Until my buddy Jim introduced me to Lanttu Laatikko, the only time I’d encountered the famed rutabaga was during one of Les Nessman’s WKRP in Cincinnati crop reports. It turns out, I was really missing out on something. With a taste somewhere between a turnip and a sweet potato, the rutabaga is a severely under-loved tuber. Be different! Smash a rutabaga, today!
Ingredients
- 3 tsp salt, divided
- 2 large rutabagas, peeled, cut into 1-inch chunks
- 2 eggs, beaten
- ½ cup cream
- ¼ cup bread crumbs
- 2 Tbsp brown sugar
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- 3 Tbsp butter, divided
How to Make It
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Bring water and 2 teaspoons salt to a boil. Add rutabaga pieces, and boil until cooked through, about 20 minutes. Drain and transfer rutabaga pieces to a large mixing bowl.
- Using a potato masher, ricer, or the paddle of a standing mixer, mash the rutabagas until smooth.
- In a separate mixing bowl, combine eggs, cream, bread crumbs, brown sugar, the remaining 1 teaspoon of salt, and the nutmeg. Stir until combined evenly. Pour this mixture into the larger mixing bowl with the rutabagas and stir until combined evenly.
- Grease a baking dish with 1 tablespoon of butter. Pour the rutabaga mix into the dish and place in the preheated oven for 60 minutes, or until the top is browned. Serve while hot, topped with additional melted butter.
