These creamy Mashed Root Vegetables make for a simple, delicious, and unique side dish to serve with any fall meal. This recipe is hearty, healthy, and pairs well with just about anything.
We’ve kept things pretty plain-Jane in this recipe, but feel free to add other flavors like garlic, fresh thyme, grated horseradish, sour cream, and chopped chives. And if you’re looking for mashed potato recipes, we’ve got you covered with these Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes, Gruyere Mashed Potatoes, and these easy Crockpot Mashed Potatoes.
Mashed Root Vegetables
Mashed potatoes will, of course, always hold a special place in my heart. But, this recipe for mashed root vegetables a great alternative. It is made just like mashed potatoes, but it uses other root veggies like sweet potatoes, turnips, beets, parsnips, and rutabagas.
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If you like your root vegetable mash a little on the chunkier side, just don’t mash as much. However, if you like yours extra creamy, I suggest mashing a little further and adding a little extra butter and half and half or cream.
Wondering what to make with root mash? Be sure to try my Oven Baked BBQ Chicken, Simple Chicken Breast, Honey Mustard Chicken, or some of my favorites such as Turkey, Crockpot Rump Roast, or Kalua Pork.
Ingredients You Will Need
- Root Vegetables – any combination of potatoes, sweet potatoes, turnips, rutabaga, carrots, parsnips, beets or celery root.
- Butter – you can use either salted or unsalted butter for this recipe, or even olive or avocado oil if you want to be a little healthier. You’ll need some for mashing into the veggies and some for a garnish.
- Half and Half – you can also use milk or heavy cream.
- Salt – we like to use sea salt.
- Parsley – this is an optional garnish.
- Garlic Powder– You can play around with this a little. We like to add about a 1/2 teaspoon of ground garlic powder for yet another layer of flavor.
How to Make Mashed Root Vegetables
- Prep the root veggies. Wash, peel, and cut the veggies into 1″ cubes.
- Boil. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil, add the root veggies, and simmer for 20-30 minutes, or until very tender.
- Mash. Drain the water then return vegetables to the pot along with the butter, half and half, salt, and garlic powder. Mash with a potato masher or potato ricer, getting out all of the largest chunks and mashing as chunky or smooth as you like.
- Serve. Scoop the mashed vegetables into a serving dish and finish with a pat of butter and chopped parsley. Enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
Oven– To reheat potatoes in the oven, stir in butter, cream or any other desired flavorings. Spread the potatoes out on a baking dish and cover with aluminum foil and bake in a preheated 350 degrees F oven for 20-3- minutes or until the potatoes are warmed through and reach 165º F.
Microwave– Place the potatoes in a covered microwave safe dish. Heat them at 50% power for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally until heated through. Once warm, stir well and add in dairy, butter, or your favorite toppings.
Yes! The key to making mashed vegetables freeze well is the fat content, so make sure to add plenty of butter and sour cream! To freeze, just cool them to room temperature and transfer them to freezer bags. Press them so that they lay flat and freeze for up to 3 months.
I like to make mashed root veggies with a mixture of potatoes (red potatoes and sweet potatoes work great) and more pungent root veggies, such as carrots, turnips, beets, parsnips or rutabaga. I have found that a good mix of 50% potatoes and 50% other root vegetables is a nice balance.
A few of my favorites include carrots, beets, turnips, parsnips, rutabaga, and celery root.
Storing and Reheating Instructions
- Refrigerator: store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Freezer: store in an airtight container or freezer bags in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Make-ahead: to make ahead just boil, mix, and mash your potatoes as directed, but don’t add quite all of the butter. Let them cool to room temp, and store them in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve them.
- To reheat: you can transfer to a microwave-safe dish and reheat in the microwave. Or, add a touch of milk and reheat slowly over medium heat on the stovetop. You can also warm in a preheated oven.
Mashed Root Vegetables Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 pounds root vegetables, turnips, rutabaga, carrots, beet, sweet potatoes, and/or red potatoes
- 3 teaspoons salt, (divided)
- 1/4 cup butter, (plus 2 tablespoons to finish)
- 1/2 cup half & half
- 2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Wash and peel the root vegetables and cut into 1" cubes. Place the vegetables in a large pot, add 2 teaspoons of salt and cover with hot water.
- Bring to a boil, then simmer for 20-30 minutes, or until the veggies are no longer stick to a fork when poked.
- Once cooked, drain the water then add the vegetables back to the pot. Add in the butter, half and half and 1 teaspoon of salt.
- Mash with a potato masher or potato ricer, getting out all of the largest chunks and mashing as chunky or smooth as you like. Do not overmix!
- Scoop the mashed vegetables into a serving dish and finish with a pat of butter and chopped parsley. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
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More Holiday Side Dishes
- Oven Brussels Sprouts
- Acorn Squash Soup
- Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallows
- Air Fryer Sweet Potatoes
- Ham and Cheddar Cheeseball
- Best Stuffing Recipe
- Oven Turkey Breast
- Chocolate Cheesecake
More of the best mashed potato recipes
- Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes
- Gruyere Mashed Potatoes
- Crockpot Mashed Potatoes
- Holiday Mashed Potatoes
- Twice Baked Potatoes
- Twice Baked Potatoes Casserole
- Cheesy Holiday Potatoes
- Best Potato Recipes
- More Holiday Recipes
- All of our Potato Recipes
- More Side Dish Ideas
This Mashed Root Vegetables side dish is hearty, healthy and pairs well with just about anything. Any mashed potato lover is sure to enjoy this delicious fall favorite.
Categories:
Christmas, Fall Recipes, Gluten-Free, Holiday Favorites, Nut-Free, Season, Sides, Thanksgiving, Vegetarian, Veggies, Winter Recipes,
SUch a beautiful side for Sunday roast. Love the flavors and texture. I’ll make this for sure this weekend. Thanks!
Yes, So perfect for a side dish with pot roast!
I love the combination of root vegetables in this. Thanks for the recipe.
Taryn, you’re welcome! Hope you enjoy it!