Mashed Potato And Parsnip Gratin With Bacon And Cheddar

• 3 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
• 2 tablespoons kosher salt
• 1 pound parsnips, peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch thick rounds
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 6 slices bacon
• 4 ounces cream cheese
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted plus more for baking dish
• 1/2 cup creme fraisch
• 5 tablespoons chives, minced
• 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, grated
• 2 tablespoons toasted breadcrumbs

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the potato chunks into a large saucepan adding enough water to cover by a couple of inches. Bring the potatoes to a boil over medium-high heat. Add 1-tablespoon salt to the water then reduce the heat to low. Cook at a simmer until tender, about 25 minutes. Transfer to a colander to drain then return them to pan. Stir over medium-high heat until dry, about 1 minute. Remove from heat, cover, and set aside.
2. While the potatoes are cooking place the parsnip slices in a medium saucepan adding enough water to cover by a couple of inches. Bring the parsnips to a boil over medium-high heat. Add 1-tablespoon salt to the water then reduce the heat to low. Cook at a simmer until tender, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a colander to drain then return them to pan. Stir over medium-high heat until dry, about 1 minute. Remove from heat, cover, and set aside.
3. Cook the bacon over medium heat until browned and crisp, turning as needed. Transfer the bacon to paper towels to drain. Once cool crumble the bacon and set aside.
4. While the potatoes are still warm, but not hot run them through a ricer and into a large bowl. Add the cream cheese, butter, and creme fraisch, and stir until well combined and free of lumps. Add 4 tablespoons chives, 1-cup cheddar cheese, and about half the bacon. Season well with additional salt and pepper.
5. Butter the sides and bottom of a shallow baking dish, then sprinkle breadcrumbs over the buttered dish; shaking the dish to spread them around evenly.
6. Place the parsnip rounds all along the bottom of the dish in a single layer. You may have extra parsnips. Transfer the potato mixture to the dish; spreading it over the parsnips in an even layer. Top with remaining cheddar cheese. Bake until the top is slightly golden, about 30 minutes. Remove the dish from oven; garnish with the remaining bacon and chives. Serve immediately.

russet potatoes, kosher salt, parsnips, salt, bacon, cream cheese, unsalted butter, crueme fraisch, chives, cheddar cheese, breadcrumbs

Taken from food52.com/recipes/2935-mashed-potato-and-parsnip-gratin-with-bacon-and-cheddar (may not work)