Melt 3 tablespoons of the butter in a sauce pot over medium-high heat. Add the diced root veggies, garlic and thyme and cook while stirring occasionally until they begin to soften, about 10 minutes.

Add the honey to the pot and stir for a minute or so until well combined, then add the water and bay leaf to the pot, turn the heat down to low, cover and simmer for another 10 to 12 minutes or until the veggies can be easily pierced with a fork and the water is mostly absorbed.

Remove the bay leaf, throw in the last tablespoon of butter, and mash with a potato masher (or the back of a fork) until chunky. Garnish with extra thyme (if desired) and serve warm.