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Homemade Sweet Potato and Rutabaga Swirl
Sweet potatoes, roasted until deeply tender and mashed with rich butter, meet a savory rutabaga puree in this striking two-tone side dish. Boiling the rutabaga and russet potatoes with bacon infuses them with a subtle, smoky depth that perfectly balances the natural sweetness of the orange mash. You'll spoon the two mixtures side by side and gently swirl them together for a presentation that looks as good as it tastes. It's a fantastic way to upgrade your usual holiday spread or bring something special to a Sunday roast.
Ingredients
- 5 large (4 lb. total) sweet potatoes, scrubbed
- 5 tsp. vegetable oil
- 6 bacon slices
- 1 (2-lb.) rutabaga, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
- 1 large (1-lb.) russet potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
- Pinch of granulated sugar
- 2 tsp. kosher salt, divided
- ½ tsp. black pepper, divided
- ½ cup unsalted butter, plus more for serving (optional)
Instructions
- 1Heat the oven to 400°F and arrange the rack in the lowest position. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Use a paring knife to pierce the sweet potatoes evenly 8 to 10 times.
- 2Coat each sweet potato with 1 teaspoon of the vegetable oil and set them on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and 30 minutes until the skins appear loose and sunken.
- 3Cook the bacon in a large, heavy saucepan over medium-high heat for 6 to 8 minutes. Let the bacon brown and render its fat, leaving the drippings in the pan. The rendered fat creates a smoky base for boiling the vegetables.
- 4Place the rutabaga chunks into the saucepan with the bacon and pour in enough water to cover the vegetables by 2 inches. Bring the liquid to a boil over high heat, then lower the heat to medium and let it cook undisturbed for 20 minutes.
- 5Drop the russet potato chunks into the boiling water. Continue cooking for about 20 minutes until both the rutabaga and russet potato are completely tender.
- 6Drain the water from the rutabaga and russet potato, and discard the boiled bacon. Move the cooked vegetables to a food processor or food mill and pulse until smoothly blended, then transfer the mixture to a medium bowl.
- 7Mix the granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon of the kosher salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of the black pepper into the pureed rutabaga mixture until fully incorporated.
- 8Peel the skins off the warm roasted sweet potatoes and discard them. Put the sweet potato flesh into a separate bowl along with the unsalted butter, the remaining 1 teaspoon of salt, and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper. Mash everything until smooth and creamy.
- 9Scoop the seasoned rutabaga mixture into one half of a large serving bowl and spoon the mashed sweet potato mixture into the opposite half. Drag a knife gently through both mixtures to form a decorative swirl pattern of orange and pale yellow.
Notes
- Serving: Offer extra butter on the side for those who want an even richer mash.
- Make ahead: You can roast the sweet potatoes up to a day in advance and store them in the fridge until you're ready to mash.
- Equipment: A food mill yields the silkiest texture for the rutabaga, but a food processor works perfectly well.