Turnip and Potato Mash

Mashed potatoes are one of my favorite comfort foods, and it’s hard to improve on this classic dish. I made a new recipe the other night that just might be my new standard mashed potato recipe: Turnip and Potato Mash. Now before you turn up your nose (okay, bad joke), hear me out on this one. These mashed potatoes have personality! The mashed turnip is a great secret ingredient in this dish that adds another layer of flavor and a little oomph.

In case you’ve never bought them, turnips are round and white-purplish in color, and are a good source of Vitamin C and fiber. Choose small to medium turnips for the mildest flavor.

For the smoothest possible mash, use a potato ricer. Serve the Turnip and Potato Mash with anything you’d normally serve mashed potatoes with (chicken, turkey, beef, pork). Enjoy!

Turnip and Potato Mash
-recipe from Martha Stewart Everyday Food Magazine (Dec. 2010)

Serve this peppery replacement for mashed potatoes alongside seared steak. Serves 4 to 6.

1 pound turnips (about 2 medium), peeled and diced large
1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes (about 2 medium), peeled and diced large
1 dried bay leaf
Coarse salt and ground pepper
3 tablespoons sour cream
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

In a medium saucepan, bring turnips, potatoes, and bay leaf to a boil in salted water over high; cook until vegetables are tender when pierced with a knife, 20 minutes. Drain, discard bay leaf, and return vegetables to pan. Add sour cream and butter, and mash until mostly smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper.