Mashed turnips made extra creamy with the addition of sour cream! These mashed turnips make a nice side dish for any night, but they make a great low carb side dish at holiday dinners too!
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With the holiday coming up, I’ve been working on our menu and trying to fit in as many low carb options as I can.
I want food that my entire family will enjoy, so there will certainly be a few carb-y dishes, but I’m sneaking in lower carb options where possible.
These mashed turnips are one of the dishes that I’ll be serving in addition to mashed potatoes.
These might look like mashed potatoes, but chances are good that you will NOT fool anyone. They don’t taste like potatoes – they taste like turnips! And that’s totally okay, you guys – turnips are delicious in their own right. 🙂
Keep reading for some tips and tricks on making this recipe and picking the best turnips for the job or keep on scrolling down for the recipe card.
How to cook turnips:
Making mashed turnips is honestly just as easy as making mashed potatoes – the method is basically the same.
Peel your tunips and cut them into small chunks.
You’ll want to cut the ends off as well.
Bring them to a boil and cook until soft – about 35 minutes or so.
Add in your dairy and mash!
We’re using cream cheese, sour cream, and heavy cream in these mashed turnips because I wanted them to be extra creamy and tasty!
I also stirred in some chives to give these mashed turnips a sour cream and chive vibe. Yum!!
You can skip the sour cream and chives if you don’t love those flavors. Add a little butter, if you like!
What do turnips taste like:
Younger, smaller turnips tend to be a little sweet, while older, larger turnips are more bitter. I always choose smaller turnips.
The best way to decide if you like the taste of turnips is to just try them!
My favorite way to eat a turnip is here: roasted turnips. They are most similar to potatoes when cooked in that manner and the roasting brings out their natural sweetness.
Even the smaller turnips have more bitterness than a potato does, though. Don’t expect these to fool anyone. They’re not potatoes, even though they look a bit like them here.
More low carb holiday dinner recipes:
Turnips au Gratin: Cheesy + creamy!
Cauliflower Mac and Cheese: This recipe really is the best!
Green Beans Almondine: Fresh green beans are the best, aren’t they?
Balsamic Roasted Brussels Sprouts: The balsamic gives these such an amazing flavor.
Mashed Cauliflower: A classic, but my method makes really excellent mash!
Mashed Turnips
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds turnips
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons cream cheese
- 2 tablespoons sour cream
- 1 tablespoon chopped chives
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Wash and peel the turnips. Remove the ends and cut the turnips into quarters.
- Add the turnips to a pot and cover with water. Bring the water to a boil, cooking the turnips for about 35 minutes or until easily pierced with a fork.
- Drain the liquid from the pot and turn off the heat. Add the cream, cream cheese, and sour cream.
- Use a potato masher to mash the turnips. For a smoother consistency, use an immersion blender to mash the turnips.
- Season with chives and salt.
- Serve hot.
Karlen says
Can you make these 2 days ahead?
Karly Campbell says
Yes, that should work fine.
Lisa Crowder says
I made these last night for my family. They all loved them! We are trying to eat low-carb, so I am so happy that they liked them. I thought I might try sprinkling a few instant potatoes in them to give them a little more body.
Karly Campbell says
So glad these were a hit, Lisa!
BJ says
I try most of your recipes. I love turnips… I cannot eat nightshades sooo Turnips & Radishes are my “potatoes”. Turnips are delicious when sliced and put into ice water, drained & eaten as a snack! My teenagers & their friends used to like having them along with other sliced veggies as well as apples and other fruits. We never had potato chips and such. But all the kids/friends dug in with delight.
Karly Campbell says
Oh, I’ve never tried raw turnips like that, but now I will! Great idea!
Sarah says
What is the serving size. It’s great to know how many servings are in the “potatoes”, but without a serving size, I dont know how much I can eat. And please dont just say 1/6th of it. That’s obvious. How much is 1/6th?
Karly Campbell says
I didn’t measure it by volume. My only answer is 1/6th. 🙂
Gail says
Were do I find your Buffalo Sauce to put on Stuffed Buffalo Chicken.
Thanks
Gail
Karly Campbell says
Any grocery store should sell buffalo sauce near the hot sauce/BBQ sauce/ketchup area.
Carla says
We love mashed turnips! I parboil them, which helps take the bitterness out. Have always used butter, cream & sweetener, but will give your recipe a try. I love cream cheese & sour cream.
Vickie says
Thanks for the recipe! I would like you to clarify the size of turnips. Would you consider turnips the size of a tennis ball small? Or are you buying even smaller turnips than that? Just want some kind of reference point for size. Have a Happy Easter!
Valerie Thompson says
HOW DO I STOP THESE RECIPE NOTIFICATIONS?
Karly Campbell says
Hi Valerie,
If you’re receiving email notifications, you can hit the unsubscribe button at the bottom of your email. If you’re receiving desktop notifications, it will depend on your browser. Just google ‘unsubscribe from desktop notifications Chrome’ (or Explorer or Safari – whatever you use).