Fake Potatoes Anna | Bewitching Kitchen

Talk about life not being fair. This poor veggie falls quite short on looks, no way to sugar coat that pill. But to add insult to injury, someone decided to name it rutabaga. I mean, c’mon! “Go to sleep now, or the rutabaga will come and get you!” No wonder most people don’t even look at them at the grocery store. My friend Denise tells me that in England they are called swedes, a much more poetic name. I was intrigued, so a quick stroll through Wikipedia-Land brought the light at the end of the tunnel: the name has its roots in old Swedish. Rotabagge from rot (root) + bagge (short, stumpy object). so swede would be a natural choice to name these ugly ducklings. Call it swede, rutabaga, white turnip, or snadger (yeah, that too), this recipe is absolute perfection. I still cannot believe that two ingredients (sliced swedes and butter) plus a little seasoning could result in such a perfect side-dish. Pretty easy on the eyes too. So, get over their funky looks and unfortunate name. Bring them home, get slicing and cooking… Did I mention it is reasonably low-carb?

RUTABAGAS ANNA
(slightly modified from Ketogasm)

2 small rutabagas, thinly sliced
½ stick of butter
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 teaspoons salt

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Slice rutabaga thinly using a mandolin or knife. Reserve the sliced rutabaga in a bowl. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add thyme to melted butter and let it gently simmer for a couple of minutes.
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Pour the melted butter herb mixture over the sliced rutabaga. Ensure the slices are evenly coated by rubbing them all with the butter using your hands. Gloves work wonders here…

Arrange and layer the rutabaga slices, dividing among the muffin tins, larger slices at the bottom, overlapping smaller slices on top. Drizzle any remaining butter over your rutabaga little towers. Cover the muffin tin with foil.

Bake for 35 minutes. Remove foil. Continue baking uncovered for an additional 25-30 minutes, or until the edges are golden and crispy.

ENJOY!

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Comments: I found this recipe over at Ketogasm, a blog that is new to me. Being a huge fan of Potatoes Anna, but rarely indulging in it, I thought that this version with a lower-carb root veggie could be worth trying. We both loved it. The rutabaga gets very creamy, with the crusty edges offering a nice contrast, very similar to the authentic Anna. I don’t usually like to mess with classics, but there’s really nothing bad to say about this version. My only recommendation is to add more slices to the muffin tin than you think you’ll need. The little towers collapse a lot during baking. Next time I’ll start with three rutabagas and make 6 individual portions. We love our leftovers, and I am not finicky about warming up in the microwave for my lunch next day. If you’d like to serve these for company, do the first step of baking, covered, and reserve. Twenty minutes before serving, finish them uncovered. They keep warm for quite some time. You can add different spices, perhaps. Smoked paprika sounds great, maybe a little cumin for a Southwest flair. Great side dish, satisfying without being too heavy.