Mashed Cauliflower

Have you ever tried mashed cauliflower as a low carb alternative to mashed potatoes? First we shared this delicious dish of whole roasted cauliflower with you last week, but we wanted to give you an alternative to a classic favorite. These Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes are fluffy and light, with the texture and taste of real mashed potatoes! And with cream cheese, brown butter, and sage, the flavors are perfect for your next holiday feast.

Mashed Cauliflower

Cauliflower mashed potatoes were always one of those things that I just didn’t get. I would boil it, puree it, taste it, annnnd it would just taste like soggy cauliflower. It got to the point where every time I would see someone praising the faux-potato perfection of their cauliflower mash, I would just assume they must be stretching the truth. But then I discovered the secret to perfect mashed cauliflower and my world flipped. So in the name of eliminating all less-than-amazing mashed cauliflower in the world, I’m sharing that secret with you today!

Both vegetables are good for you and both have vitamins and minerals you need in your daily diet. However, if you are watching your carbs or are limited to a certain amount of carbs per day, cauliflower has significantly less carbohydrates than potatoes do. Cauliflower has a lower calorie count than potatoes, is slightly higher in sodium and a bit lower in potassium. If specific nutritional information is important to your diet, check out these nutritional labels.

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To make Mashed Cauliflower you will need:

• 1 large head of cauliflower
• 4 Tbsp cream cheese
• Pinch of salt and pepper
• 4 Tbsp butter
• 1 tsp chopped sage

Kitchen tools you will find useful:

• Chef knife
• Large pot or Dutch oven
• Cheesecloth
• Food processor (if you like using your FP, try these food processor recipes!)
• Skillet (preferably light colored)

So here’s the secret….get all the moisture out. We’re going to boil the cauliflower to get it nice and tender, but then you need to get all of that water back out, lest you end up with soupy, mushy cauliflower. You can do this a number of ways, either by pressing the moisture out through a sieve, or by placing the cauliflower in cloth and squeezing it all out that way. Either way, you want that moisture out before you puree it.

Speaking of pureeing, cream cheese is the cherry on top to this fluffy mashed cauliflower secret. We’ll add a touch of cream cheese to enhance the creamy, fluffiness of our mashed cauliflower. Top it with browned butter and sage and serve!

Note: Prep time for mashed cauliflower is significantly lower than with mashed potatoes. There’s no peeling required so imagine the time you’ll save while making your holiday dinner!

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MORE SIDE DISHES YOU MIGHT LIKE:

1. Potatoes Au Gratin have been a favorite in many households. Add bacon and leeks and you have a delicious side dish that everyone will love!
2. Speaking of potatoes, these potatoes are roasted in a cast iron skillet in a savory broth that makes them irresistible.
3. We usually only think of stuffing, some call it dressing, at Thanksgiving. But really it can be enjoyed with poultry any time of year. Try my stuffing with parsley, sage, rosemary & thyme (anyone remember the song?) next time you make it.
4. If you’re looking to add some southwestern flair to your dinner, this Spanish rice with black beans and corn is a great side dish.

Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes

This Mashed Cauliflower is fluffy and light, with the texture and taste of real mashed potatoes! And with cream cheese, brown butter, and sage, the flavors are perfect for your next holiday feast.

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Course: Sides

Servings: 4

20 minutes mins

Author: Amanda Davis

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 large head of cauliflower
• ▢ 4 Tbsp cream cheese
• ▢ Pinch of salt and pepper
• ▢ 4 Tbsp butter
• ▢ 1 tsp chopped sage

Instructions

• Start up a large pot of boiling water. Chop the cauliflower into golfball sized chunks, removing the tough inner stem. Add a pinch of salt and the cauliflower to the boiling water, and cook for 6 to 10 minutes, or until cauliflower is fork tender.
• Working in batches, place cauliflower in a clean dishcloth or cheesecloth and wring out as much moisture as possible.
• Place cauliflower and cream cheese in a food processor and puree until smooth and creamy. Cover to keep warm and set aside.
• Add butter to a pan (use a light colored pan so you can see to change in color if possible) and place over low/medium heat. Melt butter, then add chopped sage leaves. Continue cooking. Butter will first bubble, then after 5 or so minutes will begin to darken. When little dark bits begin to form and the butter has darkened to the color of light caramel, remove from heat. Pour brown butter and sage over cauliflower and serve immediately.

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