Minimal ingredients, a whole lotta flavour, that’s what you’re gonna get with this brown butter mashed turnip with roasted garlic. It’s a simple side dish that would be a yummy addition to any special occasion.
If you know me, you know how much I love turkey dinner, especially mom’s turkey dinner on Christmas.
It’s my favourite meal, hands down. What makes it my favourite? Turkey, of course. But those sides? Yeah, that’s where it’s at.
Mom makes some really good mashed turnip. It’s quite simple, but I pile my plate with it. Today I’m sharing mom’s mashed turnip recipe with my twist.
What makes this mashed turnip recipe so special?
Butter.
Yes, butter.
Though, butter makes pretty much everything better, doesn’t it?
Though, this ain’t just any butter, it’s brown butter. Seriously, you guys, this stuff is straight-up delicious.
What’s the Difference Between Turnip and Rutabaga?
All my life, I’ve know rutabaga to be turnip.
Though very similar, there are some slight differences in a turnip versus a rutabaga.
Both turnip and rutabaga are delicious root vegetables.
However, rutabagas are typically larger than turnips, a little sweeter, and have a yellowish interior (which is often why they are referred to as “yellow turnips” or simply “turnips”).
This is the case in many grocery stores in Newfoundland. Both turnip and rutabaga can often be used interchangeably in recipes, as in this one.
Brown Butter Mashed Turnip Recipe (aka Mashed Rutabaga)
Besides how delicious this recipe is, it has just seven ingredients (including salt and pepper).
It’s one flavour-packed, super budget-friendly side dish that’s perfect for Thanksgiving, Christmas or any special occasion.
Honestly, this would even be delicious as a lower carb option to have with your weekday dinner.
What Is Brown Butter?
Brown butter is basically butter that has been cooked until it turns brown.
It’s made by melting butter in a saucepan; as it cooks the colour changes from light yellow to brown.
Also, the milk solids start to solidify and brown. Once you make brown butter, you’ll want to make it again and again. It’s just so delicious and adds so much flavour to dishes.
Some people don’t use those solids, but I think they add so much flavour to any dish. Do not discard them; they are yummy! They go straight into the mashed turnip for a flavour party.
Browning just takes butter to another level. It tastes buttery (of course), nutty and kinda caramelly. In a pinch you could use regular butter here, but the final product will taste different.
It only takes minutes to make and so worth the effort. And the smell? Heavenly. As you would have guessed, brown butter also works great in mashed potatoes, with pasta (particularly ravioli) or even on bread (when it’s solidified, of course).
How To Roast Garlic
So, thinking how fabulous this mashed turnip would be for a holiday side, I figured I’d kick it up a notch with roasted garlic.
A whole bulb of garlic is roasted until soft and the cloves are mixed in with the mashed turnip. Don’t be frightened that it’s a whole bulb of garlic.
When roasted, the pungent flavour of garlic is muted and you are left with a lovely garlicky hum. To roast garlic:
- Cut the top off the bulb of garlic so the cloves are exposed.
- Sprinkle with salt, pepper and a little olive oil.
- Wrap in aluminum foil and bake for 40 minutes or until tender.
- Once cool enough to handle, cloves easily remove from the skin and can be used in recipes.
Full details are in the recipe card below.
Lots of good flavour for a humble turnip, isn’t it? It’s all about using simple ingredients and just treating them with care, definitely nothing complicated.
Mashed turnip has always been a favourite side and brings back lots of memories. What’s a favourite side dish of yours?
Tips for Making Mashed Turnips (aka Mashed Yellow Turnips or Rutabagas)
- You can use either turnip or rutabaga in this recipe. I used what I know as turnip (that is, yellow turnip or rutabaga). More detail on this in the text above.
- I used one large turnip that was about 3 pounds (after peeling it’s a little less), but all together you want about 8 cups of turnip chunks. If you have access to a scale in your grocery store, use that to weigh the quantity you need.
- Cut the turnip into bite-sized chunks so they could somewhat quickly.
- Don’t have fresh thyme? Use ⅓ less dried (so about ¾ teaspoon of dried thyme).
More Easy Side Dishes
- Easy Scalloped Potatoes
- Fall Farro Salad
- Apple and Gouda Mixed Green Salad
- Kale Salad With Apple
- Roasted Cauliflower
Whether you call it rutabaga or turnip, I hope you love this easy side dish recipe as much as we do (and I’m pretty sure you will)!
If you make this mashed turnip recipe, be sure to leave a comment below!
Brown Butter Mashed Turnip (Rutabaga) With Roasted Garlic
Ingredients
- 1 head garlic
- ½ teaspoon salt, plus a pinch for garlic and some for salting water to boil turnip
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus a pinch for garlic
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 3 pounds turnip or rutabaga, peeled and cut into chunks (see "Notes" below)
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- ½ tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves, or ¾ teaspoon dried thyme
- Chopped fresh thyme leaves, garnish to taste (optional)
Instructions
- First, get the garlic roasted. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Cut tops off the bulb of garlic so the cloves are exposed. Sprinkle with just a pinch of salt and black pepper and 1 teaspoon of olive oil. Wrap in aluminum oil and bake for about 40 minutes. Carefully remove aluminum foil and let cool for a bit before handling. When cool enough to handle, cloves can be removed from their skin.
- Meanwhile, boil turnip (or rutabaga) in large pot of salted water, covered, for about 35 to 40 minutes or until turnip is tender (there should be an inch or two of water above the turnip, basically ensuring that it is fully submerged and covered by the water). Drain and place turnip into a mixing bowl. Note: As you are cooking the turnip, reduce the heat, if necessary, while still maintaining a boil.
