No one knows where the recipe came from — it’s not in any of the handwritten recipe books my grandmother passed down and she never talked about its provenance. (I wish I had thought to ask, way back when.) However she came up with it, the dish is now firmly a part of our family ritual, and one I am happy to share with you here.
This version captures the essence of my grandmother’s version, but with a few enhancements from me. It starts, as she had made it, with boiling and mashing potatoes with olive oil and broth. But I thought it would be nice to add some cauliflower to the mash, too, for another layer of flavor and lighter texture. The cauliflower cooks in the same pot, and at the same time, as the potatoes, so it is no extra effort. I add a handful of garlic cloves to the pot, too, which become soft and mellow with cooking and add a deep savoriness to the mash. And I keep the skins on the potatoes for three reasons: I like the texture they add, it saves the trouble of peeling them, and it retains valuable fiber and nutrients. (But feel free to peel them if you prefer.)
Half of the rich, garlic-infused mash is layered into a casserole dish, then that is topped with chopped spinach that has been sautéed with onion, salt and pepper. The remaining potato mixture is smoothed on top of that, and then sprinkled with either matzoh meal (for Passover) or breadcrumbs (for any other occasion), which have been tossed with a bit of oil.
The casserole bakes until it’s crisp and browned on top and steaming-hot. A creamy, savory scoop of it is heavenly with that holiday brisket and gravy, but this casserole is also right at home as a side with a simple roasted chicken, which means you don’t have to wait for a special occasion to make it.
