Everybody loves mashed potatoes. It’s the right aspect dish for vacation gatherings, and even only a routine dinner on a busy weekday. When we began a keto weight loss plan it was one of many recipes we missed making probably the most and wished to discover a substitute for. We’ll present you the right way to make Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes utilizing only a handful of straightforward elements. And don’t suppose that is going to be some wholesome knock off model of the one that you love mashed potatoes. You gained’t even be capable to inform the distinction between our cauliflower mashed potatoes recipe and the true factor!

Cauliflower Vs Potatoes

The manner this recipe is made solely modifications barely once you substitute cauliflower in for potatoes. You nonetheless must prepare dinner the first ingredient till it’s tender, earlier than you add in a handful of elements and mash the whole lot collectively. Cauliflower mashed with butter, cream and a few easy seasonings will intently resemble mashed potatoes.

Cauliflower has a stronger taste than mashed potatoes, however by including within the conventional creamy parts you discover in mashed potato recipes you’ll barely discover the distinction.

Carbs in Cauliflower

If you’ve been on a ketogenic weight loss plan for any period of time you will have most likely observed the outstanding use of cauliflower in recipes. This is as a result of cauliflower is likely one of the greatest replacements for starchy meals from mashed potatoes to pizza crusts.

100 grams of cauliflower (about 1 cup) is 5 complete carbs and a couple of grams of fiber. This ends in simply three grams of internet carbs per cup. This makes cauliflower an excellent choice for a keto weight loss plan. An whole massive head of cauliflower has 25 grams of internet carbs.

In addition to being a powerhouse of low carb delicacies, cauliflower additionally comes with a bunch of well being advantages.

Carbs in Potatoes

While there are positively carbs on the market which are far more evil than potatoes, these tubers nonetheless include very excessive quantities of carbohydrates. Potatoes are low in sugar, however they’re excessive in starch. A 150 gram potato incorporates 26 grams of carbs and a couple of grams of fibers. At 24 grams of internet carbs you’ll positively wrestle to suit potatoes into your keto weight loss plan.

Potatoes are a wholesome a part of a weight loss plan that’s low in carbs, however if you wish to be in a state of ketosis then you definately won’t be able to incorporate this excessive carb meals in your weight loss plan. To create the bottom carb mashed potatoes potential we shall be utterly changing potatoes with cauliflower.

How to Make Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes

Cut the Cauliflower into Florets

Prior to cooking the cauliflower we shall be breaking down the top into small florets. The smaller you go the faster it’ll take to prepare dinner, however I identical to to interrupt them into massive clumps. A serious distinction between mashed cauliflower and mashed potatoes is that you’ll have to drain the florets to take away all of the moisture. Potatoes don’t retain as a lot moisture as cauliflower, making this step distinctive to cauliflower mashed potatoes.

Steam or Boil Until Tender

You can do that on the range prime, within the microwave, or like us – in an Instant Pot. We make use of the various completely different settings on our Instant Pot to simplify this recipe however it may be made simply as simply via different strategies. The most necessary factor is to get the contemporary cauliflower to be fork tender.

To check this you will want to poke into a bit of cauliflower with a fork. The fork ought to slide in with very minimal pressure. I wish to test a number of items to make certain the entire cauliflower florets are cooked evenly. You’re higher off over cooking the cauliflower than undercooking it. If you undercook the cauliflower you won’t be able to get the specified smoothness all people loves of their cauliflower mashed potatoes.

We use our prompt pot on excessive strain for 1 minute and it comes out excellent. Remember, the cauliflower will proceed cooking because it cools.

Allow to Cool and Drain

If you’re utilizing an prompt pot you’ll be able to skip this step. The cauliflower must be drained previous to processing into mashed potatoes or the combination can separate. This step is required in case you boiled the cauliflower.

To drain the cooked cauliflower you should use a cheese material. Place the entire cooked and cooled florets into the cheese material and squeeze out as a lot of the water as you’ll be able to. If an excessive amount of water makes it to the ultimate dish the flavors shall be diluted and you’ll positively inform that you just’re not consuming actual mashed potatoes.

