This lovely mash is ready in just 20 minutes, and you can make it in your food processor. You won’t miss the potatoes! Cauliflower is highly versatile, making it the perfect substitute for potatoes. I use it in several recipes, including cauliflower steak and roasted cauliflower. It has a nearly neutral flavor that readily absorbs fats and seasonings. This mashed cauliflower is especially good. It’s so creamy and delicious! My husband prefers it to mashed potatoes. The addition of garlic and parmesan makes it delightfully flavorful.
Ingredients
Recipe Card
Cauliflower: You can buy a cauliflower head and cut it into florets or use a bag of pre-washed cauliflower florets. Butter: I use unsalted butter. I love using creamy European butter, but any butter will be good. Minced garlic: It’s OK to use jarred minced garlic, but freshly minced is best. Grated parmesan: Make sure you use finely grated parmesan, not coarsely shredded. Kosher salt and black pepper: I use Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Steam the cauliflower in the microwave and drain it well. You can steam it in a steamer basket on the stovetop or roast the cauliflower. But the microwave is the easiest and quickest method. In fact, I often serve microwave cauliflower as a side dish! Place butter, garlic, parmesan, salt, and pepper in your food processor bowl. Add the hot cauliflower. Process these ingredients into a wonderfully creamy mash. This should take 1-2 minutes. Stop once or twice and use a spatula to scrape the sides of the bowl. This is the bag I used: This is what the florets look like when frozen: And here they are after a 10-minute session in the microwave: I made it the same way as fresh cauliflower, and the mash turned out delicious - just as good as a mash made from fresh cauliflower.
Don’t undercook the cauliflower. I typically steam cauliflower florets for about 5 minutes, but we want them extra tender for a mash, so we steam them for 10 minutes. Drain the cauliflower well after steaming it. The less water it contains, the thicker the mash will be. Add grated parmesan. Its texture thickens the mash. There’s no need to add cornstarch, although it can help thicken the mash. But in my experience, draining the cauliflower well and adding grated parmesan is enough to ensure a thick and creamy mash.
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I also use it to top my low-carb shepherd’s pie. It’s lovely when topped with roasted garlic! You can also serve it with any dish traditionally served with mashed potatoes, such as ribeye roast, pork roast, or beef tenderloin roast. Here’s a photo of a recent family dinner - I served the mash as a side dish to flat iron steak: And here’s another family dinner where I served it with salmon steak (this mash was made with frozen cauliflower, by the way): Unlike mashed potatoes, which don’t keep well, this mash tastes good even after a few days in the fridge. Gently reheat the leftovers in the microwave, covered, at 50% power.
