At Thanksgiving, the mashed potatoes get the big bowl and the gravy boat parked right beside them. I think these old-fashioned mashed turnips deserve a spot within elbowing distance. They're buttery and a little peppery, with an optional drizzle of nutty brown butter. If you grew up with turnips on the holiday table, you already know why I'm making room.
Table of Contents
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🥰 Are these mashed turnips for you?
- You miss the old Thanksgiving sides. Give the turnips a spot next to the dressing and see who says, "I haven't had these in years."
- Your oven is booked solid. These cook on the stovetop in one pot. I used a food processor to mash them, and a potato masher works if you like a chunkier texture.
- You like a little bite in a buttery side. Turnips have an earthy, peppery flavor that holds its own next to roast turkey and gravy.
🧾 Ingredients
Pick firm turnips that feel heavy for their size. The rest is mostly pantry stuff. Keep the evaporated milk handy in case you need it.
- Turnips. Look for small to medium ones with smooth skin. Save the enormous one for the county fair or carving into turnip-o-lanterns.
- Kosher salt and salted butter. Salt the cooking water, then taste the mash after the butter goes in.
- Evaporated milk. Optional. If the mash feels too thick, stir in warm evaporated milk a tablespoon at a time. If the texture is right, skip it.
- Black pepper and garlic powder. Just enough to perk things up without holding a press conference.
- Fresh thyme. A little over the top for color if you've got it.
🍴 The fork test for mashed turnips
📖 Recipe
Old-Fashioned Mashed Turnips
Print Pin Recipe Rate RecipeIngredients
- 2 pounds turnips, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
- 1½ teaspoons kosher salt , for the cooking water plus more to taste
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 4 tablespoons evaporated milk, optional, warmed, use only as needed (up to 4 tablespoons)
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped, optional, for garnish
- 2 tablespoons butter, browned for optional garnish
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add 1½ teaspoons kosher salt. Add the turnips and return the water to a gentle boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until one of the largest pieces crushes easily all the way through when pressed with a fork. Start checking around 20 minutes. The timing depends on the turnips and the size of the pieces.
- Drain the turnips well in a colander. Return them to the pot over low heat and stir gently for 1 to 2 minutes to cook off excess moisture.
- Take the pot off the heat. Mash the turnips with the butter, black pepper, and garlic powder, or transfer them to a food processor and pulse with the butter and seasonings until they reach your preferred texture.
- Check the texture before adding milk. If the mash is too thick, stir in warm evaporated milk 1 tablespoon at a time, using up to 4 tablespoons. If the mash is already the consistency you like, skip the milk.
- Taste and adjust the salt and pepper. Spoon into a serving bowl and, if using, drizzle with brown butter and sprinkle with fresh thyme. Serve warm.
Notes
- Cut the turnips into even pieces. Aim for about an inch so they cook at roughly the same rate. One oversized chunk can hold up the whole pot.
- Pulse for the texture you want. I used a food processor for the batch in the photos. Short pulses let you keep a little texture. A potato masher works well if you like a chunkier mash.
- Save the brown butter for the table. Make a few shallow swirls with the back of a spoon, then drizzle the butter over the top. Scrape in those toasted brown bits, too. That's where the nutty flavor is.
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
This recipe has been tested several times. If you choose to use other ingredients, or change the technique in some way, the results may not be the same.
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🔪 Instructions
Here's the short version. The trick to a good mash is getting rid of the extra water before the butter goes in.
- Simmer the turnip chunks in salted water until a fork slides easily into the largest pieces.
- Drain well, then return the turnips to the pot over low heat and stir briefly to cook off excess moisture.
- Mash with the butter, pepper, and garlic powder. I pulsed mine in the food processor. If the mash is thicker than you like, stir in warm evaporated milk a tablespoon at a time.
- Taste for salt and pepper, then finish with fresh thyme if you like.
I used a food processor for the turnips you see here. The potato masher in the photos was there for styling, but you can use one for a coarser mash.
🧈 How to make brown butter
😱 What can go wrong (and how to fix it)
🧈 The mash is watery. If the turnips still look wet after draining, stir them in the pot over low heat before adding the butter. I skipped the milk entirely in my batch. I suspect my turnips held on to a little water after draining. Check the texture after mashing and add milk only if the mash is too thick.
🧈 There are hard bits in the mash. If the centers are still firm, simmer the turnips a little longer before draining. If the pieces are tender and you just want a smoother mash, give them a few short pulses in the food processor.
🧈 It tastes flat. Taste after mashing in the salted butter, then add kosher salt a pinch at a time.
👩🏻🍳 FAQs
Turnips taste earthy and a little peppery, with a slight bitterness that can be more noticeable in larger roots. Butter softens that edge.
Lift one of the largest pieces out of the pot and press it against a plate with a fork. If it squashes easily all the way through, the turnips are ready. If the center is still firm, simmer a few minutes longer and check again. The timing depends on the turnips and how large you cut the pieces.
🍽 What to serve with mashed turnips
For Thanksgiving, spoon these alongside roast turkey, Crockpot cornbread dressing, and Mom's creamed onions. On a regular Sunday, put them next to a pot roast and let a little gravy run into the turnips.
📚 More old-fashioned side dish recipes
🏡 Back on the Thanksgiving table
Did y'all grow up with mashed turnips at Thanksgiving? Tell me how your family made them. I want to know whose grandma used the good butter and whose put the gravy boat directly in front of herself.
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