Add Cream, Butter, Salt and Pepper

These are the signature elements of any cauliflower mashed potatoes recipe. There are some extra elements that may be added for taste, however these four are the necessities. The cream and butter mix to provide mashed potatoes their signature easy and creamy texture and wealthy taste. Although this recipe is ideal as it’s, listed below are few concepts so as to add to those cauliflower mashed potatoes:

1. Sour Cream – This will add a tangy taste. Some individuals swear by including bitter cream to their mashed cauliflower, some individuals hate it. I like to depart it out.
2. Cheese – A welcomed addition to only about any recipe, cheese will be added to your cauliflower mashed potatoes as properly. I have a tendency to depart out the cheese as a result of I benefit from the simplicity of a extra minimal mashed cauliflower recipe.
3. Cream Cheese – Some individuals like including cream cheese to their mashed potatoes however I’m not one among them. It will add a richness and tang to this recipe if that’s your factor.
4. Greek Yogurt – Don’t do it…
5. Herbs and Spices – There is an extended checklist of herbs and spices that go nice on this recipe. Garlic, onion, oregano, rosemary, and chives are some potential additions.
6. Olive oil – You can use olive oil rather than butter. Butter is a taste many individuals affiliate with mashed potatoes and this shall be lacking in case you use olive oil as an alternative. Unless you want to make this recipe dairy free I might go for good high quality butter over olive oil.

The recipe proven under will be seen as a base to which you’ll be able to add your favourite elements and flavors. We preserve it easy and use cream, butter, garlic powder, salt and pepper, and chives. This mixture ends in a last product that’s the most like mashed potatoes.

Mash to Combine

This will be completed with a potato masher, a hand mixer, immersion blender or utilizing a meals processor. The greatest outcomes will most likely come from a meals processor as a result of you’ll be able to proceed to course of the combination till it’s easy and creamy. However, in case your cauliflower may be very tender to start with then you have to be positive utilizing a potato masher or a hand mixer and make cauliflower mashed potatoes proper in your prompt pot.

Just keep in mind, if you’re having bother getting your cauliflower to mash up and turn into creamy you most likely simply want to combine it for longer. For reference, once we make mashed potatoes in a meals processor they’re creamy and blended after about 30-60 seconds. Cauliflower mashed potatoes can take 2-four minutes of complete mixing time. Be affected person!

How to Serve

If you’re making this as a aspect dish for a routine household dinner then simply serve it as quickly as you end making it. If you make it for a household gathering and it’s a must to journey with it then one of the simplest ways to move the cauliflower mash is to place it in a casserole dish. Cover the dish with tin foil and once you arrive on the social gathering simply place the cauliflower mashed potatoes within the oven for 5-10 minutes to heat up previous to serving.

How to Make Mashed Potatoes Healthy

Mashed potatoes should not thought of a wholesome superfood by most. This has to do with the excessive quantity of carbs and fats, and really small quantity of protein. When you add within the scrumptious style and creamy texture, it’s primarily a recipe for weight acquire. We can flip this recipe round and make it a lot more healthy with just some easy modifications.

1. Substitute white potatoes with cauliflower. This will enormously cut back the carb depend.
2. Use high quality elements like grass-fed butter and cream. This will improve the quantity of vitamins in your recipe and reduce the quantity of components, pesticides and hormones in your recipe.
3. Use complete meals. We’ve already lined this one by offering you with this recipe, however some individuals are nonetheless making mashed potatoes from a field.
4. Replace butter and cream with olive oil for a dairy free variant on cauliflower mashed potatoes.

Simple modifications like those listed above will flip all of the meals you make into wholesome meals. Healthy modifications don’t must imply an enormous sacrifice in style.

Questions On The Recipe

Can You Make It Ahead of Time?

You definitely can. If I used to be making this for a celebration or gathering I might make it the night time earlier than, or the morning of the social gathering. Make an enormous batch and transport it to the social gathering in a casserole dish. Heat for 5-10 minutes earlier than serving to visitors.

Can You Freeze Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes?

You can, but it surely ought to solely be used as a final resort. The water content material of this dish makes it in order that the feel is not going to be wherever close to nearly as good when you freeze it. If it’s a must to freeze it and also you need to deliver again among the taste and texture of the unique dish you possibly can warmth it and course of it once more with some contemporary butter and herbs. This is a dish that’s greatest eaten inside 1-2 days of constructing it.

Why is Mine Watery?

You didn’t take away sufficient of the water after you cooked the cauliflower. This is an important step and can result in a watery last product whether it is skipped. To drain the water from the cooked cauliflower use a cheese material and squeeze it as tightly as you’ll be able to. You ought to see a good bit of water drain off of the cooked cauliflower, particularly in case you boiled the cauliflower.

Make it a Keto Dinner

Cauliflower mashed potatoes is one among our favourite aspect dishes. We make it a number of occasions per thirty days and usually pair it with a easy protein like rooster thighs, steaks or salmon. Try a few our favourite dinner recipes from our weblog to spherical out your keto dinner.

And in case you’re new to keto and want steerage, take a look at our keto macro calculator. This will show you how to perceive your customized macros and offer you some concepts for the right way to meet your well being and health objectives.