For Robbie Burns Dinner last week, I made this Rutabaga Apple Au Gratin from Canadian Living. The sweet apples perfectly balance the strong rutabaga to create a delicious golden side dish. Mashed rutabaga is traditionally served alongside mashed potatoes at Robbie Burns Dinner and called “neeps and tatties”. Seeing as I wasn’t serving the traditional haggis as the main dish, I figured that I could be a little creative with how I made the rutabaga.
What you’ll need:
1 Rutabaga
1 tbsp Cornstarch
1/2 cup Water
2 Apples, peeled and grated
1/2 tsp Salt
1 pinch Pepper
1 pinch Dried Thyme or Savory
1/2 cup coarse Fresh Bread Crumbs
1 tbsp Butter, melted
1 tbsp chopped Fresh Parsley
Peel and cut rutabaga in half lengthwise. Cut each half lengthwise into quarters. Thinly slice crosswise. In saucepan of boiling salted water, cover and cook rutabaga until almost tender, about 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.
Spread in 8-inch (2 L) square glass baking dish. Cover and bake in 350°F oven for 20 minutes.
In bowl, toss together bread crumbs, butter and parsley. Sprinkle over rutabaga mixture. Return to oven and bake uncovered until tender, about 20 minutes. Broil until topping is golden, about 3-4 minutes.
This dish was a big hit with the dinner guests and it made a large amount for 6 people, with plenty of leftovers (which I was happy to eat later…straight from the bowl in the fridge. Yes, it even tastes good cold.) When I went to figure out the nutritional information for this dish, it turns out that it is a pretty healthy side dish too! I love it when I find something that not only tastes great, but also is good for you!
Makes 6 large servings
