Creamy Mashed Cauliflower
Course: Salads u0026amp; Side DishesDifficulty: Easy
Servings
4
servingsPrep time
5
minutesCooking time
15
minutesCalories
189
kcalTotal Carbs
7
gramsNet carbs
4
gramsFat
17
gramsProtein
4
gramsPeople have asked me how I get my mashed cauliflower to be so rich and creamy. It comes down to two tools (a potato ricer and an immersion blender) and one special ingredient (cream cheese). Feel free to have fun with this recipe — add some garlic, Parmesan, herbs, spices, whatever you’d like.
Ingredients
1 head cauliflower, broken into florettes (650g)
1 tsp sea salt
4 TB unsalted butter (55g)
4 TB cream cheese (2 oz or 60g)
salt and pepper to taste
Directions
- Remove the leaves from a head of cauliflower and break into florettes.
- Add cauliflower to a saucepan — at least 3 quart — and cover with water. Add 1 tsp of salt and bring to a gentle boil. Continue boiling for 10 minutes or until the cauliflower is fork tender.
- Drain cauliflower, then use a potato ricer to “mash” the cauliflower back into the sauce pan (see video). The burner should be turned off during this step.
- Return your burner to low heat and stir in the butter until melted, then do the same with the cream cheese. Add salt and pepper to taste. For me this was an additional 1/2 tsp of salt and a few grinds of pepper.
- Using an immersion blender, blend until silky smooth.
- Serve as a side dish, or top with something like my Tuscan Beef Stew.
Recipe Video
Notes
- Don’t get too hung up on the weight of the cauliflower. It won’t have a huge impact on the recipe.
You’re so cool!
Cream cheese will certainly add some depth and creaminess. A dollop or two of sour cream will also help.
I made a Cottage Pie with this mash recipe and it was OUTRAGEOUS! I’ve also made it as a side dish adding Sour Cream Powder and fresh chives. I don’t think anyone would believe that it was cauliflower. Thank you for the recipe! 🙂
Steve, do you think this would work with Shepherds Pie? 😊
Maybe….
This looks terrific. I noticed you didn’t drain the cauliflower after boiling. Do you recommend NOT draining or squeezing the moisture out? I don’t have a ricer or immersion blender, but I do have a food processor and Vitamix, so I’ll try a variation before attempting to convince my wife on the need for the other two. That would be the hardest part of the recipe…
I did drain it, I state that at around 2:10 in the video.
Just made this Thanksgiving today and added a little garlic and Parmesan….because hey why not it’s a holiday. Threw it all in my Blendtec because I am lazy….*****5 star receipe*****! My non-keto wife was impressed and enjoyed some with me.
Steve, have you heard of a mashed potato flavored liquid concentrate? It might be a good addition to this and other cauliflower substitutes for ‘taters. Website: https://www.oooflavors.com/products/mashed-potato-flavored-liquid-concentrate
I am in no way affiliated with these folks. I’ll be trying it myself.
Regards,
Yeah, I bought some. It tastes vaguely like walking through a room where a potato was the day before.
Made these today for the third time. They are so delicious! Mine tend to be more watery, since a lot of water comes out of my cauliflower when I press it, but it doesn’t affect the taste or bother me at all. If I need a stiffer mash, I’ll have to remove that excess water somehow. Thanks for the recipe, I actually prefer it over real mashed potatoes, which I occasionally make for the family.
I do the first part of the squeeze over the sink now. That gets most of the water out. As soon as I see cauliflower coming out of the ricer, I get back over the pot.
This is the best mashed cauliflower recipe, it takes like real mashed potatoes. The immersion blender is the best tool to making this. This recipe rocks and it is so easy.
Another option is to boil some celery root (celeriac) with the cauliflower – a small one to a big head of cauli. then when you mash it’s much more potatoey before adding anything else. I usually just add butter, a little cream, S+P.