Rutabagas are the star in this creamy side dish.
A pinch of sugar balances the vegetable’s slightly bitter taste while bacon adds smoky flavor.
Serve this easy side dish for Thanksgiving.
Photo: Andrea Mathis
Other people may have had creamed onions or candied sweet potatoes topped with melting marshmallows.
But rutabagas were nonnegotiable.
They are the wax-coated, large orangey-purple globes with a sweet and peppery flavor.
As such, the vegetable was often seen as a food of last resort.
Not so at our Thanksgiving table.
There, they were celebrated.
For almost two decades, I traveled to New Orleans for the holiday.
The orange side of the dish revealed itself to be sweet potato.
The lighter puree looked familiar, and one taste confirmed my hopes; it was indeed rutabaga.
It brought tears to my eyes.
I savored it each year.
With the pandemic and the changing world, I have once again moved my Thanksgiving feasting.
This year, I will again join friends, albeit not in New Orleans.
I will delight in company, conversation and the annual feast.
I may just turn up with a covered dish of rutabagas to make the holiday official.
Add bacon; cook until it begins to brown and the fat is rendered, about 7 minutes.
Bring to a boil, lower heat to medium, cover and cook for 20 minutes.
Drain the vegetables and reserve the bacon.
Place the vegetables in a food mill (or blender or food processor) and puree into a bowl.
Finely mince the bacon and add to the bowl.
Add sugar, salt and pepper; mix well.
Transfer to a serving bowl and serve hot.
- Daily Values (DVs) are the recommended amounts of nutrients to consume each day.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient.
