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If you’ve been unimpressed with mashed cauliflower in the past, I ask you to give it one more chance because I’ve figured out how to make the perfect mashed cauliflower. It’s thick and creamy and has the most velvety texture.
Perfect Mashed Cauliflower
Mashed cauliflower can be a great stand-in for mashed potatoes for anyone who is on a low carb diet. But have you tried the pre-made stuff in stores? Most of it is bland and watery. Not to mention a lot of additives.
Ew.
Making it yourself yields much better results.
One of my first low carb recipes I shared was for Easy Mashed Cauliflower. I still like that recipe a lot and it’s super easy.
But I made it for Thanksgiving last year, and my brother-in-law didn’t mind the flavor but didn’t like that it’s not as smooth as mashed potatoes. And he’s right about that.
I tried using a food processor to make it smoother, but I found that while it got smoother, it also got significantly thinner.
And then I got a crazy idea.
And when I tried it, it worked exactly like I was hoping. This recipe is a little bit more involved than the other one, but for mashed cauliflower with a texture very similar to mashed potatoes, this is it!
The recipe
If you’ve ever made a cauliflower-based pizza crust, you’re probably familiar with this method.
The secret to getting perfectly thick and creamy mashed cauliflower is to cook riced cauliflower until it’s very soft, and then wring it out in a tea towel
or cheesecloth
to remove as much moisture as possible.
This is just one extra step, but it does involve taking more time because you have to allow the cauliflower to cool enough to handle it.
With the excess liquid removed from the cauliflower, it works perfectly to throw it into a food processor
with butter, cream cheese, and some sharp white cheddar and process it until it’s super smooth.
Your mix-ins here can definitely change based on your preferences or dietary needs. If you like your mashed cauliflower slightly thinner, add a splash of cream. Or swap the cream cheese for sour cream.
For a dairy-free option, try olive oil and roasted garlic.
That’s it! Thick and creamy mashed cauliflower, perfect side dish for holidays or just Tuesday night.
The texture is so velvety. It’s the perfect stand-in for mashed potatoes.
I’ll just take the whole bowl, thanks.
Perfect Mashed Cauliflower
The perfect thick and creamy texture made with cauliflower.
Ingredients
- 2 lbs (.9 kilo) riced cauliflower (I use frozen)
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 4 oz (113g) cream cheese
- 4 oz (113g) shredded white cheddar cheese
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook riced cauliflower until quite soft (I use the microwave, but you can cook on the stovetop as well.) This may take up to 15 minutes.
- Allow to cool just enough to be able to handle the cauliflower without burning yourself.
- Place cauliflower in a clean tea towel or several layers of cheesecloth, and squeeze out as much liquid as possible.
- Place cauliflower in a food processor with the rest of the ingredients and puree until very smooth.
- Serve with extra butter, if desired.
Notes
To make thinner, add a tablespoon or two of heavy cream, or substitute sour cream for the cream cheese.
For dairy free, omit butter, cream cheese, and cheddar. Blend cauliflower with olive oil and roasted garlic.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Amount Per Serving: Calories: 193Total Fat: 15.8gSaturated Fat: 9.4gSodium: 407mgCarbohydrates: 8.3gNet Carbohydrates: 4.8gFiber: 3.5gSugar: 4.1gProtein: 8.7g
