Cauliflower mash is an essential side dish for low-carb eaters. It’s creamy, tasteful, keto-friendly, GF-friendly, and hella good! Its truly a great alternative to regular mashed potatoes.
Very recently I had cauliflower mash for the first time at a local restaurant. I’ll tell you the story and will try to keep it real short….
So, back in August of 2020 I was taking a break from wedding planning. I went to this restaurant called Coastal Flats with my mom. I really wanted crab cakes, but was not interested in having the usually side dishes for that menu item. So, I asked to replace the side dishes with their cauliflower mash and Caesar salad. Once the food was served, I took one bite of their cauliflower mash and fell in love. It was so delicious and definitely did not taste like vegetables. I thought to myself I MUST RECREATE THIS DISH! And gosh darn it…. I DID IT!
This recipe was inspired by Coastal Flats cauliflower mash.
How to make Cauliflower Mash
Who doesn’t love simple recipes? Am I right? To start off, bring to boil a large pot of water. Simply place the cauliflower florets into the boiling water and cook until tender. In a large heated skillet, drizzle in extra virgin olive oil. Add in the minced garlic and allow to brown for a few minutes. Next, stir in the drained cauliflower florets and allow to brown for 2-3 minutes. Now it’s time to puree the cauliflower! Using a blender or hand immersion blender blend together the garlic, cauliflower, heavy cream, butter, and cheese until smooth. For all the exact details check out the recipe below.
Creamy vs. Chunky Cauliflower Mash
Truly there’s two ways to make this incredible dish! Either creamy or chunky…personally I’ve made the recipe both ways. The end result is the same, so its just a matter of preference. If aiming for a creamy more rich dish add more heavy cream and butter. Want it chunky? Instead of using a blender to puree the ingredients together. Lightly mash the cauliflower into juicy bits (using a potato masher).
Just a little FYI this dish can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.
What to serve?
Serve this incredibly delicious side dish with whatever your little heart desires. Still cannot make up your mind? Below are just a few of our favorites:
- Filet mignon
- Creamy lemon garlic salmon
- Bourbon steak
- Braised red wine short ribs
- Lemon rosemary chicken
Cauliflower Mash
Ingredients
- 1 Head of cauliflower cut into florets
- 4 Garlic cloves minced
- 4 sprigs Fresh thyme
- ¼ cup Shredded Parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup Unsalted butter softened
- 1 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
- 1-2 tbsp Heavy cream more if needed
- Kosher salt
- Ground white pepper
Instructions
- Add the cauliflower florets and a pinch of salt to a boiling pot of water. Cook for 10 minutes or until tender. In a skillet, drizzle in olive oil and minced garlic. Cook the garlic for 1-2 minutes or until fragrant. Remove from heat.
- Drain the cauliflower well, pat dry if needed. Transfer the cooked cauliflower florets, minced garlic, Parmesan cheese, 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter, heavy cream, kosher salt, and ground white pepper to a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth.
- Transfer to a serving bowl. Top off the dish with the remaining unsalted butter and fresh thyme. Serve hot.
I am such a fan of Coastal Flat’s cauliflower mash, but have never been able to replicate. Tried this for dinner tonight and it was delicious! I burned the garlic on the first try with cooling to 90 seconds on low, so redid at 45 seconds with success. Thank you so much for posting this – I have my new favorite winter recipe!
We are proud of your determination to create a memory using one of our recipes. Good job!
I had this exact experience with the Coastal Flats Cauliflower Mash. I am so excited to try your recipe and will come back and post if I get it right. Gosh it was SOOOO good!!
Yes it is very delicious. Let us know when you get it right or if you get it wrong. We are here to help.