Homemade Rutabaga Fries with Aioli Dipping Sauce

Recipe and photography provided by Heinen’s partner, Chef Billy Parisi. 

Fire up your ovens this winter and change things up with these incredibly easy, deliciously seasoned rutabaga fries with a simple aioli dipping sauce!

There are so many different vegetables you can use to make fries, but I doubt you’ve ever made them with rutabaga. Rutabaga is a root vegetable that is in peak season during the winter months and looks very similar to a turnip. Rutabagas have a fantastic mild earthy flavor and are incredibly easy to prep.

Just like a turnip, you’ll want to remove the stem and root end and then peel it using a peeler or a paring knife. The next thing to do is, of course, cut them in a fry-like shape, think of McDonald’s french fries for a frame of reference.

Yes, you can absolutely toss these rutabaga fries right into a deep fryer, if you have one, or a pot filled with oil and set to 375°F. Personally, I prefer to roast them in the oven with seasonings to help enhance their flavor. I coated them in olive oil, garlic granules, onion granules, smoked paprika, salt and pepper.

It’s important to spread the seasoned rutabaga fries evenly across a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or foil so that they brown and crisp up. If you stack them too high, they will steam cook and you’ll lose out on a lot of that caramelized flavor from roasting in the oven. Trust me when I say this, spread ’em out!

While these fries are going to be ridiculously tasty, you can also simply roast rutabagas as a part of a root vegetable medley or even rutabaga mash! They are great alternatives to potatoes and are loaded with antioxidants, potassium and fiber.

These rutabaga fries are great for dipping. From fondue to zesty ketchup, they’re fantastic. For me, however, I decided to make a really tasty aioli and it did not disappoint. It’s as simple as whisking together mayonnaise, finely-minced garlic, lemon juice, a bit of Dijon mustard, salt and pepper. That’s it! This aioli goes great with a lot of things, so don’t just limit it to these rutabaga fries.

Well, my friends, let’s get to fry making!!

Rutabaga Fries with Aioli Dipping Sauce

Serves 4

Ingredients

For the Fries

• 6 peeled rutabagas, cut into thick slices
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons garlic granules
• 2 teaspoons onion granules
• ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
• Salt and pepper to taste

For the Aioli

• ½ cup mayonnaise
• 1 finely minced garlic clove
• Juice of ½ lemon
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F.
2. In a large bowl, toss together the rutabaga fries, olive oil, garlic granules, onion granules, paprika, salt and pepper until combined.
3. Spread the fries out on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 25-28 minutes or until browned.
4. For the aioli, whisk together all of the ingredients in a medium-size bowl until combined.
5. Serve the rutabaga fries with the aioli and optional garnish of finely chopped parsley.