We are in Connecticut for the Thanksgiving holiday visiting Chris’s family. The kids love hiking in the country and seeing their cousins. Tonight we roasted marshmallows over a roaring bonfire. The GIANT full moon was a total bonus we’ll never forget.

We’re celebrating Thanksgiving at Chris’s brother’s house, so tonight I prepared a couple dishes to bring tomorrow. I made a cheesy corn casserole – I’ve never tried the recipe before, but with cheese, bacon and garlic it seems like a crowd pleaser…

…on the other end of the spectrum I also prepared mashed rutabegas. Rutabega is probably an acquired taste if you’ve never tried it. The vegetable is earthy and slightly bitter (kind of like a turnip), but the butter and cream cheese really round out the flavor.  I can’t say this dish is a guaranteed crowd pleaser, but it was at every holiday dinner when I was growing up (my Uncle Mark’s version is nothing short of a family legend). It just wouldn’t be Thanksgiving (for me) without a big bowl of mashed root vegetable!

Mashed Rutabega

2 rutabega, peeled and diced

4 oz cream cheese

2 tablespoons butter

1/4 – 1/2 cup whole milk

salt, pepper

Put diced rutabega into a large pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil and simmer until tender (about 25 minutes). Drain and return to pot.

Add butter, cream cheese and half of the milk to the pot. Mash to desired consistency (some people like it smooth, but I like a bit of chunkiness). Season with salt and pepper to taste.