Mashed Rutabaga Recipe: How to Make Rutabaga Mash

Mashed rutabaga is a preparation of cooked rutabagas mashed with butter and cream, like mashed potatoes. Rutabagas (Brassica napus) are oblong root vegetables similar to turnips. Also known as Swedish turnips or swedes, rutabagas have a slightly bitter taste when consumed raw and are usually yellow or purple in appearance. When cooked, these tubers have a complex flavor with slightly sweet and savory notes, a subtle bitterness, and a touch of peppery heat.

If the flavor of rutabaga is too potent for your palette, try making a mash of equal parts rutabaga and potatoes.

Mashed rutabaga and mashed potatoes look similar, and both make for excellent side dishes, but there are a few key differences between them. Compared to potatoes, rutabagas are lower in calories and carbohydrates and higher in vitamins. From a flavor perspective, rutabaga tastes lighter and more vegetal than potatoes, with an earthy spiciness.

Enjoy mashed rutabaga as a side dish with plenty of gravy (as you would mashed potatoes). Here are some other serving ideas:

1. 1. Make twice-baked rutabagas. Take inspiration from the iconic potato dish and “fill” the rutabaga skin with mashed rutabaga before baking and topping with the classics: bacon, cheddar, sour cream, and a heaping amount of chives.
2. 2. Opt for a sweeter note. Instead of savory, rich options, stir maple syrup, nutmeg, and cinnamon into your mashed rutabaga for a unique vegetable side dish.
3. 3. Serve alongside a protein. Like mashed potatoes, mashed rutabaga is a sensational option to serve alongside charred, medium-rare steak, well-cooked skin-on chicken breast, pork tenderloin, or crispy-skinned fish. Drizzle it with a simple pan sauce or gravy to complete the meal. A side salad tossed with vinaigrette will cut through the richness.

Be careful when peeling or cutting off a rutabaga’s thick, waxy skin. You can microwave the rutabaga to help loosen and soften the skin and then halve it to create more leverage when cutting. From there, simply dice the rutabaga into manageable pieces for cooking and mashing. Here’s what else to know:

1. 1. Choose your mashing techniques. A handheld potato masher is a reliable standby, but you can also use an electric hand mixer or stand mixer or beat the rutabagas by hand with a heavy wooden spoon. Avoid puréeing in a food processor or blender, which can turn starchy vegetables gummy. Keep mixing until you achieve your desired consistency, ranging from a little chunky and thick to an utterly smooth purée.
2. 2. Use white pepper. White peppercorns (essentially black peppercorns with the skin removed) are popular in Chinese, Thai, and Vietnamese cuisine. Using white pepper in a beige dish of mashed rutabagas or mashed potatoes isn’t necessary flavor-wise, but it keeps the color of the dish uniform. If you don’t mind specks of ground black pepper in your mash, feel free to use those instead. Learn more about white pepper vs. black pepper.
3. 3. Make a vegetable medley. A rutabaga-potato mash is a classic dish that benefits from the creaminess of the potatoes (use russet or Yukon Gold) and the bolder flavor of the rutabaga. Other vegetables to add to your mash include celery root, sunchokes, sweet potatoes, and parsnips. Boil or steam the different vegetables separately, since they cook at different rates.
4. 4. Swap out ingredients. Most mashed rutabaga recipes rely on heavy cream and butter for a rich, creamy texture and flavor. For a dairy-free version, add vegetable stock or chicken stock (turkey stock is a great option for Thanksgiving) and margarine or olive oil. Nutritional yeast adds a cheesy flavor without the cheese. For a tangy taste, use a cultured dairy product like buttermilk, Greek yogurt, or crème fraîche instead of heavy cream. Yotam Ottolenghi’s confit garlic or Dominique Crenn’s confit leeks would be an excellent addition to any root vegetable mash.