This recipe originally appeared on Real Housemoms, where I am a contributor. Happy new week my friends! We had J’s 5th birthday party this past weekend and it was all kinds of fun! He wanted it here at the house, and it was superhero-themed. A whole bunch of boys and a whole bunch of fun. ❤️ Luckily my in-laws were here too and such a big help. I loved every minute but I may need a few more days to recover… Anyway, now we’re entering the back-to-school season, which always seems like a good time to hit the reset button. Both in terms of starting fresh with a new year, but also with hitting reset on our routines in the kitchen. I’m ready. So ready. Ready for some more healthy, homemade foods and family dinners. And this healthy mashed cauliflower is a delicious way to get more veggies in my family’s meals!
Cauliflower mashed potatoes are so super creamy and velvety smooth and ready in just 20 minutes. Now, to be clear, you’re not going to be fooling anyone with this dish. It tastes like cauliflower, not potatoes. As it should. But it’s WAY lower in carbs, gives you an extra veggie for the day, and you can happily eat forkful after forkful. If you love cauliflower as much as I do, definitely check out Air Fryer cauliflower. Perfectly crispy and so addictive! You might also like these healthy mashed potatoes that are lightened up but still so creamy and dreamy.
Quick funny story: J (who just turned 5!) was watching me make this a few weeks ago and said, “Mama, that looks yummy!” as it whirled around and around in the food processor. (And it does.) But then at the dinner table, he takes a bite and no joke, made a gagging face. And this is my boy who happily chows down on carrots, steals bites of my veggie burgers and still devours okra couscous. To be fair though, he’s not a fan of mashed potatoes either. Crazy kid.
Notes on making healthy mashed cauliflower:
I steam my cauliflower in a steamer basket on the stove, but you could also microwave it in a bowl with some water then drain it. You want to get the cauliflower as dry as possible after it’s cooked. Extra water will make the mashed cauliflower a little mushy. I use a food processor to help control the texture, but I think you could use a blender or hand blender if that’s all you have. You can also try mashing it by hand but you won’t be able to get it as smooth. Don’t forget the toppings! Add any of your favorite mashed potato toppings to this - extra butter, chives, a sprinkling of paprika, shredded cheese or cooked, crumbled bacon. You know I love some toppings. Plus, cauliflower has a bit of sweetness to it and I like having a savory topping to balance it out.
And if you’re feeling a little wary, start off by doing half mashed potatoes and half mashed cauliflower and try it that way. You’ll still be lightening things up quite a bit! Enjoy! XO, Kathryn
I steam my cauliflower in a steamer basket on the stove, but you could also microwave it in a bowl with some water then drain it. You want to get the cauliflower as dry as possible after it’s cooked. Extra water will make the mashed cauliflower a little mushy. I use a food processor to help control the texture, but I think you could use a blender or hand blender if that’s all you have. You can also try mashing it by hand but you won’t be able to get it as smooth. Don’t forget the toppings! Add any of your favorite mashed potato toppings to this - extra butter, chives, a sprinkling of paprika, shredded cheese or cooked, crumbled bacon.
