Weekend Cooking: Party Potatoes

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It's hard to believe, but this is the third Saturday in a row I've been either out of town or busy, busy. First I was in New York for BookExpo America, then I was in Ohio for my niece's high school graduation, and today we have a neighborhood graduation party followed by the village's annual strawberry festival. As a consequence of all that traveling and partying, I haven't been spending much time in the kitchen.

On the other hand, the celebration meals have me thinking about some of my favorite dishes to serve for informal gatherings. One of my go-to party cookbooks is the Toledo Museum of Art's Art Fare.

A couple of years ago, I shared a carrot recipe from Art Fare, which I hope you've tried. It's a dish that appears on my New Year's Eve menu every year, and even the vegetable haters seem to love it. The recipes in Art Fare come from museum supporters, including restaurant chefs, caterers, and home cooks. The foods reflect the diverse ethnic community of northern Ohio and southern Michigan, and each recipe was, as the cover copy says, triple tested to guarantee success.The cookbook, which won the Tabasco Community Cookbook Award in 2001, is available from the museum's gift shop.

Although my mom and I made a green bean recipe from Art Fare last weekend (and there wasn't even one bean left over!), I want to give you a different recipe because it's one of my standbys and it's always a big hit.

My friends often request that I make these potatoes when I ask, What can I bring? I love that the dish can be made the day before and then heated up when my guests arrive. If I'm taking this to a pot luck, I just wrap it up well, so it stays hot during transport.

Party Potatoes
Serves 10

• 8 large baking potatoes, peeled
• ¾ cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• ¼ teaspoon pepper, or to taste
• Milk
• 2 (10-ounce) packages frozen chopped spinach
• ½ cup (1 stick) butter, softened
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
• 2 tablespoons chopped green onions
• ½ teaspoon dried dillweed
• 1½ cups shredded Cheddar cheese

Combine the potatoes with enough water to cover in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Boil until tender but firm; drain. Peel the potatoes. Mash the potatoes in a bowl. Stir in the sour cream, salt, sugar, and pepper, adding milk as needed for a fluffy consistency.

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Cook the spinach using package directions; drain. Press the excess moisture from the spinach. Combine the potatoes, spinach, butter, chives, green onions, and dill in a bowl and mix well. Spoon into a buttered 9 × 13-inch baking dish. Sprinkle with the cheese.

Bake for 20 minutes or until brown and bubbly.

Note: May prepare up to 1 day in advance and store, covered in the refrigerator. Reheat before serving.