Swede for Christmas meal?

I wouldn't have turkey ( or any meat ) on my Christmas dinner plate but for me it's all about having what you like / want . I don't judge .

School dinners put me off mashed swede for life! I can cope with a small amount of swede in with carrots celery etc etc in a casserole but christmas dinner for me ? Ugh no! Each to their own of course

Mashed swede would be quite popular here in NE Scotland. I don’t like it so don’t have it. My guests yesterday were treated to mashed sweet potato instead, as well as roast carrots and parsnips, red cabbage and Brussel sprouts. Plus skirlie, of course.

I've always loved mashed swede, but no longer have the strength in my hands to either peel or chop it - and my husband (aka my carer) does enough for me without preparing a vegetable that he's not keen on eating.
But then I discovered 'the singing swede', something I can manage without help, and, because it's not watery (as when boiled), even my husband enjoys it now!

Surely, it’s not important. Your tradition may not be mine…

Haven’t had mashed swede with Christmas lunch but do love cauliflower cheese. In fact we had cauliflower and broccoli cheese this year and it was delicious, alongside individual homemade yorkshire puddings, plus Roast potatoes, honey roasted carrots and parsnips, pancetta roasted Brussel sprouts alongside Turkey Crown, smoked gammon, pigs in blankets .and lets not forget the stuffing balls.
Yes it was a plateful - delicious and not all of it was eaten - but the dog got a christmas lunch and there are leftovers!

shysal

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.

Swede is a must for our Christmas dinner as is all the other vegetables like cauliflower cheese, rainbow caramelised carrots, broccoli, Caramelised parsnips and sprouts. The more vegetables the better. Bread pudding, pigs in blankets and Yorkshire puddings do nothing for me but the rest of he family love them. You have what you like no one says you have to have it all, if some do good luck to them its once a year we feast and we are all very slim. Please do not be so judgemental, do your own thing and let others do theirs. And yes you may be old fashioned or stuck in your set ways, life changes.

Carrot and Swede. School dinners YUK. Not in my house. l'm afraid.
Belongs with turnips as cattle fodder.
👎

Totally agree with you! The amount of food in some of these ads is obscene! No wonder UK has an obesity crisis...and they say people have no money!

As neither of my parents liked turkey, we always had roast goose with apple and prune stuffing, forcemeat stuffing, boiled potatoes and boiled red cabbage for Christmas dinner on Christmas Eve, followed by the Danish creamed rice dessert.

On Christmas Day we had roast duck(s) with the same vegetables and Christmas pudding with custard or cream afterwards.

At new year we went to family friends where we had roast turkey with absolutely everything, sage and onion stuffing, forcemeat stuffing, chestnut stuffing, bread sauce, chipolata sausages, gravy, boiled potatoes and roast potatoes and (oh dear) brussel sprouts. I always helped myself to as few as possible and ate them first as I loathe and destest them.

Christmas pudding and trifle for dessert.

Bashed neeps in Scotland were definately not Christmas fare, but for winter days when housekeeping money was short, and of course as the obligatory accompaniment to haggis on Burns' night. Fortunately, I like bashed neeps, as I do not like haggis.

I do understand why anyone would want any other vegetable than brussel sprouts. Since I grew up, I have never, ever eaten one.

Totally agree. Turnips are for cattle, not for dinner table.

Turkey stuffed with sausagemeat to my Granny's recipe. Pigs in blankets
Roast potatoes. Roast parsnips
Red cabbage. Sprouts
Bread sauce
GRAVY very important

Yorkshire puddings and cauli cheese if we have beef which does happen some years.

I didn't know until yesterday that red cabbage is a traditional vegetable for Christmas dinner. Apparently it is and it wasn't something I ever had as a child or included for my own family.

Easiest way to cook swede for mash - microwave on high for about 25 minutes until soft. Put it on a plate as some liquid will come out. No need to prick as the root will have been cut away. Let it cool a little bit. Cut in half (this will now be easy to do and scoop out.

Sounds good to me. I would happily eat a plate of vegetables and skip the turkey or any other meat for that matter.

Luckygirl3

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

Must be a sauerkraut 😋

I have nasty memories of mashed swede and turnip for school dinners…. Don’t touch either. Adding Yorkshire puddings seems to be a more modern addition, …or ? Northern… ? Never had it with anything but a roast beef dinner! Was out to a local groups Xmas dinner at a restaurant and Yorkshire filled with with gravy came with it. No thanks. I like a good Yorkshire with some meats, mainly beef, but filled with black gravy sort of defeats the object?
I cooked ( for myself 🐷 ) a standard Turkey breast with stuffing, crisp bacon, roast potatoes, Brussels with chestnuts, roast parsnips and roast carrots, pigs in blankets, cranberry sauce and lashings of bread sauce…. That will keep me going for a few days!! Yum! ( No gravy… or if you MUST have some, a nice light tasty one! ) HEAVEN . Always better on Boxing Day when you can just re-heat, no cooking per se. Tho will need another batch of bread sauce tomorrow! 😎

Millie22

I didn't know until yesterday that red cabbage is a traditional vegetable for Christmas dinner. Apparently it is and it wasn't something I ever had as a child or included for my own family.

No nor me
In fact as I ordered a pack of veg from Tesco… it automatically came with it … not touched it it’s still in the fridge
SUGGESTIONS PLEASE. ? Can it be frozen. Is it worth bothering with?

suelld

Millie22

I didn't know until yesterday that red cabbage is a traditional vegetable for Christmas dinner. Apparently it is and it wasn't something I ever had as a child or included for my own family.

No nor me
In fact as I ordered a pack of veg from Tesco… it automatically came with it … not touched it it’s still in the fridge
SUGGESTIONS PLEASE. ? Can it be frozen. Is it worth bothering with?

Yes, it can be frozen (if it hasn't been already) and is good with sausage and mash too 🙂

Allira

suelld

Millie22

I didn't know until yesterday that red cabbage is a traditional vegetable for Christmas dinner. Apparently it is and it wasn't something I ever had as a child or included for my own family.

No nor me
In fact as I ordered a pack of veg from Tesco… it automatically came with it … not touched it it’s still in the fridge
SUGGESTIONS PLEASE. ? Can it be frozen. Is it worth bothering with?

Yes, it can be frozen (if it hasn't been already) and is good with sausage and mash too 🙂

Ps is it prepared or just a red cabbage?
It does take a bit of preparation if done properly.

JackyB

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.

JackyB, one can buy swedes in all supermarkets in Germany during the autumn and winter seasons. Lovely big fresh specimens. Just look for Steckrüben or Kohlrüben. These are not to be confused with the little Mairüben that are as close to turnips as one can get here in Germany.

I completely agree with you. Sickening avarice and gluttony promoted on adverts and cooking programmes. Only serves to widen the gap between those that don't have and those having so much they don't even notice the gap.

I do love swede mashed with carrots and black pepper. For Christmas dinner at my eldest daughter's it was a choice of 3 meats, pigs in blankets, roast potatoes and five different vegetables, no swede but did include cauliflower cheese and Yorkshire pudding (one of meats was beef but grandchildren love them with any roast meats). I wouldn't say we're expected to overfill our plates - I think especially with carveries some people have the mentality of I've paid and going to have my money's worth. I can't think of anything more off putting than an overfull plate.

@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."

I had all the above plus sprouts and red cabbage. 13 items!! Didn't feel like gluttony tho. That was all I ate yesterday and had the leftovers heated up today!