The Best Mashed Cauliflower

The best Mashed Cauliflower recipe for anyone looking for a low carb alternative that is creamy, garlicky, and delicious.

I have been making mashed cauliflower for years and honestly I love it pretty much any way you make it. However my family doesn't feel the same way. They normally will tolerate mashed cauliflower only if I mix in a few potatoes and its still not their favorite. That all changed with this recipe. The secret? Drying off the cauliflower before its mashed. Its such a small step but it makes all the difference. This ensures a fluffy, thick mash like you would get with traditional potatoes. Then to make sure it really tastes amazing, it is mixed with a quick garlic butter, cream cheese, and Parmesan cheese. Seriously delicious.

Speaking of delicious low carb alternatives, what are your favorites? We eat a ton of cauliflower rice, especially this cilantro lime and coconut version. I also am obsessed with this Cauliflower and Carrot Rice with Browned Butter and love this creamy ricotta spaghetti squash.

I never thought anything could be as warm, comforting, and delicious as mashed potatoes. Growing up they seemed like a staple to any dinner mom made. As I get older I realize however, that I cannot eat mashed potatoes at every meal. So I started looking for healthier options and came across a blog post with recipes for cauliflower mash but never thought they could truly replace my coveted mashed potatoes…but they have. Add a little cream, garlic, and salty pungent Parmesan cheese and you have a wonderful alternative to mashed potatoes.

Mashed potatoes are a common side dish that many people have enjoyed for centuries. It is one of the most common side dishes to comfort food plates that can be found around the world. Although, many of us have learned how to make this dish from our mothers or even grandmothers, this mashed potato substitute recipe can help boost your meal with vitamins and minerals that potatoes can’t provide. Pair this cheesy mashed cauliflower recipe with a side of baked chicken breast, ground turkey meatloaf or even grilled chicken. Whatever you choose, know that learning how to make this alternative recipe can give you a more nutrient dense meal by replacing those starchy potatoes with cauliflower.

It is always nice to know how to make a healthy alternative versions of any dish, especially when it comes to a low carb mashed potato substitute that your family will love. Using cauliflower instead of potatoes is not only a good low carb trick, it also adds certain health benefits that we might not think about when we are indulging in this cheesy mashed cauliflower recipe. Cauliflower is known to help with our bones and joints health by producing a collagen that protects our bones and joints from inflammation. Cauliflower also can also promote detoxification. So while this cheesy goodness is digesting in our bodies, the cauliflower is also working to promote healthy digestion.

Cauliflower is rich in vitamin C, K and certain B vitamins. It also contains adequate amounts of potassium, fiber, and even protein. Like cauliflower, the garlic in this recipe also provides many beneficial properties. Garlic is well known for its antibacterial, antimicrobial, and it is well known that due to these properties it can also boost the immune system. Just like cauliflower, garlic also has detoxing properties as well and has been used for many years for its cardioprotective benefits. So enjoy this recipe knowing that this cheesy, garlicky, mashed cauliflower side dish is giving you a health boost.

Now that you are fully convinced and on board to try this recipe you are probably asking how to make cauliflower mash. Knowing the steps to this recipe is important to producing the best quality cheesy mashed cauliflower for your guests. So here is how to make cauliflower mash: wash and cut your cauliflower into florets, add florets and garlic to a pot of boiling water and boil for about seven minutes or until they are soft, drain the cauliflower being sure to reserve a half a cup of the broth, blend cauliflower with Parmesan cheese, half and half, 1/2 cup broth, salt, and pepper until desired consistency is reached.

Keep it Light:

• Use skim milk or almond milk in place of half and half.
• To pump up the protein and keep it creamy consider using cottage cheese in place of half and half.
• Too make the meal even healthier, use a milk alternative such as almond or cashew milk. Both are excellent and provide healthy beneficial fats and are easy on the gut for those who are sensitive to lactose.

Change it Up:

• Cauliflower comes in a variety of colors. The flavors remain very similar, but you can find this vegetable in purple, green, yellow and the traditional white color. If you are feeling creative and daring try purple or yellow to add color to your presentation.
• Add a whole bulb of roasted garlic for extra flavor and a more aromatic dish. To roast garlic bulb, keep bulb intact and cut off the top tip of the whole bulb. Place bulb in tin foil and drizzle with olive oil. Wrap the bulb up tight and place in a preheated 425 degree oven. Your kitchen will smell amazing and you know it is done when it is easy to squeeze the garlic out of the bulb. Squeeze it into the potatoes and mix well.
• These potatoes can easily be made vegan by not adding in the cheese or half and half. Instead try using extra virgin olive oil. It has a bold taste like butter but without being from an animal source. You can add nutritional yeast to mimic the cheese flavor.
• On the other end of the spectrum, you can add cream cheese to the mixture to give it an extra creamy texture and taste.