Easy Three Ingredient Mashed Cauliflower

This easy mashed cauliflower is carb-conscious comfort food at its best. With just three ingredients, you probably already have what you need at home to make this low carb mashed potato substitute.

There are some recipes that are basic staples in any home cook's repertoire and I believe this is one of those recipes, especially if you are trying to eat healthier or lower your carbohydrate intake. Simple mashed cauliflower can stand in for mashed potatoes any night. It is creamy, delicious and, with under 100 calories per serving, a guilt-free side dish. It can also be customized a million ways depending on what you're in the mood for. Try subbing cream cheese for the butter, adding some sharp Parmesan or goat cheese, adding a pinch of nutmeg, or blending in some roasted garlic.

You can also use olive oil or one of the many dairy-free butter substitutes on the market to make 3 ingredient mashed cauliflower vegan-friendly. One of the beauties of this versatile recipe is that it can be easily adapted to suit everyone’s dietary needs and preferences. Plus, you can blend batches of any size and customize the cauliflower's consistency simply by adjusting the amount of water you add.

And don’t be afraid to make more than you need for the night. Leftovers last about five days when stored in an airtight container in the fridge. Creamy mashed cauliflower also freezes well. Just let it cool before portioning it out into airtight bags or containers. It can be safely stashed in the freezer for about three months and is quick to reheat in a saucepan once thawed.

This easy mashed cauliflower makes an ideal carb-conscious alternative to potatoes, rice, or pasta when it comes to weeknight side dishes. It can also take the place of mashed potatoes in comfort food classics including shepherd's pie, potato puffs, and more. Really, creative cooks can employ this 3-ingredient mashed cauliflower almost any way they might use leftover mashed potatoes, all while boosting the vitamin C, folate, and vitamin K content of the dishes.

When vetting vegetables at the store or farmers’ market, look for cauliflower heads that are firm and tightly closed, with no spaces between their florets, and tightly attached green leaves that the base. Avoid heads with any brown patches, and check for soft spots or a strong smell since these are signs the vegetable is beginning to spoil.

Some stores even offer colorful cauliflower in shades of green, purple, and orange. While these varieties look different, they offer the same sweet, nutty flavor as more-common white cauliflower. But they keep much of their color through cooking and might be a fun way to entice finicky family members to try something new. They’re also a great meal makeover for any dinner that could use a little color. Another bonus: the purple and orange varieties are higher in disease-fighting antioxidants than they’re paler cousins. At home, cauliflower of any color should last about a week in the refrigerator if it is stored whole in a crisper drawer in a loosely sealed plastic bag until you’re ready to whip up creamy mashed cauliflower.

Making Mashed Cauliflower? Keep the following things in mind:

• When preparing the cauliflower, cut the head in half, take out the core, and chop the vegetable. The smaller you cut the pieces, the faster the cauliflower will cook. You can also buy cut cauliflower or riced cauliflower in some stores.
• Don’t forget to reserve some cauliflower cooking water. Using it rather than milk or cream will actually boost the nutty flavor of the finished product while cutting calories and giving the 3-ingredient mashed cauliflower an ideal texture.
• If you don’t have a stand blender, you can use an immersion blender or even a potato masher, which will give you a chunker, homestyle result.

Calories 91, Total Fat 6g, Total Carbohydrate 8g, Protein 3g, Serving Size 3/4-1 cup

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