Slow Cooker Rumbledethumps

Slow Cooker Rumbledethumps is my version of the traditional Scottish Borders side dish. It’s a delicious combination of potato, swede and cabbage with a cheesy topping. I’ve adapted this recipe to make it extra easy to make in your slow cooker. It’s a really tasty side dish to serve with grilled meats, stews and, of course, haggis!

What is Rumbledethumps?

Rumbledethumps is such a funny name for a recipe. The Scots Dictionary gives a definition under rummle, rumel, and rummeled tatties (potatoes) are violently bashed or mashed. It describes the dish of Rumblethumps, rumley thump, rumelty-thumps also called Rumbledethumps as mashed potatoes with cabbage, sometimes with onions and sometimes with mashed turnip (swede).

Rumbledethumps has been compared to the Orkney dish of Clapshot which contains chives, Irish Colcannon and English Bubble and Squeak. All of these recipes have similar ingredients and are often made using leftover vegetables.

Why make Slow Cooker Rumbledethumps?

Although it’s traditional to make Rumbledethumps with leftovers I like to make them from scratch. I cook the potatoes and swede together in the slow cooker in a similar way to how I cook my Slow Cooker Stovies, then add the cooked cabbage and top the vegetables with some grated cheese. It’s such a tasty and filling meat-free dish that can be eaten on its own or served as a side dish.

What ingredients do I need to make Rumbledethumps?

This really is a simple dish with familiar ingredients, here is what you will need:

• Potatoes
• Swede (turnip/neeps/rutabaga)
• Butter
• Cabbage or Kale
• Cheddar Cheese

What kind of potatoes should I use?

I use Desiree potatoes which I grow in my garden. They make a nice smooth mash. They also hold their shape well when cooked in the slow cooker and don’t disintegrate.

Alternative good mashing varieties are:

• Vivaldi
• Russet
• Yukon Gold

You can read more about different UK potato varieties and what to use for different recipes at Love Potatoes.

What exactly is Swede?

Swede is a round vegetable with purple-green skin and yellowy-orange flesh. It’s also known as yellow turnip, Swedish turnip and Russian turnip and, in America, rutabaga. In Scotland we call this vegetable Turnip or neeps. Bashed neeps (mashed turnip) is always served with haggis on Burns Night. Rumbledethumps is a good alternative to mashed swede. Or you could try another really delicious way to serve swede like Air Fryer Roasted Swede, the roasting really brings out the sweetness of this versatile vegetable.

Can I use oil instead of butter in the Rumbledethumps?

Yes, use mild flavoured vegetable oil such as rape seed oil (canola) or sunflower oil.

What kind of cabbage should I use?

I use finely shredded Savoy Cabbage . This is a dark green cabbage with crinkly leaves. I boil or steam the cabbage in the microwave for only two or three minutes before adding to the mashed potato and swede. Use any dark green cabbage or kale. If you chop it very finely and mix it in well it’s a great way to get reluctant veg eaters to eat cabbage!

Why add cheese to the Slow Cooker Rumbledethumps?

I like to add some grated cheese to the top of the Rumbledethumps in its serving dish. I pop it under the grill (broiler) to melt the cheese and get it nice and toasty. Cheese isn’t part of the original traditional recipe, however it does appear in some recipes and it really lifts the flavour of the dish. By all means leave it out of the recipe if you prefer.

Why does this recipe not contain onions?

Like most traditional recipes there are many variations. I do sometimes add a sliced (brown) onion to the slow cooker with the potatoes and swede. Or you can saute some onions and mix them into the mashed veg at that stage. I prefer to serve Slow Cooker Rumbledethumps as a side dish and without the onion. This is entirely my personal preference, so go ahead and add onion if you wish.

Can I make Slow Cooker Rumbledethumps ahead of time?

Yes, you certainly can. Put it into an ovenproof serving dish without the grated cheese. Cover the dish with foil and store in the fridge until you are ready to serve it. Reheat in the oven at 180C for 20 minutes then remove the foil, add the grated cheese and return to the oven for 10 minutes until the cheese is bubbling and starting to brown.

If you prefer to reheat the rumbledethumps in the microwave, then store in a microwavable serving dish and reheat on full power for 8-10 minutes. The mash is quite dense so check that it is fully heated all the way through.

Sprinkle over the cheese (if using) and either return to the microwave for 2 minutes until the cheese melts or if you dish is suitable to go in the microwave and is also oven proof, you can put it under the grill (broiler) to melt and brown.

Can I freeze Slow Cooker Rumbledethumps?

For best results freeze the rumbledethumps before adding the cooked cabbage. Cool the mashed vegetables completely and put in a freezer proof container. Defrost the mash in the refrigerator overnight, add the cooked cabbage and reheat in the oven or microwave as described above.

Vegetarian

This dish is suitable for a vegetarian diet as it contains no meat. It can be adapted to be suitable for vegans by using oil instread of butter and either missing out the cheese or using a plant based cheese substitute.

Gluten Free

There are no obvious ingredients in this recipe that contain gluten. However, please be careful if you use ready-grated cheese as it can sometimes be coated with flour to prevent the pieces from sticking together.

For more information regarding any dietary information provided on this website, please refer to my Nutritional Disclaimer.

How should I serve Slow Cooker Rumbledethumps?

Rumbledethumps is a really versatile dish. It can be served in any way you would serve mashed potato so the possibilities are endless! Here are some different ideas to give you inspiration:

• Serve as a side dish with roast meats, casseroles or stews.
• It’s delicious with my Air Fryer Balmoral Chicken recipe, tender chicken breast stuffed with haggis and wrapped in bacon!
• Fry some bacon pieces until crisp and fold through the mash before topping with cheese. This makes an inexpensive, tasty and filling lunch or supper.
• Make Rumbledethumps and serve with haggis to celebrate the poet Robert Burns on Burns Night (25th January).
• Take scoops of Slow Cooker Rumbledethumps and fry them in butter or oil to serve like bubble and squeak.
• Cook sausages until golden brown and cooked through then arrange on top of the Rumbledethumps. Serve with onion gravy.

More Potato Recipes

Slow Cooker Scottish Stovies is a comforting plate of slowly cooked potato seasoned with beef and onions. Stovies or ‘Stoved Potatoes’ is a classic dish that makes simple ingredients taste incredibly good.

Air Fryer Baked Potatoes are my favourite way to bake potatoes. The baked potatoes always have a crispy, crunchy skin and soft fluffy insides. It’s so easy to make baked potatoes in your Air Fryer, you’ll wonder why you never thought of it before.

New Potatoes with Wild Garlic and Lemon Dressing are a delicious seasonal Spring treat.  The wild garlic doesn’t overpower the delicate flavour of new potatoes and the fresh taste of lemon enhances both.