Beef Tenderloin with Stuffed Tomato & Mashed Potato Casserole

Beef Tenderloin with compound butter, stuffed tomato, mashed potato casserole with caramelizes shallots

Mashed Potato Casserole

Topping
4 slices high-quality sandwich bread , quartered
2 tablespoons unsalted butter , melted
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley leaves

Optional : Caramelized Shallots (Saute 4 thinly sliced shallots with 2 Tbsp. of butter, pan fry until golden brown. Cool, then toss with bread crumbs, proceed with the recipe)

Casserole
5 pounds russet potatoes (about 9 medium), peeled, sliced into 3/4-inch-thick rounds, and rinsed thoroughly
2 1/2 cups whole milk , warmed
1 cup sour cream
8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick), melted
2 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 medium clove garlic , minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 1 teaspoon)
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
8 ounces shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese (about 2 cups)
Instructions

1. For the Topping: Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 300 degrees. Pulse the bread into crumbs in a food processor, about 6 pulses. Toss the crumbs with the butter, and spread them out over a rimmed baking sheet. Bake, stirring occasionally, until golden and dry, about 20 minutes. Let the crumbs cool, then toss with the parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste; set aside.

2. For the Casserole: Meanwhile, place the potatoes in a large Dutch oven and cover by 1 inch of water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are tender (a paring knife can be slipped into and out of the center of the potatoes with very little resistance), about 15 minutes.
3. Drain the potatoes in a colander. Set a food mill (or ricer) over the now empty, but still warm, saucepan. Working in batches, drop the potatoes into the hopper of the food mill and process the potatoes into the saucepan. Stir in the milk, sour cream, butter, Dijon, garlic, and cayenne until uniform. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

4. Spread the potato mixture into a 13 by 9-inch baking dish. Sprinkle the cheddar cheese evenly over the top, followed by the bread crumbs.

5. To Store: Cover the dish tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 2 days.

6. To Serve: Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Remove the plastic wrap and cover the dish tightly with foil. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to bake until the casserole is heated through and the crumbs are crisp, 20 to 30 minutes longer.

7.To Serve Right Away
Bake the casserole in a 350-degree oven, uncovered, until hot throughout, 25 to 30 minutes.



Stuffed Tomato
6 firm, ripe tomatoes (about 8 ounces each), 1/8 inch sliced off stem end, cored, and seeded
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup coarse homemade bread crumbs
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese (about 1 1/2 ounces)
1/3 cup shredded fresh basil leaves
2 medium cloves garlic , minced (about 2 teaspoons)
Ground black pepper


1.Sprinkle inside of each tomato with salt and place upside down on several layers of paper toweling; let stand to remove excess moisture, about 30 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, toss bread crumbs with 1 tablespoon olive oil, Parmesan, basil, garlic, and pepper to taste in small bowl; set aside. Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees, line bottom of 9 by 13-inch baking dish with foil.

3. Roll up several sheets of paper towels and pat inside of each tomato dry. Arrange tomatoes in single layer in baking dish. Brush top cut edges of tomatoes with 1 teaspoon oil. Mound stuffing into tomatoes (about 1/4 cup per tomato); drizzle with remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Bake until tops are golden brown and crisp, about 20 minutes. Serve immediately.

Note: Homemade bread crumb is made simply by processing butter-top white bread. Tear 2-3 slices of white bread and pulse the food processor 3-4 times until you have coarse crumbs.