Root Vegetable Mash (Butternut Squash)

This is one of our family recipes that we make every Thanksgiving and Christmas as a side dish and it is a great way to use up some of those veggies from your garden. It is one of my favourites and I make it every year for the holidays. I make a huge batch of it and freeze the leftovers for warming up to go with other meals later on.

1 medium butternut squash
1 large parsnip
1 rutabaga or 2 turnips
2 medium yellow onions
3 carrots
½ cup (1 stick) butter
½ cup cream
1 tsp. dried thyme more or less to taste
½ tsp. sea salt
¼ tsp. black pepper, freshly ground

Peel the butternut squash, parsnip, rutabaga (or turnips) and carrots. Slice carrots and parsnips and onions into ¼" pieces.

Chop onion slices again in opposite direction into ½" pieces. Chop butternut squash and rutabaga (or turnips) into ½"-1" pieces.

Add all vegetables to large pot and cover well with water. Bring to boil and boil for +/- 15 minutes until all vegetables are soft enough to mash.

Drain vegetables (reserving the liquid for use in other soups/stews later). Add back to pot. Add butter, cream, thyme, salt and pepper to taste and mash to your preferred consistency. Serve hot.