A perfect side dish for turkey - A trio of root vegetables

We all have something that without it it is not really Christmas or thanksgiving dinner. For me it is brusselsprouts, for my friend Nancy it is apple and cabbage salad, for my late father in law it was turnip!

His five children and wife did not necessarily agree, as they did not like turnips, so his devoted only daughter found this recipe that includes turnip but hides the strong flavour that often puts people off. I now always make this dish for a turkey dinner as do my friends in fact it has almost userped the position of the brusselsprout, (but not quite), so thank you Mary Anne.

What makes this especially good for a turkey dinner is you do all the work ahead and then throw in to the oven to heat up when the turkey is out, resting and being carved.

Equal quantities of
Yams - I used 2 medium
Carrots - I used 4 large
Turnip - I used 1 large
Butter to taste - I used about a 4 tablespoon
Black pepper to taste

Topping
1/2 cup of breadcrumbs
1/4 cup of chopped fresh parsley
Grated rind of 1 lemon

Chop up the vegetables into even sizes

Put them in to separate pots of cold salted water and cook until soft, they all take a slightly different time to cook, which is why I cook them separately.

Using every pot in the kitchen again!

When they are cooked drain (apologize to the dish washer if it is not you) and pour all in to a large bowl.
Add the butter and a good crank of fresh black pepper. Mash with a potato masher until all the vegetables are well mixed together.  I do not like to completely puree them, but leave a little of the texture, kind of like a lumpy mashed potato but so much better.

Put the mashed vegetables into an oven proof casserole dish.  Combine the topping ingredients together in a small bowl.

Topping

Sprinkle this on to the top of the vegetables.  This can be made the day ahead up to this point Just cover with Plastic wrap or foil and refrigerate until about an hour before the turkey comes out of the oven, so that it can come back to room temperature. As soon as the turkey comes out put it in the oven.  When you are ready to eat it will be hot and ready.

Ready for the oven

I was lucky to have two turkey dinners this weekend (no food for me today) and both times we had this dish and both times it was a perfect accompaniment.