Triple Mash with Horseradish Bread Crumbs

September 2024. Fall in Memphis, and I am 65, walking the neighborhood in my light jacket, watching the leaves turn on the oaks and maples that line Deadrick Avenue. The smoker is happy in fall — the cooler air holds the smoke lower, keeps it closer to the meat, and the results are always a shade better in October than in July, as if the season itself is a seasoning.

Charlie in Nashville, thriving in the way Charlie thrives — quietly, competently, with the determination of a Johnson woman and the grace of something uniquely hers.

Comfort food this week: a big pot of collard greens with smoked turkey neck, simmered for three hours until the greens were dark and silky and the pot liquor was a treasure. The kitchen smelled like Mama's kitchen in the shotgun house, and I stood at the stove and stirred and thought about hands — her hands, small and strong, teaching mine everything they know about turning humble ingredients into something that feeds not just the body but the soul.

I sat in the lawn chair next to Uncle Clyde's smoker as the dark came on, and I thought about what I always think about: the chain. From Clyde to me. From me to Trey, maybe, or Jerome, or whoever comes next with the patience and the hands and the willingness to stand next to a fire at three in the morning and wait for something good to happen. The chain doesn't break. The fire doesn't stop. And I am here, 65 years old, in a lawn chair in Orange Mound, Memphis, Tennessee, watching the smoke rise, and the rising is the living, and the living is the gift.

That pot of collard greens had me thinking all week about the humble root — how the things that grow underground, slow and quiet and out of sight, always seem to carry the most flavor. When you’ve been standing next to a smoker in the dark thinking about what you pass down and what gets carried forward, you want something on that table that earns its place with substance. This Triple Mash with Horseradish Bread Crumbs does exactly that — three roots layered together, finished with a little heat and crunch, the kind of side dish that makes a plate feel like a story worth telling.

Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 35 min | Total Time: 55 min | Servings: 8

Ingredients

2 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 lb sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 lb parsnips, peeled and cubed
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
3/4 cup whole milk, warmed
1/2 cup sour cream
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3/4 cup panko bread crumbs
2 tablespoons prepared horseradish, drained
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Instructions

Boil the roots. Place the Yukon Gold potatoes, sweet potatoes, and parsnips in a large pot. Cover with cold salted water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce to a steady simmer and cook 20–25 minutes, until all three are completely tender when pierced with a fork.
Drain and steam-dry. Drain the vegetables thoroughly in a colander and return them to the warm pot. Let them sit over low heat for 2 minutes, shaking the pot gently, so excess moisture evaporates.
Mash and combine. Add 4 tablespoons of the butter, the warmed milk, and the sour cream to the pot. Mash with a potato masher or pass through a ricer until smooth but still slightly textured. Season with the salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Adjust seasoning to taste.
Make the horseradish bread crumbs. In a small skillet over medium heat, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter with the olive oil. Add the panko bread crumbs and toast, stirring frequently, for 3–4 minutes until deep golden. Remove from heat and stir in the drained horseradish and the chopped parsley. Season lightly with salt.
Plate and finish. Spoon the warm triple mash into a large serving bowl or individual portions. Top generously with the horseradish bread crumbs just before serving so they stay crisp.

Nutrition (per serving)

Triple Mash with Horseradish Bread Crumbs — When the Season Is the Seasoning