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Missing mashed potatoes and gravy? Well, you are in for a surprise and a treat if you have never tried cheesy mashed cauliflower.
On the keto diet, cauliflower is our friend. It is a low carbohydrate vegetable that easily replaces some of the higher starch foods that we love and often overeat. Food such as fried rice, hash brown potatoes, lasagna noodles, and yes, even mashed potatoes.
Now I know what you are thinking...how could cauliflower ever replace the creamy starchy mashed potatoes that we know and love. Well follow my recipe and you will be amazed at how good it replaces mashed potatoes.
It starts with cauliflower. Yes, that big white round cousin of broccoli. Raw cauliflower has a mild taste, is crunchy, and is a good snack. Cooked in water it quickly becomes mushy and waterlogged if you aren't careful.
Tips for Mashed Cauliflower
The most important tip to making creamy cauliflower that mimics the texture of mashed potatoes is to get as much moisture out of the cooked cauliflower as possible. This can be done by cooking in the microwave and leaving the cauliflower uncovered as it cooks so that the moisture can release.
Another important tip to remember is to cut out the hard woody parts of the cauliflower and discard it. Doing these two things will eliminate much of the grittiness that can occur with mashed cauliflower.
Other Time Savers
- Chopping a head of cauliflower by hand is a project and it is messy. Especially if you plan to chop to the size of a grain of rice. I highly recommend if chopping by hand, chop to 1/2 inch pieces and then transfer to a food processor.
If you are looking for a food processor, take a look at this 8-cup Compact Food Processor. You may be thinking that you don't have room in your kitchen, but I have a little kitchen and it is just the right size.
Once the cauliflower is in the food processor, pulse until the pieces are about the size of a grain of rice.
- In the last year or so, grocery stores have started stocking frozen riced cauliflower in their freezer sections.
This riced cauliflower has a texture similar to the size of rice. The brand I use steams right in the bag. I do cook for the entire time recommended and cut the bag open to release some of the built-up steam.
When I use the frozen riced cauliflower I use 2 bags and the final mixture fills a one-quart baking dish. Nutrition for the frozen riced cauliflower states that 1 cup has 2 net carbohydrates per cup. There are 4 servings in a bag. Using 2 bags would give 8 servings of the final mashed cauliflower.
Now, if you choose to taste the cooked cauliflower, you will note that it does have a cauliflower taste at this point, but no worries, keep going.
Removing the Moisture
Be forewarned, if you do this right after you finish cooking the cauliflower it will be HOT and you will need to be careful. I recommend letting the cauliflower cool before starting this step.
Once the cauliflower is cooked and tender and has cooled, dump it into a cloth. Wrap to enclose the cauliflower. Now start to twist the towel to squeeze the water out of the cauliflower.
So twist and twist the towel until there is no more water to remove.
A one-quart casserole dish is small. Amazon has a couple of options that will work fine for this dish. Make sure and have oven mitts ready when you squeeze the water out of the cauliflower and when you pull the final dish from the oven.
Preparing Cheesy Mashed Cauliflower
Now add the cauliflower to a blender or a food processor. Add all the ingredients including the butter, heavy whipping cream, shredded cheddar cheese, cream cheese, sour cream, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Pulse until the cauliflower is a creamy texture. Prepare a 1-quart baking dish. I prefer to use non-stick coconut oil spray for my cooking.
Pour the mashed cauliflower into the prepared dish and smooth. I put a couple of pats of butter on the top and sprinkle with a little parmesan cheese which will help the top brown. Bake for 20-30 minutes until heated through. Serve with keto gravy and you will be so satisfied. Yum.
There are approximately 8 servings in this dish and each contains approximately 3.3 net carbohydrates per serving.
Pair this cheesy mashed cauliflower with Lemon Butter Chicken by Damn Delicious and you will have a great meal. The sauce from the Lemon Butter Chicken can be used as a sauce for the mashed cauliflower.
Cheesy Mashed Cauliflower
Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower riced
- 2 oz cream cheese
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
- 2 oz sour cream
- 2 T butter
- 2 T heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 cup cheddar cheese shredded
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp salt to taste
- 1/4 tsp pepper
Instructions
- Prepare cauliflower rice and boil until soft.
- Strain and let cool.
- Put cooked cauliflower in a cloth and squeeze excess water. This is an important step.
- Add cauliflower to a food processor and pulse.
- Add next 7 ingredients and blend until a creamy consistency.
- Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Add cauliflower mash to a small baking dish.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes until heated through and starting to brown.
Notes
Recipe Tips
Preparing Cauliflower Rice
- Pick a large head of cauliflower.
- Remove the outside leaves and rinse with water.
- Cut the head of cauliflower into quarters. Cut out the woody internal stem so you are left with the cauliflower florets.
- Chop into 1/2 inch pieces.
- Add to food processor and chop until the size of a grain of rice.
- Alternatively, continue to chop cauliflower until is the size of a grain of rice.
Nutrition
SAVE FOR LATER ⇓
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This site contains general information about diet, health, fitness, and nutrition. This information should not be used to diagnose, treat, prevent, or cure any disease or condition. Please consult with your physician before using any dietary supplement or before beginning a diet or exercise program.
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