While I have found that cauliflower rice works as a good swap for making a keto stuffing, I was never a huge fan of mashed cauliflower as a replacement for mashed potatoes. I have done mashed broccoli, and liked the flavour much more than mashed cauliflower, but it still didn't have the taste and consistency to be a great replacement. I decided to give my classic garlic mashed potato recipe a try using rutabaga as a replacement. While rutabaga is higher carb than cauliflower, it tastes like a cross between a turnip and cabbage, and has more starch than cauliflower, making it a better choice for absorbing all the flavourful, creamy liquids going into it. And so a superior keto version of mashed potatoes was born in time for our thanksgiving dinner this year. This recipe can be made vegan too!
Keto Rosemary Roast Garlic Mashed Rutabaga Recipe
Ingredients:
- 1 head garlic
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 lb rutabaga, peeled and diced into 1" pieces
- 1 small potato (do not peel or cut, leave it whole)
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 large sprig fresh rosemary
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter (*Or vegan butter to make it vegan.)
- ¼ - ½ cup unsweetened almond milk (*Or heavy cream for a thicker, creamier consistency. Or use coconut cream if making vegan.
- 1 cup parmesan cheese, grated (*Or use vegan parmesan cheese to make it vegan.)
- Flaky sea salt (like Maldon or Fleur de sel and freshly ground freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
Directions:
Preheat oven or toaster oven to 400F. Peel and discard the papery outer layers of the whole garlic bulb, leaving intact the skins of the individual cloves of garlic.
Cut ¼ to a ½ inch from the top of cloves, exposing the individual cloves of garlic. Put garlic in a small baking baking pan, cut side up.
Drizzle with olive oil each exposed head, using your fingers to rub the olive oil over all the cut, exposed garlic cloves. Put a sprig of rosemary on top then replace with the cut side of the garlic head.
Cover the bulb with aluminum foil bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes, or until the cloves are lightly browned and feel soft when pressed. Cool and remove roasted garlic cloves from their skins: Allow the garlic to cool enough so you can touch it without burning yourself.
While the garlic is roasting, put the cut rutabaga and potato (unpeeled) into a pot. The potato is not to be eaten, boiling the rutabaga with it gets rid of the bitter taste of the turnips while they are cooking. Add water until the rutabaga is fully covered. Add salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and cover. Cook for about 15 minutes or until turnips are tender when pierced with a fork then drain.
Reheat the pot to medium heat. Return the drained rutabaga, removing the potato, then return to the pot and heat for about a minute to cook off any excess water so they absorb all the other ingredients. Stir gently to make sure all the rutabaga pieces dry out. Meanwhile, heat the butter and ¼ cup of almond milk (or cream) in a small saucepan at a low temperature. You can use a microwave to do this if you prefer. The edges will start to look flaky, but don't let them scorch. Remove from heat.
Gently stir in the butter and almond milk mixture with the rutabaga. Add in the parmesan and squeeze out the garlic bulbs into the mixture. Mash everything together with a potato masher until a smooth, even consistency is achieved. Add more cream or almond milk if you prefer a more liquid consistency. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Serve warm as a side for your next feast day dinner.
Did you try this keto rosemary roast garlic mashed rutabaga recipe out? If so, let me know how it went in the comments, or tag me in any photos you share on Instagram so I can see your creation. :)
