aka Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes that you actually want to eat!
Cauliflower is so popular these days – I’ve seen it in everything from crackers to pizza crust. One of my favorite cauliflower recipes has been the Whole Foods version where it’s roasted with curry and peas. That is until I tried Della’s cauliflower mash!! It is DELLA-icious. Her trick is to use half cauliflower and half potatoes, plus herbs, real butter and half and half for a rich flavor. I promise: this is a cauliflower-potato mash that you will actually want to eat.
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Mashed Cauliflower vs Mashed Potatoes
Why use cauliflower at all? Nutritionally speaking, the more diversity you have in your diet the better. So having both cauliflower and potatoes together is better than just potatoes. In fact, the World’s Healthiest Foods recommends eating 3/4 – 1 cup or more of cruciferous vegetables per day. (I can’t say that I meet that goal daily!) Cauliflower, as a cruciferous vegetable, has phytonutrients called glucosinolates, which support multiple of our body’s systems, and antioxidants. Don’t be fooled by its white color – cauliflower is just as rich in phytonutrients as its green cousins. (source).
Cauliflower v Potato Nutrition Facts
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. Here’s a side by side comparison of cooked cauliflower versus potatoes:
Cauliflower
- 1 cup, cooked
- 29 calories
- 5 grams carbs
- 2.25 grams protein
- 2.5 grams fiber
- Glycemic index: very low
- Excellent source of vitamin C, K, folate, B6 and pantothenic acid
Potatoes
- 1 cup, cooked
- 161 calories
- 36 grams carbs
- 4 grams protein
- 3.8 grams fiber
- Glycemic index: high
- Excellent source of nothing, but very good source of vitamin B6!
Next to one another, cauliflower has a more impressive nutritional resume and is a bit more gentle on the blood sugar, but potatoes are still considered one of the world’s healthiest foods! And they are delicious – who doesn’t love mashed potatoes?! They contain the phytonutrients carotenoids, flavonoids, and caffeic acid, and the vitamins and minerals they contain all contribute to overall good health. (Source)
Consider this recipe a combination of the rich flavor of mashed potatoes enhanced with the nutritional powerhouse of cauliflower.
How To Make Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes
This cauliflower mashed potatoes recipe makes a great side dish whenever you’d normally serve mashed taters, and you can jazz it up even more with sour cream or gravy if you fancy. If your goal is a healthy family I bet they won’t even know there is cauliflower involved. Note you could probably use an instant pot, but I haven’t tested it that way!
Ingredients you will need
- 4-5 medium yukon gold potatoes
- 12 oz bag frozen riced cauliflower
- 1/2 cup water or vegetable broth
- 1/2 cup half and half
- 1 stick butter
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp dried rosemary
- 2 tbsp grated Parmesan
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- Black pepper to taste
1. Boil potatoes in bite-size pieces until fork tender and drain.
2. In same pot, steam cauliflower rice in a metal colander to preserve nutrients
3. When cauliflower is tender, dump water from pot and add cauliflower, potatoes, broth, cream. Add butter, herbs, and seasonings. Bring to a simmer.
4. Using an immersion blender, blend and simmer until desired texture is reached. You could also use a food processor.
Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes
Equipment
- Immersion blender
Ingredients
- 4-5 medium yukon gold potatoes
- 12 oz bag frozen riced cauliflower
- 1/2 cup water or vegetable broth
- 1/2 cup half and half
- 1 stick butter
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp dried rosemary
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tbsp grated Parmesan
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- Black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Boil potatoes in bite-size pieces until fork tender and drain.
- In same pot, steam cauliflower rice in a metal colander to preserve nutrients
- When cauliflower is tender, dump water from pot and add cauliflower, potatoes, broth, cream. Add butter, herbs, and seasonings. Bring to a simmer.
- Using an immersion blender, blend and simmer until desired texture is reached.
Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog says
Oh my gosh, I need to try cauliflower mash! Perfect for the Christmas holidays too! 🙂
Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog
http://charmainenyw.com
Sara says
I used to make this and called it caulipots 🙂 Thanks for the reminder! Yum!
Lindsay Probus says
“POTATOES Excellent source of nothing, but very good source of vitamin B6!” <– I thought potatoes were an excellent source of potassium, no?
Kath Younger says
They are a “good” source of potassium. Excellent, Very Good, and Good are actually technical terms based on the DRIs. You can see them in the orange and yellow chart on this page towards the bottom.
SS says
Appreciate what you are doing here & especially combining the two foods to maximize taste and deliciousness. But I agree w comment above. Someone zipping through the content would see the potato “value” comment and think…..hmmmmmmm.its not an excellent source of anything.
I understand your source but …..
content can sometimes validate peoples idea….see! Potato’s are not an excellent source of anything!! And then they avoid satisfying food that does have very adequate Vit C , & B6 as you mention. Just a friendly suggestion, truly not trying to be hypercritical.
I also LOVE your collaboration content w Della and Plenty.
Ruthie says
YUM!
Mashed Potatoes are such a comfort food! I love all of the nutritional information provided. This will definitely be on the menu! Thanks!
Della-icious and Kath-nutritious!
Jessica says
You can also use a bag of frozen cauliflower florets – no need to spend three times as much on frozen riced cauliflower. I also use the florets to make riced cauliflower in my food processor because I hate dealing with a whole cauliflower; it always makes such a mess. When I do need to use a whole one (very infrequently) the Instant Pot definitely makes it easier – I just put the whole thing in without cutting it up at all. 🙂
SS says
Love that idea!
Marina says
This looks DELICIOUS, but I plugged it into MyFitnessPal and it’s 545 calories per serving. Maybe for special occasions though. 🙂
Kath Younger says
Maybe it should be changed to 8 servings then! Did you use 4 or 6?
Nina says
Hey Kath! Recipe looks good and I’m glad you’re featuring Della’s recipes. Not a criticism just a safety warning – you really should take your pot off the lit burner before you turn on your immersion blender. Not sure if this was just a staged photo but even popping it over to the other side of the stove is safer. I do a LOT of immersion blending and know that the hot splatters can be brutal or even splat into the fire – yikes! Thanks again for the recipe!
Kath Younger says
That is a wise recommendation that I didn’t think of!