Lemon Butter Thanksgiving Rutabega

My very favorite food for Thanksgiving is... rutabega! That's right. My Grandma Helen mashed it up and served it on her table and my mother, her daughter, carried on the tradition. My mom wanted a slightly different recipe, and today we have lemon butter rutabega on our table every Turkey Day. It's the perfect complement to the heavy sweet potatoes and mashed potatoes, and the lemon cuts some of the sweetness in the other dishes. Here's how to make it:

Here's a rutabega:

Peel the rutabega (this part is a beyotch. It's got a waxy coating all over it, so make sure you have a great peeler or a sharp knife.), and ignore my tea cup:

 Once the rutabega is peeled, cut it into chunks. You will mash these eventually, so they don't have to be pretty. Boil the rutabega until soft. You'll want them to be the texture of boiled potatoes before you mash them. Drain the rutabega.

Juice one lemon into a small bowl. I broke my mom's handheld juicer, so she showed me this cool trick (let it be known she did not want to be on the blog. But I got her hands, BOOM!): Heat them lemon in the microwave for about 15 seconds. Then, cut in half and place in the lever of a pair of tongs. Squeeze- you're in business!

Add the lemon juice, a pinch of Kosher salt and about 4 Tbsp of butter to the rutabega while hot and proceed to mash.

Serve as a perfect an unexpected side dish.