- Melt butter in a light coloured saucepan over medium-low heat. As the butter cooks (or browns), gently swirl the saucepan every so often as it lightly bubbles. The butter will foam and that's okay. The colour will change from yellow to amber to brown. There will be little brown bits form as the milk solids in the butter cook. Don't discard those. They are delicious in this mashed turnip. This whole process should only take about 10 minutes.
- As soon you achieve the desired colour (I like a light brown) remove the butter from the pan (because it will continue to cook if you leave in the pan and may burn).
- To cooked turnip (or rutabaga), add remaining ½ teaspoon of salt, remaining 1 teaspoon of black pepper, thyme, and browned butter, then mash. Add roasted garlic cloves and mash again. Transfer to a serving dish. Garnish (if desired) with additional thyme. Serve and enjoy!Note: Because turnips are slightly more bitter than what was used here (rutabaga or yellow turnip), you could (if you like) mix in a little brown sugar to taste.
Notes
- You can use either turnip or rutabaga in this recipe. I used what I know as turnip (that is, yellow turnip or rutabaga). More detail on this in the text above.
- I used one large turnip that was about 3 pounds (after peeling it’s a little less), but all together you want about 8 cups of turnip chunks. If you have access to a scale in your grocery store, use that to weigh the quantity you need.
- Cut the turnip into bite-sized chunks so they could somewhat quickly.
- Don’t have fresh thyme? Use ⅓ less dried (so about ¾ teaspoon of dried thyme).
A note on times provided: appliances vary, any prep and/or cook times provided are estimates only.
Tried this recipe?
If you do make this recipe, thank you!! It would mean so much if you could leave a comment below. Love to know how you enjoyed it, and it helps other readers too!
Leslie
This sounds delicious, I always have turnip for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Can I mash the turnip etc in the food processor or is it better to mash?
Dawn | Girl Heart Food
Thank you, Leslie! It’s a great side, isn’t it? I prefer to mash the turnip. Hope you enjoy the recipe!
Patty
Amazing!!!!
Dawn | Girl Heart Food
Thank you so much, Patty! I’m happy you enjoyed the recipe!
Jennifer
Brown butter is a fabulous addition!
Dawn | Girl Heart Food
Thank you very much, Jennifer! It adds so much flavour, doesn’t it?
Reg
Absolutely delish, will 100% be making this again.
Dawn | Girl Heart Food
Thank you very much!! I’m so happy you enjoyed the recipe!!
Bob
Can I freeze this dish if I make it several days prior to serving/
Dawn | Girl Heart Food
Hi Bob, I haven’t tried freezing mashed turnip so I can’t say for certain. If you do give this recipe a try, though, hope you enjoy!!
Katie
Hi! Can’t wait to try this! Can you roast the garlic the day before? Thanks!
– Katie
Dawn | Girl Heart Food
Hi Katie! You sure can! Roast the garlic and once the cloves are cool enough to handle you can remove them from their skins, store the cooled cloves in an airtight container in the fridge and use the next day. Hope you enjoy!!
Katie
I just made this! I found that I didn’t really get that lovely orange color (even with the browned butter) so I added a little turmeric to give it a golden color. I also decided to add a smidgen more salt and pepper, plus about 2 tbsp of brown sugar to counteract some of the bitterness of the turnip. Topped it with dried parsley and it’s a lovely, different stroke from mashed potatoes!
Girl Heart Food
So happy to hear that, Katie!! If you used ‘white turnip’ it would be a tad more bitter and less yellowy than ‘yellow turnip’ or rutabaga. Thank you for trying and letting me know how it turned out for you 🙂 Have a lovely weekend!
Jasmine
This is a great idea for Thanksgiving! A nice alternative to regular mashed potatoes!
Girl Heart Food
Sure is 🙂 Thank you Jasmine!!
Lesley
Absolutely delicious addition to our Thanksgiving dinner. Thank you!!
Dawn | Girl Heart Food
So very happy to hear that, Lesley!! Thank you very much, and happy Thanksgiving!!
Corinna | Friendly Pantry
I think I’ll have to add this to my Christmas meal list! It sounds delicious, yet simple. Thanks!
Girl Heart Food
Happy to hear that! Thanks Corinna 🙂
Marissa
Keith and I LOVE turnips!! I always wonder why more recipes don’t include them? This is a must try!
Girl Heart Food
Right? So yummy! Hope you love this one 🙂
Isabelle @ Crumb
Can you believe I lived on this planet for almost 40 years without knowing how awesome mashed turnips are? Not sure why, but neither of my parents ever cooked with turnips, so they just weren’t on my mental radar. I discovered them quite by mistake a year ago, and am now trying to make up for lost time by putting turnips in everything I can. 🙂 Loving the way you’ve dressed yours up with browned butter and roasted garlic… sounds amazing!
Girl Heart Food
Lol! They are pretty delish, aren’t they? Thanks Isabelle 🙂
Karen (Back Road Journal)
When I saw your photo, it made me think about my years living in New England. When I think of turnips, I think of the small white ones with the purple tops. From your photo and you mentioning that it weighed 3 pounds, I knew you were referring to a rutabaga, Swede or yellow turnip. Imagine the confusion when I told my New England friends I was bringing turnips to their pot luck and showed up with my southern version cooked with greens. 🙂 I can’t wait to try this version, it sounds delicious. I’m pinning.
Girl Heart Food
Rutabagas are often sold as ‘turnips’ around here and that’s what I grew up knowing them as. So happy you like this recipe, Karen 🙂 Thanks so much & enjoy!!
Katherine | Love In My Oven
You’ve just transformed a traditional family side into something magnificent! We ALWAYS had mashed turnip growing up, but never with roasted garlic. YUM! I’m craving this so hard now – I am going to have to whip it up soon, maybe with a simple roasted chicken! Love!
Girl Heart Food
Thanks a million, Katherine 🙂 Sounds like a delicious plan!!