Are you looking for a surprisingly delicious side dish for your Christmas menu?

This rutabaga gratin makes a great alternative to the regular mashed potatoes! It’s slightly sweet, spiced with ginger, white pepper, and cinnamon, and topped with crispy breadcrumbs! Let’s make this!

This recipe is inspired by a Finnish dish called Lanttulaatikko that is usually served during the holidays. It’s easy and consists of making mashed rutabaga, flavoring it, and finally baking it.

You start by cooking the rutabaga in boiling water until fork tender, just like you would do with potatoes. If you own an Instant Pot, I also added directions to cook with it.

Once the rutabaga is cooked and soft, drain and transfer to a food processor to make a purée. I do not own a potato masher so I went with the food processor but if you do, feel free to use it!

You don’t want to process for too long to keep the purée slightly chunky. Once this is done, it’s time to add molasses for sweetness and spices for flavor. White pepper adds some heat while cinnamon and ginger bring that festive flavor. Don’t be scared of the 1/4 cup of molasses, it doesn’t make the gratin too sweet. I would say the sweetness is about the same as a sweet potato bake.

To give the gratin more richness and creaminess, we stir in homemade cashew cream. It is made with just soaked cashews blended with water.

Finally, transfer the batter to a baking dish and sprinkle with breadcrumbs. One hour in the oven and you end up with a delicious and creamy rutabaga gratin!

This gratin makes the perfect holiday side! It’s sweet and salty, creamy, and would go very well with a Vegan Wellington, or you favorite lentil meatloaf!

For more side dishes, check out this Easy Celery & Cauliflower Puree or this Mashed Cauliflower with Garlic Butter Mushrooms!

Let me know in the comments if you try this recipe!

Rutabaga Gratin (Lanttulaatikko)

Creamy Finnish rutabaga gratin flavored with white pepper, ginger, cinnamon, and molasses! This is a delicious alternative to mashed potatoes!

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★★★★★ 5 from 2 reviews

• Author: Full of Plants
• Yield: 6

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Ingredients

• 3 rutabaga (about 1.2kg / 2.6 pounds)
• 3/4 cup (115g) raw cashews, soaked overnight
• 1 cup (236ml) water
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 cup (85g) blackstrap molasses
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp each: nutmeg, cinnamon, white pepper
• 1/3 cup (41g) breadcrumbs

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Instructions

1. Peel and wash the rutabagas, and dice them into 1/2 inch cubes. Stovetop method: Place them in a large saucepan. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Let simmer uncovered for 35-40 minutes, or until the rutabagas are fork tender. Instant Pot method: Place the rutabaga in the Instant Pot liner and cover with water. Close the lid and pressure cook for 9 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally before opening the lid.
2. In the meantime, prepare the cashew cream. Drain the soaked cashews and add them to a blender. Add the cup of water and onion powder, and blend on high speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Set aside.
3. Once cooked, drain the rutabaga and transfer to a food processor. Process for 5-7 seconds or until it has the texture of mashed potatoes, don’t process too much as you want to have a slightly chunky texture.
4. Transfer the mashed rutabaga to a large mixing bowl. Add the blackstrap molasses, cashew cream, salt, and spices. Using a wooden spoon or spatula, mix to combine. Once fully combined, taste and adjust the saltiness to your liking.
5. Preheat oven to 325°F (160°C). Transfer the rutabaga mixture to a baking dish and smooth the top using a spatula. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs evenly on top. You can now use a spoon to make a pattern on top of the gratin, this is optional.
6. Bake for 1 hour, or until the top is golden brown. Let cool a few minutes before serving.
7. This rutabaga grating will make a delicious side dish on your holiday table! It can be served with brussel sprouts, green beans, vegan meatloaf, or even a vegan wellington!

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1
• Calories: 247
• Sugar: 20.4g
• Fat: 9.6g
• Carbohydrates: 37.4g
• Fiber: 5.9g
• Protein: 6.1g