Dinner Party (Part 2 of 5): Twice Baked Parsnip & Sweet Potato Mash w/ Pecan Streusel Topping

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Dinner Party Menu:
Cucumber, Fennel & Radish Salad
Twice Baked Parsnip & Sweet Potato Mash w/ Pecan Streusel Topping
Balsamic Glazed Chickpeas w/ Red Swiss Chard
Coconut Curry Chicken
Banana Nut Cake w/ Candied Walnuts (Recipe Remix from this Recipe Remix)

I've been wanting to try something with parsnips ever since I used them a while back and asked people for recipe ideas. For this dish, I baked them with sweet potatoes and mashed everything together, then topped it with a mixture of oats, cinnamon, pecans and honey. I popped it back into the oven just to brown the top and get the streusel all crispy.

Note: I thought this dish was great, but it would have been spectacular had I thought to stir in a Tbsp or so of fresh ginger or lemon zest.

Twice Baked Parsnip & Sweet Potato Mash w/ Pecan Streusel Topping

Ingredients:

Mash:
1 tsp vegetable oil
1 1/2 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 lb parsnips, peeled and cut into chunks
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt

Topping:
1/2 cup oats (I used gluten free)
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup honey, brown sugar or agave
pinch of salt

Directions:

1. Place sweet potatoes and parsnips in a 9 x 13 pan and drizzle with oil. Cover and bake at 400 degrees 20-25 minutes until veggies are very soft, stirring occasionally.
2. Mash (or I used my immersion blender) veggies until they are smooth. Stir in cinnamon and salt and spread into back into pan.
3. Combine topping ingredients and sprinkle over mash. Turn oven down to 350 degrees and bake 8-10 minutes or until topping is golden brown and crispy.

The cost:
sweet potatoes: 1.49
parsnips: 1.99
other ingredients: <1.00

Grand total: $4.48; serves 8 as a side dish