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Christmas

Swede for Christmas meal?

(131 Posts)
shysal Sat 20-Dec-25 08:48:48

I have seen several mentions on TV of mashed swede. It is not something I have ever considered for the main meal. Has this always been a 'thing'?
It seems we are expected to overfill our plates these days. Call me old fashioned but we never used to have cauliflower cheese or Yorkshire puddings. I love my food and have a healthy appetite, but it makes me feel sick to see the piled up tables and plates on the adverts.

Grandmabatty Sat 20-Dec-25 08:53:20

I love mashed turnip (swede) with pepper and butter, however I wouldn't have it on a Christmas dinner.

Astitchintime Sat 20-Dec-25 08:54:00

I’ve made swedey mash for Christmas dinner in the past………boiled along with the potatoes and mashed up together with black pepper and an unhealthy large knob of butter! Delicious!

JackyB Sat 20-Dec-25 08:56:39

Swede is very difficult to get hold of here in Germany. So if I ever see it I get some to go with the Sunday roast, as it's my favourite vegetable.

For any roast dinner including Christmas lunch I reckon to put out as many vegetables as there are people at the table. I decide which ones these are to be when I go shopping on the days leading up to Christmas.

Mostly they are just boiled and tossed in a little butter (fortunately don't have any vegans to cater for, but if I did I'd use olive oil). As I only have four burners on the hob, some will have to be done in the microwave.

But to keep it colourful, Swede, carrots and sweet corn are a very welcome addition.

MartavTaurus Sat 20-Dec-25 09:01:39

Swede mash is very popular here, with all ages. We've never not had it.
I'm driving 8 miles today to buy ones that are always perfect
Yes, add lots of butter and black pepper to mash.
I guess Christmas is a time for piling it high with allsorts. I doubt whether people do that normally?

sodapop Sat 20-Dec-25 09:05:15

I love mashed swede as well shysal if you enjoy it add it to the plate. I don't like cauliflower cheese as an addition. I dislike having too much on my plate as well I prefer to go back for a little more if I want it.

petra Sat 20-Dec-25 09:07:40

Just because there is a very varied selection of vegetables you don’t have to pile your plate with them.
You can have a small amount of each. ‘

Rosie51 Sat 20-Dec-25 09:09:47

Carrot and swede mash is very popular in my house and always served with the Christmas meal.

Jaxjacky Sat 20-Dec-25 09:12:05

We’ve always had mashed swede in my family, not only for Christmas either, as petra said, it’s not obligatory to pile up your plate. We don’t have cauli cheese or yorkshires.

Grandmadinosaur Sat 20-Dec-25 09:25:37

In our family we’ve never had swede with Christmas lunch. In fact it isn’t a veg we have very often at all. Don’t know why as I do like it.

Cabbie21 Sat 20-Dec-25 09:28:14

My husband liked mashed swede, but I wouldn’t bother with it at Christmas.

BlueBelle Sat 20-Dec-25 09:43:27

I quite like mashed swede but not something I cook often although I do often cook butternut squash yummy
I don’t think there’s any rules about what you can have on your plate for Christmas have what you like

merlotgran Sat 20-Dec-25 09:49:13

I love three root mash - swede, carrot and parsnip with butter and black pepper but not with Christmas dinner.

Lovemylife Sat 20-Dec-25 09:50:00

I used to have it mashed with black pepper and a little chopped up bacon, but haven’t had it for years.

Sago Sat 20-Dec-25 09:51:36

If you were to go full on then a plate of food on the big day could comprise of;

Turkey, roast potatoes, carrots, parsnips, peas, cauliflower cheese, stuffing, pigs in blankets, bread sauce, gravy and Yorkshire puddings.

This is 11 items!

It’s sheer gluttony.

We don’t have cauliflower cheese or Yorkshire puddings, we save either the pigs in blankets or the stuffing to have on Boxing Day.

It’s a Sunday roast not a last supper.

Mazgg Sat 20-Dec-25 10:33:53

I love mashed turnip (swede) but find it's not the dark orange colour it used to be other than Sunday lunch in a restaurant a couple of weeks ago .
Those I've bought over the last few years have been more yellow, hard to peel and stringy

Spinnaker Sat 20-Dec-25 10:35:19

Sago

If you were to go full on then a plate of food on the big day could comprise of;

Turkey, roast potatoes, carrots, parsnips, peas, cauliflower cheese, stuffing, pigs in blankets, bread sauce, gravy and Yorkshire puddings.

This is 11 items!

It’s sheer gluttony.

We don’t have cauliflower cheese or Yorkshire puddings, we save either the pigs in blankets or the stuffing to have on Boxing Day.

It’s a Sunday roast not a last supper.

Wot, no mash 😂😂😂😂

RosieandherMaw Sat 20-Dec-25 10:36:10

Whatever veg you feel like!
I favour red cabbage done to my family East Prussian recipe, but some like “bashed neeps” - and why not.
A dash of orange juice along with butter (not milk) at the mashing stage is good.

MartavTaurus Sat 20-Dec-25 10:36:20

You forgot the sprouts and red cabbage Sago!
13

Farmor15 Sat 20-Dec-25 10:44:13

We'll be having 3 Swedes for Christmas dinner- son's partner and their 2 childrensmile

Esmay Sat 20-Dec-25 10:56:58

I love buttery , peppery mashed swede with my Christmas lunch .

Luckygirl3 Sat 20-Dec-25 10:58:51

We had a German visitor who was horrified when I served mashed swede .... cattle food as far as ge was concerned.

Elusivebutterfly Sat 20-Dec-25 11:00:25

I like mashed swede, but it is hard to peel and then I can't mash it well enough to get the lumps out. I just serve it boiled, but not with Christmas dinner.

Calendargirl Sat 20-Dec-25 11:02:26

I think back to Christmas dinner as we grew up.

Always had a fresh farmyard brace of ducks, a present from a farmer uncle.

Accompanied by mashed potatoes, Brussels sprouts, sage and onion stuffing inside the ducks, apple sauce, gravy.

Then Christmas pudding with sweet white sauce, as Dad preferred it to custard.

Mum didn’t like vegetables, I don’t think we had anything but the sprouts.

Luckily I love them.

Certainly never had roast potatoes, loads of veg, Yorkshire puddings, bread sauce, cauliflower cheese, Paxo stuffing….

Were we deprived? Perhaps, but it was what we were used to.

Never had turkey.

Allira Sat 20-Dec-25 11:05:16

Grandmabatty

I love mashed turnip (swede) with pepper and butter, however I wouldn't have it on a Christmas dinner.

Ditto.

I used to mash it with carrots, onions, black pepper and butter at Christmas but not now.