water gradually until a smooth and fluffy texture is reached.
- Fold the cooked green beans and broccoli into the potatoes before spooning into the casserole dish; smooth the top (see photo below). Bake for 20 to 25 minutes uncovered, until edges begin to brown. Serve immediately (or leave in oven on “warm” until ready to serve). Optional: Serve with Creamy Mushroom Gravy.
Notes
Potatoes: I prefer russet potatoes for this dish, to keep it light and fluffy; but feel free to use other white potatoes, which may result in a firmer final texture.
Flavor: I've kept the herbs and spices simple for this dish, but feel free to add in any that you like. And likewise, feel free to experiment with the vegetables used.
- Prep Time: 30 mins
- Cook Time: 25 mins
Above: Cut the broccoli into small florets and the green beans into 1-inch lengths.
Above: Russet potatoes, peeled and cut into about ¾-inch chunks, ready to be covered with water and boiled.
Above: Add a dusting of nuts to the top upon removing from the oven (use a rotary cheese grater with any kind of nut; I have used cashews here).
Above: The inside of this hearty casserole, yum!
I made this for dinner today, it’s delicious. I added a little nutritional yeast.
Thanks for being the first comment, Carol! I'm so glad you liked it! 😉
Oh my gosh!! This casserole is soooo good! I will be making this on a regular basis. Thank you Cathy for such a great recipe!
For my less-excited-about-veggies family ;)... do you think this would work well without the veggies? Thanks!
Sure! 🙂
Hi, I'm trying to avoid nuts because of their fat so I'm wondering what you would think about using white beans or perhaps cauliflower in place of the cashews.
I would just leave them out, as their only function is to add fat/richness. White beans or cauliflower won't be adding any richness, so I don't think they need to be added. 🙂
Would you then not bother with the water if leaving out the nuts?
Yes, you can leave the water out. 🙂
I am not a fan of green beans. Would you suggest increasing the amount of broccoli or replacing with an alternate vegetable?
Any of the above, or just leave them out. 🙂
Would frozen veggies work in this recipe? Thanks
Sure. 🙂
This looks delicious. I can't wait to try it!
Would you consider this a main meal or side? Looks delish!
It can be either I suppose. If it's a main, serve a larger serving. 😉
Made this for dinner tonight! Hard to go wrong with mashed potato anything! It was good and a hit with the family. Since it was the only thing for dinner, doubt we will get 8 servings though. Thanks!
I’m thinking of making this to take for Thanksgiving meal. Do you think I could prep everything the day before and then just bake the casserole when I get to family’s house Thanksgiving Day?
Yes. I would however let it sit out of the fridge for 15 to 20 minutes before baking so it's not so cold when it goes into the oven. 🙂
Thanks so much for your quick reply! Looking forward to trying the recipe and will let you know how it goes!
Instead of using the gravy, do you think I could substitute a good Irish whiskey?
HAHa.....just kidding. This looks great, can't wait to serve it to my leprechaun friends, if there is any left after I'm done with it!