Move Over Tuna Wiggle!! Does Your Mashed Potato Nest Measure Up??

One of my fathers favorite meals when I was young was creamed asparagus and chopped hard boiled eggs on mashed potato. I preferred it on saltines or toast, but potatoes in his mind was the only way to go including with tuna wiggle, so that is the way we had it. And bonus, a bag of potatoes goes a long way. He took quite a bit of time to make a nest with his, you might call it, building up the sides around a hollowed out area. I, to this day, every time we have mashed potato still shake my head in wonder at the time spent on that process. To me now, it is one of my most precious memories. I'm sure my "nest" in those days didn't measure up to his, but it got the job done and that is what counts......

This recipe is simple, just make your favorite white sauce, or bechamel sauce, and add your chopped eggs and precooked asparagus and you are good to go. Now is the time great asparagus is showing up in the supermarkets and will be local soon. Yes, our market did have some great asparagus this week, so hopefully yours did too!! Frozen can be used or as a last resort canned, which is what my mother always used in those days. I, however, hated canned asparagus in those days as to me it seemed mushy, so always picked mine out. Today, fresh asparagus is one of my most favorite spring vegetables.

My favorite white sauce for this simple recipe is:

Melt 2 TBSP butter in a saucepan over medium heat

Stir in 2 1/4 TBSP flour, salt, pepper and any other spices you might want, for 1 minute

Stir in 1 cup of milk, stirring constantly till it is thick and bubbly

Note: This makes a small batch of white sauce, about 1 cup, I generally double the recipe and it works just fine

This is considered a medium thickness sauce

Please know that if you have a favorite white sauce be sure to use yours, I know people are funny about white sauces and what should go into theirs

Carefully stir in your precooked chopped eggs and asparagus in amounts of choice, and heat through

Serve immediately on toast, crackers, mashed potato or whatever you desire

On occasion I have also added chopped precooked bacon lardons, this moves it up another notch in my opinion, you know what they say everything is better with bacon, of course that is up to you, it is after all your kitchen, your choice!!

Today in honor of my dad I had on a nest, leftovers tomorrow will be my favorite way, crackers!

Be safe everyone!!