I have a new favorite veggie, Rutabaga Fries. Sounds like a deep-fried bit of delicious goodness, right? Nope. This is roasted on a sheet pan and is super low calorie and low carb while being super high on the deliciousness scale!
Ever heard of them? I hadn’t either, but my friend recommended them to me. Mercy, am I glad I tried them. Time for the best secret of them all: these take just a few minutes to roast and taste divine. Those are two of my favorite things in a vegetable dish.
What is a Rutabaga?
First and foremost, rutabaga is part of the cabbage family along with turnips! That was a huge shock to me as I would have placed it as a generic “root vegetables” along with potatoes and carrots. If your rutabaga comes with leaves, no worries! These can be added to soups and stews!
Here is a photo of the rutabaga as you’ll find in the stores. The skin is really delicate, so it will almost always have a wax coating. Don’t eat that. Yuck!
These are easy to peel with a potato peeler, so spend a few minutes and remove the skin.
How to Cut a Rutabaga?
One: Peel the rutabaga’s outer skin off with a potato peeler.
Two: Cut the rutabaga in half using a heavy knife.
Three: Cut ½ inch slices out of each half.
Four: Cut ½ inch fries from each slice.
That’s it. You’ll spend a few minutes peeling, but after that you’ll have these fries cut to size in no time.
How to Make Rutabaga Fries
After cutting the rutabaga, toss the pieces into a large mixing bowl and add a little bit of olive oil and salt and pepper. Get your hands in there and mix it up to make sure the fries are coated very lightly.
Note: If you use too much oil, it may pool on your sheet pan. That will result in soggy (not crisp) fries. No one wants soggy fries, right? 😁
Line your sheet pan with parchment paper and preheat your oven. This recipe is very sensitive to oven temperature. Too cool, and the fries won’t brown. Too warm, and it may burn. I use a separate oven thermometer just to make sure the temp is where I want it.
Pour the fries on to the parchment-lined sheet pan and arrange them so they are spread evenly, and on a single layer. You don’t want overlapping veggies here.
Place them in the oven to roast. Half way through, take the sheet pan out and turn the rutabaga over to have another side brown.
What Does Rutabaga Taste Like
If this is your first time trying a rutabaga, don’t worry. It has a slightly tangy flavor. This vegetable is a cross between a cabbage and a turnip and the resultant flavor is rich and earthy. It is often paired with carrots and the tangy and sweet mix blends well together.
It is much less starchy that a potato, and is significantly more flavorful. While it is often served with a bit of butter or cream, it doesn’t need it. You’ll find this vegetable in many roasted root vegetable recipes with carrots, turnips, parsnips, and potatoes. It is also a staple in many soups and stews.
If you like Rutabaga Fries, make sure to check out these other recipes found at the farmers market!
Mashed Rutabaga with Chives – This is such a delicious alternative to a mashed potatoes! Since the rutabaga has a little bit of a sweet taste to it, it doesn’t need much to make it an incredible side dish.
Sheet Pan Roasted Brussel Sprout Stalk – One of my all time favorite brussel sprout recipes out there! It is so fancy that you can serve this for fall holidays or for weekend dinners with friends! Brushed with olive oil and sprinkled with parmesan cheese, this side dish will please everyone!
Sheet Pan Roasted Delicata Squash – This was my all time favorite side dish for 2019! I talked about this recipe to anyone that would talk to me! It drove me to be crazy in love with this one!! So easy and impressive all at the same time!
Roasted Mediterranean Vegetables – We love sheet pan vegetables that we can throw on the sheet pan and walkway! This one is a true winner as just a small bit of spices takes generic vegetables to a whole new level.
Honey Balsamic Roasted Carrots – Another classic from our house that we eat like it is candy! Read the post! We ate it right off the sheet pan with our fingers (if that is too much honesty, I’m sorry!) but they are that good!
Roasted Beets and Carrots – Golden beets are the star here! If you have never tried beets, this is your opportunity to gently dip your taste buds into a dish that is going to win you over! They shine next to the carrots that are always a crowd pleaser coming off of a sheet pan!
Rutabaga Fries
Ingredients
- 1 large rutabaga peeled, cut into fries
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Peel the rutabaga, cut in half and then cut into fries.
- Toss the fries in olive oil and then sprinkle with garlic powder, pepper and sea salt.
- Roast for 20 minutes to get crispy.
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