The Best Mashed Cauliflower Recipe! (2024)

FAQs

How do you keep mashed cauliflower from being watery? ›

You can add a litle softened cream cheese to the pot in the final step and stir until melted. Or you can add a keto thickener like glucomannan or xanthan gum. Be sure to whisk it in well when the mashed cauliflower is hot. You don't need more than about ¼ teaspoon per head of cauliflower.

Remove the cauliflower stalks and cut them into small pieces. Heat the butter and milk in a pan and stew the cauliflower in it until softened. Add the cream and return to a high temperature. Immediately strain and liquidise the cauliflower then season and pass through a fine chinois.

Sure, it's not quite the same as the sour cream-laden potatoes Jack enjoyed as a kid, but it's still really darn good. This mashed cauliflower has a light and fluffy texture, with a rich, nutty flavor from roasted garlic and a little butter.

Recipe Tips and Tricks

When you're cooking your cauliflower florets, make sure they're fork-tender before removing them from the pot. If the cauliflower isn't cooked long enough, it can make your mashed cauliflower grainy.

First, take care not to overcrowd your pan; if the cauliflower is packed in rim-to-rim, the moisture will not be able to escape as the florets cook, which will result in soft steamed cauliflower instead of roasted. Next, don't be overly generous with the oil — a light coating is what we're after here.

There are two really simple techniques that bring out the best in cauliflower: grilling and pickling. Dumping cauliflower florets in a mixture of salt and lemon juice for 45 minutes to an hour turns them into spiky little flavor bombs, delivering high-pitched squeaks in salads, sandwiches or the stew recipe here.

The florets are great used raw in a salad or as part of a crudité selection served with dips. Cooked cauliflower florets keep their shape best when steamed (5-10 mins) – remember to place them upright in the steamer. It can also be boiled (takes 5-10 mins for florets; around 10 mins for a whole cauliflower).

The secret to luscious, sweet roasted cauliflower is to blanch the florets in boiling salted water first.

Cauliflower is a fairly bland vegetable and so it easily replaces the classic mashed potato. It's not as starchy but it has a similar thick consistency. The added garlic powder and cheese makes this such a tasty side everyone will love!

Why is cauliflower better for you than potatoes? ›

Nutritionally, cauliflower is lighter in calories and carbs than potatoes and is more nutrient-dense. That's why it's popular among the low carb and weight loss communities.

Sure, if you puree cauliflower and add cream, butter, and salt, you have a tasty side dish. It even looks like mashed potatoes. But mashing something doesn't transform it into a different vegetable. It will taste like what it is, no matter what form you serve it in.

The best way to deal with the liquid is to put the riced cauliflower in a covered microwave-safe dish, heat it thoroughly to get all the liquid out of it you can, then drain it. If you have to cook it on the stovetop, add as little water as possible and stir frequently to keep it from sticking to the pan.

It really is as simple as putting the cooked and cooled cauliflower on a clean flour sack towel , wrapping it up and squeezing all the water out. I like to use flour sack towels because they're large and really thin, which makes them easy to squeeze tight and get out as much water as possible.

Add a Thickening Agent

This is the most common way to thicken mashed potatoes. You can use what you have on hand: Flour, cornstarch, or powdered milk are all solid options that are probably already in your pantry. Potato flour and potato starch would work as well.

Adding milk to the water will help the cauliflower keep its white color and will sweeten the flavor of the cauliflower. Bring water to a boil and add the cauliflower pieces. Allow the water to return to a boil and gently boil for 3 to 5 minutes.