I remember visiting my grandparents in Quebec when I was very little. We arrived fairly late in the evening after a long 8 hour car ride, but my grandparents had dinner ready on the table for us. There was some kind of roasted meat, a few dishes of vegetables, and mashed potatoes. I scooped out a big pile onto my plate and dug in. Something wasn’t right and I burst into tears. My grandmother’s mashed potatoes were full of cooked mashed carrots. I liked carrots, but the combination was an abomination to my tender tastebuds.
After all these years, I still haven’t tried putting together carrots and potatoes, the memory of those tears linger deep. But you’ll be happy to know, that I do love mixing other vegetables into my mashed potatoes. This colcannon for one is delicious and I’ve been known to stir in sautéed cabbage into my mashed potatoes, thank you very much. I’m not a mashed potato brat anymore. And I’ve got this dish chockfull of rutabagas and broccoli to prove it.
Rutabagas and potatoes are an easy match. The former lends a buttery golden hue along with a hint of earthy sweetness to the simple potato. But as the potatoes and rutabagas were boiling away, getting softer and ready to mash, I decided that these golden vegetables needed a bit of green. So I chopped up a head of broccoli and added it into the simmering pot. Instead of mashing the whole shebang into velvety softness, I left things a little chunky. Smashing rather than mashing is the key word. Also, you’ll note that I leave the skins on the potatoes. It keeps this dish rugged and texturally interesting. After all, this isn’t fine dining.
You don’t need to go heavy on the butter because there’s a lot of flavour going on. But I did decide to amp things up with a little bit of grated extra strong cheddar cheese. I leave the cheese as an option – if you’re vegan, leave it out and sub in some Earth Balance instead of the butter. However, as much as we all like to play around with recipes, please, please, please, do not leave out the green onions! It just isn’t as delicious without it.
smashed potatoes with rutabaga & broccoli
1 lb potatoes, well scrubbed with skins on
1 small rutabaga (aka swede), peeled
1 small head of broccoli
1/2 c whole milk
1-2 T butter
salt & pepper
1/3 c grated extra strong cheddar cheese (optional)
2 green onions, dicedChop potatoes into a large dice and add them to a large pot. Chop the rutabaga into a similar size and add to the pot. Cover with water, top with a lid and bring to the boil. Add a dash of salt to the water and reduce heat to medium low and cook until potatoes and rutabaga are nearly done, about 15-20 minutes. Chop the broccoli into florets and stems and add to the pot and let cook until bright green and crisp-tender, 10 minutes.
Drain water completely from the pot and add in the milk, butter, a half teaspoon of salt and a good grind of pepper. Mash well, but leave in some lumps. You may need to add more milk to get the texture you’re looking for. Add in the grated cheese and mash just a bit more. Taste to adjust seasoning and stir in the green onions. Transfer to a serving dish.
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Carrots have such a distinct flavor that I could see them really not going with potatoes. But rutabagas are much more subtle. And I so love the hint of green!
Oh, these look so tasty! And, while I very well might sub in some vegan products, I wouldn’t dream of leaving out the green onions! NO way!
I too, had an aversion to cooked carrots as a kid….and cooked celery and cooked turnips and boiled eggs. Come to think of it, I was a very picky eater. Can’t say the same for now. The added potato skins and broccoli are something I seek out. Texture, bite and chew are essential. Butter and cheese are like the cherry on top. Yum!
This sounds so good–earthy and comforting and soporific. I’m so glad to see the love for the deeply unpopular rutabaga! Unpopular veg are the best. 🙂
Joanne, agreed. I’m not going to be trying that combination any time soon 🙂
That’s right, Shannon, the green onions are key!
I didn’t mind cooked carrots, Joanne, but mashed with potatoes? Ew. I too was a super picky eater – and some might say I still am! I’m trying to get over it, but I do love this dish.
Eileen, I LOVE rutabaga – even when I was a kid. We had it boiled with pot roasts and I thought they were lovely. Still do 🙂
Oh, I would be your nightmare! I totally do the mashed carrots + potatoes thing (I swear it’s good, just a little sweeter than normal potatoes and beautifully colored). I love it. I also do potatoes + cauliflower and potatoes + broccoli. I guess I’m really not a potato purist!
We ate SO MANY mashed potatoes growing up that I think I started mixing things in to alleviate boredom. : )
Still haven’t tried rutabagas, though. I must do this soon.
Yay! I love rutabaga and this whole smash sounds great! So pretty, too, with that touch of green. How amazing is it that your grandparents had dinner ready for you when they didn’t get a text to say you’re 30 minutes away 🙂
Rachel, okay! You’re making me curious about the mix of the two. I’m going to try it out soon. I love roasting carrots and potatoes together so why not mashed, right? I will fight with my inner child and we’ll see if I cry or not. And yes, get yourself a rutabaga – they are amazing!
Nicole, I think they’re quite pretty too. Ha, I know, so funny!! Oh, technology, we used to do okay without you.
ohmygoodnessgraciousme how have I NEVER thought of doing this before?!?! Putting broccoli into mash would totally disguise it into the potato yummyness 🙂
Thanks for some awesome inspiration, can’t wait to try it out x x x
I have never truly appreciated the rutabaga, I guess it was just not one of the things my Mom cooked with so it remained misunderstood to me. This looks like a relatively safe way to try it out, Thanks!
This looks like a total delight! Yum!
Ibbs, it’s such a good thing – give it a try!
Alan, understand the rutabaga. That’s all 🙂
Thanks WVS!! It is indeed.
What a great idea in general, I can think of several combinations I want to try, and nothing gives any mashed potatoes an extra kick like some chopped green onion on top!
I made this tonight. Despite your entreaty, I made it without the green onions because Judy hates the taste of raw onion. Anyway, I substituted 1 Tbsp of horseradish to give it some kick but it was still a bit bland to me. I’ll try the leftovers tomorrow with green onions for my portion.
This dish is similar to one of my top 10 recipes, Mark Bittman’s Liguria potatoes; they’re bitter and creamy. You can search for this dish online and watch his fun little video if you’re so inclined; I’d be interested in your perspective.
I just wrote a post about how I’m not the biggest potato fan, so this sounds SO mush more appealing to me! 🙂
healthy and delicious!
Agreed, Charlotte! Enjoy 🙂
Robert F, well, I can see why you could consider it “bland” – for me, these were pretty great and sometimes I really enjoy that kind of comfort. You could also add in some garlic to give it a bit more punch. But yes, those green onions are key! And thanks for the nudge to try Mark Bittman’s potato recipe. I’ll give it a go soon.
Sues, what?! I cant understand that one bit 🙂
Thanks Mild.
yum!! i recently added kale to mashed potatoes so i’m loving this
Bessie, yes to adding in kale! I hope you give this a try.
There is a Dutch dish called Hutspot. It is onions, potatoes and carrots boiled in beef broth. Then drained and mashed, adding in a little beef broth if needed. It is delicious.