Mashed Rutabaga is a great side dish recipe for holiday feasts. A rutabaga carrot mash is flavorful and make creamy with the addition of warmed cream and butter!
Rutabaga is slightly peppery, full of flavor and a great substitute for traditional Mashed Potatoes when you just feel like something different.
What Is Rutabaga?
Rutabagas are sometimes referred to as swedes or neeps! They are root vegetables that taste a little sweeter than their turnip cousins. While turnips are normally white or purple, rutabagas are yellowish and purple/brown. They have a savory, slightly earthy and peppery flavor with that typical autumn harvest flavor and feel.
How to Make Mashed Rutabaga
This is one of the easier things to add to your holiday spread. Just follow these steps:
- Prepare rutabaga and carrot, and place in a pot of salted water, and cook according to recipe directions.
- Drain well and mash or beat with a mixer.
I like to add course pepper during the last step, but beating it in does make the dish quite peppery, so you can do that at the end, or leave pepper out if preferred.
TIP: Bigger rutabaga can be a bit tough to mash but unlike a potato they don’t get gummy or starchy. They can be mashed with a hand masher or even a blender or immersion blender to reach desired consistency.
What To Serve With Mashed Rutabaga
Personally I love mashed rutabagas snuggled right up against a dollop of cranberry sauce and turkey and gravy. Don’t forget the stuffing! Oh, and a little bit of hollandaise sauce won’t go wrong, either. Rutabagas are just the right complement for all your holiday favorites.
To Freeze
Rutabagas are great to freeze, before or after cooking and mashing. You can make ahead right with the carrots, so easily! Just follow these steps:
- Peel and chunk rutabagas and carrots.
- Blanch together in boiling water for 3 minutes
- Drain and cool completely
Add to freezer bag or container, leaving ½ inch of space for expansion.
On the big day all you’ll have to do is pull this bag out and prepare the rest of the way, according to the recipe below. You’ll have delicious fresh and creamy rutabaga ready in minutes! To save even one more step, just mash or whip before freezing, leaving out the warmed cream and butter. Defrost it in the fridge for 24 hours (drain any liquid) and reheat right in the microwave. As soon as the rutabagas are piping hot, add in the warmed cream and butter, with salt and pepper. It’s delicious and nutritious, a definite essential Thanksgiving side dish!
Mashed Rutabaga
Ingredients
- 3 pounds rutabaga peeled and cubed
- 2 carrot peeled and chunked
- ¼ cup butter melted
- ⅓ cup heavy whipping cream warmed
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Combine rutabaga and carrot in a pot of cold salted water.
- Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and cook uncovered until fork tender, about 15 minutes.
- Drain well and mash rutabaga with a potato masher or hand mixer until smooth. Add melted butter.
- Stir in warmed heavy cream a little bit at a time to reach desired consistency.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Side Dish
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Mashed Vegetables Sides
- Mashed Sweet Potatoes – creamy buttery flavor
- Garlic Ranch Mashed Potatoes – perfect comfort food
- Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes – ready in under 30 mins!
- Twice Baked Potatoes – topped with bacon & cheese!
- Mashed Butternut Squash – just 4 simple ingredients!
- Mashed Turnips and Parsnips – easy and creamy
This is more of a question. Can this be made 2 days in advance and stored in the fridge?
Yes, absolutely!
This is Very Good. Nice touch of flavor.
So glad you enjoyed these Dan!
Rutabagas can be hard to peel. I have learned if you put them on a paper plate and microwave them for a few minutes they are easier to peel. I always add some bacon grease and a fresh jalapeno or two to the water while boiling. Yum!
That’s a great tip Mary, thanks for sharing!
I would like to prepare this the day before Thanksgiving… could I warm it back up in a crockpot the day of, or is it better to put in the oven to warm up?
Yes, this can be reheated in the oven.
Hi Holly, this isn’t a rating but just a question…why do you start your recipe boiling in cold water? I have always wondered about this with potatoes as well…seems counter intuitive when ultimately you are getting to a boil, why not start in hot water??
Starting the rutabaga in cold water helps them cook more evenly as the rutabaga heats up along with the water. This keeps the outside from cooking too quickly.
Just thought I would add to Holly’s comment: a chef once told me that all root vegetables should be started in cold water, never boiling. Potatoes, carrots, parsnips, beets, and yes, rutabaga! All for the same reason Holly stated — preventing the outside from cooking while the inside does not — and also to steady the release of starch.