Yahoo Finance Instead Of Mashed Potatoes, Whip Up Rutabaga For Deeper, Bolder Flavors
There's no question that mashed potatoes are one of the ultimate comfort dishes. They're warm, buttery, and taste great when served plain and simple or when they're decked out with indulgent toppings. When it comes to their flavor profile, mashed potatoes are a blank canvas. A potato's mild, starchy flavor gives way to a vast array of recipes and ingredients, which is great — when that's what you're going for. But if you're ever feeling like your mashed potatoes are just missing something, you might be someone who would appreciate the deep, bold flavors of rutabaga.
Rutabagas are a root vegetable in the family of turnips and cabbage. Before they're cooked, they can be compared to a bitter, less sweet version of a carrot; but after cooking, they sweeten up and taste similar to potatoes. The main difference in taste is that rutabagas are actually much richer than a potato. In fact, because of the sulfuric aspects of the vegetable, they can be described as having an earthy, pungent, peppery flavor.
Whipped rutabagas are a fantastic substitute for mashed potatoes not only because they're half the carbs and calories and contain four times the amount of fiber, but also because they are just as creamy as a potato when beaten. This especially makes it a great option for people on low-carb or keto diets.
Read more: 23 Types Of Potatoes And When To Use Them
How To Substitute Rutabaga For Potatoes
Creating mashed rutabaga is essentially the same as mashing potatoes. You'll start by peeling the rutabaga and cutting it down into cubes. Next, you boil the cubes for about 10 minutes or until they're tender and able to be pierced with a fork. Drain the water from the pot, add in heavy cream, butter, salt, and pepper, and simply mash with a potato masher until they reach a consistency of your liking. And that's it — mashed rutabaga is that simple.
Because the rutabaga has such a similar taste and consistency to potatoes, you can enjoy them with all of the same toppings and additives that you prefer on your mashed potatoes like cheese, sour cream, butter, chives, bacon, etc. Moreover, you can add seasonings other than salt and pepper as well. Nutmeg will really complement the earthy, nutty, sweet flavors of the vegetable, while lemon zest and fresh sage can come in and really brighten up the dish. Additionally, mashed rutabagas are a wonderful addition to any cuisine that uses mashed potatoes as a stuffing or filling, such as pierogi or shepherd's pie. If you'd like, you could even combine the two vegetables for an even creamier burst of flavor.
Read the original article on Tasting Table.
