Butternut Squash and Potato Cakes

This one is good for both breakfast and dinner. In fact, we had it for both in the same day! This is rough and crunchy and smooth and tasty and works well with eggs as well as broccoli and salmon. The roasting of the potatoes and squash prior to mashing them gives a lot of texture and taste – potato skins and all – and don’t be afraid of some crunchy browning…

For about 4×4″ cakes you’ll need x5 or 6 medium sized potatoes (sliced in half lengthwise), 1/2 butternut squash (peeled and chopped into 1″ pieces), 1/4 cup heavy cream, 1/4 cup grated cheddar (or parmesan, monterey jack, or some combination of all of the above), 1 egg, 1 tsp lemon juice, salt, pepper, olive oil and 1 Tspn unsalted butter.

Preheat the oven to 425. Combine the halved potatoes and cubed squash in a medium bowl with a splash of olive oil and a few grinds of both salt and pepper. Toss well to coat all. Spread evenly on a well-oiled, lined baking sheet making sure the potato halves are face down on the tray. Roast in the oven until browned – about 20-30 mins.

Combine cream, egg, cheese, lemon juice and a good grind or two of salt and pepper with a fork until smooth.

Once the squash and potatoes are browned and soft (i.e. a fork goes in easily) remove from the oven and place into a large bowl. Mash well with a potato masher – keeping the skins on the potatoes to give texture – until rough but smooth.

Add the cream/cheese mixture to the potatoes making a chunky but smooth mash – more fluid than mashed potatoes but able to hold together in a loose ball.

Heat 2 Tbsp olive oil and 1 Tbsp butter in a skillet over medium heat. With a large spoon, “dollop” in a 2-3″ ball of mash mixture, pressing down gently into a “cake.” Cook on one side until brown, about 8-10 mins. Carefully (as they will still be a bit soft until you cook the other side) turn the cakes over the cook the other side until browned – another 8-10 mins. If needed for firmness, place them in the heated oven for a few minutes at 375 degrees.

Serve with eggs for breakfast or as a potato side dish for dinner.

Yum!