One of my favorite side dishes even as a child at thanksgiving has always been mashed rutabagas. This recipe here is by far one of my favorite ways to prepare them.
It is a pretty simple and easy-to-make recipe which is probably why I like it so much. The flavors are all there but nothing overpowers that awesome flavor of good rutabaga.
Ingredients you will need
- Rutabaga – Pic one of a good size for your family and who you are serving, this recipe easily doubles so if you need to make more for a larger crowd you can buy more than one.
- Cream cheese – plain cream cheese in the block is ideal but you could also use the softer spreadable kind if you wish.
- Butter – use real butter for the flavor, there are dairy free options as well that have great flavor. please use what works for you
- Chives – used as a garnish, this is optional of course
- Salt – season the dish to get the flavor out of all the other ingredients.
How to make Creamy Mashed Rutabagas
1. Cut and peel the rutabaga
peel and dice the rutabaga into 1-inch squares. Be very careful doing this, the easiest way to peel is with a good vegetable peeler. cut one side flat so it does not roll then peel all the waxy skin off the vegetable.
2. Add water and salt
add to a pot and fill with water covering the rutabagas, add salt and bring water to a rolling boil over high heat
3. Boil
continue to boil until the rutabaga is fork done, meaning you can pierce a piece of the vegetable with a fork and it falls off when you pull the fork out. if the rutabaga comes out of the water with the fork it is not ready yet.
4. Drain Water
drain the water out using a colander, if you are using a non-stick pot you might want to use a bowl for the next step. if your pot is stainless you can put the rutabaga back into the pot. using a metal utensil
5. Mix everything together
while everything is still hot add the butter and cream cheese, using a potato masher or hand beater mash everything together.
taste the dish and add a bit of salt if needed
6. Garnish and serve
add the mashed rutabagas to the serving bowl and top with chopped chives or green onions (optional)
Creamy Mashed Rutabagas
Equipment
- 1 medium pot
- 1 large kitchen knife
- 1 potato masher
- 1 vegetable peeler
Ingredients
- 1 rutabaga
- 2 oz cream cheese
- 2 tbsp butter
- 4 tbsp chives
- salt to taste
Instructions
- peel and dice the rutabaga into 1-inch squares carefully1 rutabaga
- add to a pot and fill with water covering the rutabagas, add salt and bring water to a rolling boil over high heat
- continue to boil until the rutabaga is fork done, meaning you can pierce a piece of the vegetable with a fork and it falls off when you pull the fork out. if the rutabaga comes out of the water with the fork it is not ready yet.
- drain the water out using a colander, if you are using a non-stick pot you might want to use a bowl for the next step. if your pot is stainless you can put the rutabaga back into the pot.
- while everything is still hot add the butter and cream cheese, using a potato masher or hand beater mash everything together.2 oz cream cheese, 2 tbsp butter
- taste the dish and add a bit of salt if neededsalt
- add the mashed rutabagas to the serving bowl and top with chopped chives or green onions (optional)4 tbsp chives