Usually I cube it and cook it in the pressure cooker then mash. Sometimes I throw it into stews or soups or oven roast them. I've stopped trying to cut them in half when I prepare them. I make about a 3/4" slice off the top and root end. Then I turn it onto the cut end and make four 3/4" slices around the rutabaga to turn it into a cube. This makes it easy to slice the rest before cutting into cubes. No more pounding on the rutabaga and much safer.