Egg-Potato Florentine from Thorwood Inn in Hastings

This gorgeous Second Empire style home in Hastings was built for William Thompson in 1880. Thompson served as vice-president of the German American Bank in Hastings, co-owned a sawmill, operated a door and sash factory, and owned several acres of farmland in Dakota County. His connections with woodworkers at his door and sash factory was reflected in the exquisite woodwork throughout the interior of the house.

Outside, an ornate mansard roof with scalloped wood shingles towers above its red brick walls. In 1929, Dr. Herman Fasbender, Sr. purchased the home and remodeled it to use as a new location of St. Raphael Hospital. After the new Regina Memorial Hospital opened in Hastings in 1953, St. Raphael’s closed and the building was converted into apartments.

The mansion was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978, and in 1979, Pam and Dick Thorsen purchased the home and converted it into one of the most popular bed and breakfasts in the state.

The Thorsens completed extensive renovations in 2008 in the mansion that turned the bed and breakfast into Thorwood vacation/corporate condo rentals. Sadly, a fire damaged the building in December 2017 and the Thorsens were forced to close the business and sell the property due to the extensive renovations needed to restore the home to its former glory.

Egg-Potato Florentine

This recipe comes from Thorwood Inn, and its sister property Rosewood Inn in Hastings, Minnesota.

Servings: 12

Print Recipe

Ingredients

• 1¼ lbs. fresh shredded potatoes
• 10 oz. frozen spinach, thawed and drained
• 2 shallots, finely chopped
• 1 can cream of celery soup
• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 cups Colby cheese, shredded and divided
• 12 eggs
• 4 cups half-and-half
• 1 cup ham, chopped

Instructions

• Pre-heat oven to 350°. Spray 12 ramekins with cooking spray.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine potatoes, spinach, shallots, soup, sour cream, and 1 cup of cheese.
• In a medium mixing bowl, mix together eggs, ham, and half-and-half. Do not beat
• Spoon potato mixture into ramekins, each one getting about 3 heaping Tablespoons of the mixture. Add egg mixture to fill ramekins to about 1-inch from the top. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.
• Bake for 35-45 minutes.