As good warm as hot, this is a nice homey casserole to go with a roast or other dish in the spirit of Sunday dinner. Other vegetables you can prepare this way: rutabagas are not only traditional but wonderful, but other turnips are great too, as are carrots, potatoes, parsnips, and celeriac (celery root).

　　

Ingredients

makes 4 to 6 servings

　　Salt and black pepper to taste

　　2 medium rutabagas (yellow turnips), about 2 pounds, peeled and cut into chunks

　　1/2 cup bread crumbs, preferably homemade (page 580)

　　1/2 cup cream, half-and-half, or milk

　　2 eggs

　　Small grating of nutmeg

　　1 tablespoon butter, plus some for greasing the pan

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add salt. Add the rutabaga and cook until it is quite soft, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain thoroughly.

　　

Step 2

Put the rutabaga in a food processor with the bread crumbs, cream, and eggs; puree, stopping the machine to scrape down its sides if necessary. Stir in the nutmeg, then taste and add salt and pepper as needed.

　　

Step 3

Butter a baking dish that will hold the puree at a depth of about 1 inch (you can also bake the pudding in individual ramekins). Dot the top of the pudding with butter and bake until firm and lightly browned on top, about 1 hour.

　　The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. © 2005 by Mark Bittman. Published by Broadway Books. All Rights Reserved.MARK BITTMAN is the author of the blockbuster The Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.