Mashed Carrots and Turnips

This Mashed Carrots and Turnips recipe is an exciting change from roasted or steamed vegetables. Reminiscent of sweet potato casserole, it is both sweet and savory. It is sure to be a hit at a your next family or Thanksgiving dinner.

My family loves traditions and they especially love traditions that involve delicious food. During the Holidays, no one is usually following a diet or watching their calories. This carrot and turnip mash is based on my sister's sweet potato souffle' that she always makes during the Holidays. I hope I did it justice.

If you'd like to try some other recipes with carrots and other vegetables that are sweet and savory, these are some of our favorites:  Honey Roasted Carrots and Parsnips, Maple Carrots, Sweet Chili Brussels Sprouts and Maple Butternut Squash.

Do carrots and turnips taste sweet or savory?

Carrots and turnips can taste both sweet and savory, depending on how they are prepared.

Carrots:

• Raw: Carrots are naturally sweet because they have a higher sugar content than many other vegetables.
• Cooked: Cooking them brings out their sweetness, particularly when roasted or sautéed. But they can also taste savory when cooked with olive oil, herbs, spices, or savory ingredients such as garlic or onions.

Turnips:

• Raw: Young, smaller turnips are mildly sweet with a slightly peppery flavor. Older or larger turnips can taste more bitter and less sweet.
• Cooked: Roasting turnips will make their flavor milder and bring out their natural sweetness.

Ingredients

Ingredient Notes

• Carrots and Turnips - While I found the combination of these two root veggies to be really good in this recipe, there are others you could use.
• Rutabaga, parsnips, sweet potatoes and butternut squash all have a similar texture and can be sweet or savory.
• Sugar- you can use brown sugar in this recipe. Also, maple syrup or honey can be substituted for the sugar. They both have deep, rich, slightly caramel-like flavors. Honey tends to be sweeter than sugar and maple syrup less sweet. For a lower sugar version, use a sugar substitute. It will taste just as delicious!

How to make Mashed Carrots and Turnips

Step 1: Wash and peel carrots and turnips.  Cut into small pieces. Simmer them in a saucepan over medium-high heat for about 30 minutes or until fork tender. Drain well.

Step 2: Let cool for a few minutes.  Then add carrots and turnips to a food processor and pulse until mashed completely.

Step 3: Pour in the remaining ingredients, eggs, half and half, spices, butter, sugar and vanilla.

Step 4: Blend to combine.

Step 5: Pour into a 8x10 casserole serving dish that is sprayed with non-stick baking spray.  Smooth the top.  Bake for 30-40 minutes. 

Step 6: Test with a toothpick.  It should be mostly clean.  If not, bake a few minutes longer.

Recipe Tips

• Make sure to cut vegetables in similar sizes so they cook evenly.
• Drain really well to get rid of water. I also pour the vegetables into a bowl lined with paper towel to really dry them.
• Don't over process the carrots and turnips. The mixture should have a bit of texture to them. If you like it to be more chunky, then blend less.
• You can wash, peel and cut the vegetables ahead of time. Store in a covered container or zipper-style plastic bag in the refrigerator for up to 2 days ahead.
• If you use a serving dish larger than 8x10, it may be done sooner than 30 minutes. If you use a smaller dish, it may take longer. Test with a toothpick.

What to do with leftover Mashed turnips and Carrots?

We served the mashed vegetables with Dutch Oven Roast Chicken and mashed potatoes. So we had leftovers the next night.

Store leftovers in a covered container for up to 3 days. Reheat in the oven or in the microwave on low heat. Stir well to regain smoothness.

You can freeze the leftovers in a freezer-safe container for 1 month. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator. The texture will be less smooth and may be more watery after you defrost it. I prefer to try to use the leftovers in another great way. Here are some ideas:

• Layer it in a trifle. I made a Pumpkin Trifle that would be great with some of the mashed filling.
• Use it as no-bake pie filling. Top with whipped cream.
• My favorite way is to add to a pumpkin bread recipe. Add about 1 cup and an extra 2 tablespoons flour to a quick bread recipe and it will add extra moistness and sweetness to the bread.

If you tried this recipe and enjoyed it, I'd love if you gave it a 5 star rating. This tells me what you like and want to see more of. Thank you!

Try these other delicious side dishes with dinner tonight or at your next Holiday dinner:

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Mashed Carrots and Turnips

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 1 review

• Author: Deb Belsha
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Boil Time: 25 minutes
• Cook Time: 35 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
• Yield: 6 servings 1x
• Category: Side Dish
• Method: Oven
• Cuisine: American

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Description

This recipe for Mashed Carrots and Turnips is a delicious cross between a side dish and a dessert. It is an exciting and unusual change from roasted or steamed vegetables. Reminiscent of sweet potato casserole, it is both sweet and savory. It is sure to be a hit at a your next family or Holiday dinner.

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Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 ½ pounds carrots, peeled, cut into small pieces
• 1 pound turnips, peeled, cut into small pieces
• ½ cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• ⅓ cup butter, softened (about 5 tablespoons)
• ½ cup half and half
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon ground ginger

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Instructions

1. Wash and peel carrots and turnips.  Cut into small pieces
2. Bring a large saucepan of water with a pinch of salt to a boil.
3. Add carrots and turnips.  Cook on a low boil for about 20-30 minutes or until soft.*  Drain well.
4. Let cool for a few minutes.  Then add carrots and turnips to a food processor and pulse until mashed completely.*
5. Pour in the remaining ingredients, eggs, half and half, spices, butter, sugar and vanilla. Blend to combine.
6. Pour into a 8x10 casserole dish that is sprayed with non-stick baking spray.  Smooth the top.  Bake for 30-40 minutes.  Test with a toothpick.  It should be mostly clean.  If not, bake a few minutes longer.*

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Notes

*To test carrots and turnips for doneness, press a few pieces against the side of the pan to see if they are soft and mash easily.

*You can also use an electric mixer to mash the carrots and turnips.  Or use a potato masher and mash by hand.

*If you use a larger dish, the casserole may be done sooner.  If it a small one, it make take longer.  

* If a bit of water may appear in the corner of the dish as you are serving this casserole.  It is not anything to be concerned with.  Just serve with a slotted spoon.

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Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1
• Calories: 261
• Sugar: 26g
• Sodium: 561mg
• Fat: 12.5g
• Carbohydrates: 34g
• Fiber: 5g
• Protein: 4.5g
• Cholesterol: 90mg

*Nutrition information is an estimate from Nutrifox.com*