winter comfort food = anything warm and carby you can eat with a spoon
This time of year gives me the heebie jeebies.
Or at least it used to until I moved to my island paradise (thank you Caribbean winters!).
Don’t hate me for that though, I’ve done my time.
Yep, I’ve suffered through enough Irish and Scottish winters to know that seasonal affective disorder is a real thing, dammit!
rutabaga aka turnips or swedes – they’re all the same family
And when I lived in those inhospitable climes, I would routinely pack on my ‘winter weight’ due to craving carbs like a drug-addled meth-head.
Even though I enjoy temperate and sun-drenched winters these days, that old carb craving hasn’t fully diminished.
I still find myself gravitating towards dishes like this one – good old root vegetables, mashed up and piled high with butter on top.
plentiful butter is the key to any good mash (my grandmother taught me that)
Suggested variations on this ridiculously simple side include adding bacon bits (for those days when only salty pig meat will do), swopping out the cheddar for a more adventurous cheese (I’m all about the free love when it comes to cheese – I’ll take any type, any time – but sadly hubs feels differently) or making it extra creamy with more butter and a tbsp of heavy cream.
Whatever you decide, do it quickly. Winter will be over before you know it and then it’s back to lettuce leaves and fruit salads.
Cheesy Rutabaga Mash (serves 2)
- 2 small rutabaga, peeled and diced
- 2 tbsps butter
- 2 green/spring onions, finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
- Add the rutabaga to a large pot, cover with water and a pinch of sea salt then bring to a boil. Let boil for 15-20 minutes until tender.
- Drain and add the butter, garlic and cheese. Mash vigorously – or not, depending on how lumpy you like your mash.
- Stir in the onion then chow down.
Like this? You might also like:
We love rutabagas. We do rutabaga mash, potato rutabaga mash, and rutabaga turnip mash. We also like to roast them with other root veggies. Love the touch of the green onion and cheese.
Thanks Richard. I’m new to the wonderful world of rutabagas but there’s definitely room in my diet for more. I see lots more root veg in the immediate future (ie til summer rolls around again!)
Oh, yes this looks good to me! Where on earth do you get rutabaga on a Caribbean island? I’m really going to have to search here in Germany;-) Thanks for all the great recipes!
Hi Karen. This Caribbean island imports most of its food so we get all the US staples (happily most are organic too) – they’re just very expensive. Thanks for checking out the blog, good luck with your German rutabaga search
I was just talking yesterday to some friends on a forum about how GOOD rutabagas are. I love them pureed with carrot puree, also, for a total change of pace. They make a wonderful potato sub in soups, casseroles and chowders, too. I’ll have to try out your recipe. Looks good!
I’m new to them but definitely looking to get them in all sorts of recipes – might help wean me off potatoes! Love the sound of carrot puree, thanks!
We love rutabagas here in the house. I toss chunks of them in vegetable oil, salt, pepper, and thyme or rosemary, and roast them in a hot oven for an hour or so. So good. Also good to roast a mix of sweet potatoes and rutabagas this way. Now I need to go get some rutabagas…
Yum!! I can’t wait to try this tonight!
My kids believed they were potatoes. Great recipe!
Score! I love getting devious with little people. Thanks so much for coming back and letting me know
Pingback: Spinach, Kale & Garlic Dip | Things My Belly Likes