Turnip Mashed Potatoes

I've made these turnip mashed potatoes once before and the hubby loved them. Since I only had 2 potatoes but a lot of turnips on hand the day I made Perfect Pot Roast I decided to have a second go at them. This is most definitely not the healthiest side dish. It is, after all, from Paula Deen the Queen of Cream and Butter. But having Pot Roast without mashed potatoes is absolutely unacceptable. These mashed potatoes are fabulously easy, super creamy and it's a great twist on classic mashed potatoes.

Turnip Mashed Potatoes

from Paula Deen

Ingredients:

6 large red new potatoes, skin on (I used two large brown potatoes)

2 large turnips, peeled (I used several small turnips)

1/2 cup cream, heated (I used fat free half and half and 1% milk)

1 stick butter, melted (I used all of this!)

1/2 cup sour cream (Didn't have on hand, so omitted)

Salt and pepper

Directions:

Slice potatoes and turnips 1/4 inch thick. Cook in boiling water for 15 minutes or until fork tender. Drain. Whip unpeeled cooked potatoes and turnips with an electric mixer until moderately smooth. Don't overbeat them; a few lumps are nice. Add hot cream, butter, and sour cream. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Whip again until blended. Adjust thickness by adding more cream if desired. 

Southern Turnip Supreme

My husband and I signed up for the winter CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) at our local Farmer's Market and received several large turnips in our last goodie bag. I wanted to find an new turnip recipe, as even though the Turnip Gratin I made was absolutely delicious, it's not on our Spring Break healthy eating diet. I came across this recipe on  All Recipes, a super cool website that has a ton of recipes that are reviewed by home cooks who have actually tried it. I love that! This Southern Turnip Supreme recipe received 4 out of 5 stars and looked very easy and quick. Plus, with a name like, "Southern Supreme" I knew it was going to be belly warming good! So I went for it and am glad that I did! I don't know if it was this certain batch of turnips or the method that I cooked them, but they seemed sweeter in this recipe than in the gratin. My husband commented that he really liked the texture of the turnips in this dish. Since you boil and simmer them for 20 minutes they come out perfect...not too mushy, not too crunchy. The best part of this dish is the ooey gooey cheddar cheese that melts on the top. You only need half a cup, so this recipe is for the most part very healthy!

Southern Turnip Supreme

Ingredients:

• 1 cube vegetable bouillon
• 1 cup water
• 3 cups peeled, cubed turnips
• 1/4 cup minced onion
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• salt and black pepper to taste
• 1 1/2 tablespoons sour cream - I completely forgot this and the recipe was still fantastic!
• 1/2 cup shredded sharp white Cheddar cheese
• chopped fresh parsley for garnish (optional)

Directions: 

Place the vegetable bouillon cube into a saucepan with the water, and bring to a boil over high heat. Cook until the bouillon cube dissolves, about 1 minute. Stir in the turnips, onion, and garlic, return to a boil, and cook the mixture until the turnips are tender, about 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook until most of the liquid has been evaporated, 10 to 15 more minutes.

Lightly stir in the sour cream to coat the turnips. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and top with shredded Cheddar cheese and parsley.

Turnip Gratin

This recipe is straight up comfort food. Layers of turnips and onion are covered in bubbly Gruyere cheese and crusty white bread. You will want to try this recipe just for the aroma it will create in your house!

I don't think I've bought white bread in my entire adult life - I'm a wheat or whole grain kind of girl. But for this recipe I made an exception and it was worth it! The white bread turns into a base on the bottom of the gratin and it's delicious.

Gratin, by definition, is when an ingredient is topped with a golden crust, and mmmmm is it good, especially when the golden crust is from creamy, nutty Gruyere cheese. I am officially a Gratin aficionado and will be on the lookout for more Gratin recipes. If you have any good ones, please send them my way!!

Turnip Gratin (found on Simply Recipes.com)

Ingredients

4 medium sized turnips, peeled and thinly slices

Olive oil

8 slices of white bread, with the crusts removed

Half an onion - thinly sliced

8 ounces of Gruyere cheese

Salt and Pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Blanch the raw turnip slices in salted boiling water for 3 minutes. Drain and allow to cool.

Coat the inside of a 9X13 casserole dish with olive oil. Place a layer of bread on the bottom of the casserole dish. Layer on half of the turnip slices in a single layer, season with salt and pepper. Layer on all of the onions. Sprinkle with half of the cheese. Add another layer of bread, turnips, and cheese. Sprinkle again with salt and pepper.

Place casserole on top rack of oven. Cook for 25 minutes. For the last few minutes, if you want, and you are using a pan (metal or ceramic) that can safely handle broiling temperatures, broil for a couple minutes to brown the top.

Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes before serving.