I LOVE mashed cauliflower and was wondering if anyone else did and how you prepare yours.

Usually I just mix in a little milk and salt & pepper, like I would mashed potatoes. But today I put a new little twist on them, I added 2 tablespoons of fat-free cream cheese and it's yummy!

How do you make yours? I could use some new ideas

Cauliflauer with a little light butter (we use the landolakes) and some progresso italian-seasoned breadcrumbs tastes unbelievably good (almost like stuffing). Even my kids love it!

I love this stuff. make it whenever cauliflower is on sale. I cook the heck out of the cauliflower and then sort of let it dry out a bit in the fridge. if I don't, I find the mixture is too watery for my taste. Anyway, I add in some of the really light butter, I cannot remember the name but it has like 10 calories a Tablespoon and I add in some fat free sour cream and seasonings. Not exactly like potatoes, but pretty darned good IMHO

OMG!!! It is my very favorite. I would not have lost my weight without it. It's a mere 14 calories for a half a cup, I eat 2 -3 cups at a time. I will be indebted to it for life. Okay, get yourself together Robin.

But as far as cooking it, nothing fancy for me. I cook it in a little chicken consomme' for about 7 - 8 minutes. Firm, not too firm and not mushy. I must eat it about 5 days a week.

I made this recently for my family. We all liked it. I added a little salt, pepper, skim milk and butter. Used my mixer to blend it up well. Even DH , who isn't very fond of cauliflower said he could eat it "anytime" made like this.

Try it with a wedge of laughing cow herb and garlic cheese mashed in... OMG!!!

Thanks for the replies so far

I agree about how low-cal cauliflower is. I ate a whole head of it for lunch, lol. Well, it was a small head, but still - I mashed it up and added my usuals along with the fat-free cream cheese and ate the entire thing! I eat about a head of cauliflower a week.

Cauliflower, by the way, is extremely beneficial, including a good liver detoxifier. Here's a link to the many health benefits of cauliflower

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?t...dspice&dbid=13

Never tried it mashed, but in my house we do a mock potato salad with it, since my mom is on Atkin's. You make it the exact same way you would make potato salad, only substitute chunks of cauliflower for the potato. I adore it.

LLV, thank you so much for the link. I enjoyed reading it.

I ususally buy 3 heads of it a week. With most of that going down my throat. I like volume, so for me I can eat a ton of it without having too many calories. It's also very, very filling and keeps me satisfied for hours.

If it were running for President I could be it's campaign manager. It would be sure to win. Yup, I like it that much.

Oh, what a good idea! I'll have to try that.

Same here! I'm still satisfied from lunch.

-writes cauliflower on grocery list-

Hmmm...I have read about it and now reading all this praise for it,I am even more tempted to try it. I LOVE mashed potatoes and haven't had it since Thanksgiving (I think) so it hurts me not to be able to eat it...but since this is a pretty healthy substitute,I am definitely gonna give it a try!

MM those recipes sound great! Thanks guys!! Never had mashed cauliflower, will try it this week. My family recipe has always been the same- whole (cleaned) head of cauliflower in a pyrex, bechamel sauce poured over the top (can be made with skim milk and a little flour / cornstarch) lightly sprinkled with bread crumbs and baked till burnty brown. Comes out a tad watery at the bottom but you hardly notice, its really yum. The trick is to get alot of flavour into the sauce with garlic / herbs and whatnot.

Yep, I sometimes substitute mashed cauliflower for mashed potatoes. Once you add the butter flavor and salt & pepper, it's really not much different.

I cook the cauliflower (in boiling water) until it's very tender. Then I put it into a strainer in the sink. I use a bowl (or a potato masher) to squeeze out as much excess water as possible. Otherwise your mashed cauliflower will be watery.

Then I just add butter spray (or the Smart Beat squeeze butter) or you can also use Butter Buds or Molly McButter for butter flavor, a little bit of milk (not too much because cauliflower is full of its own moisture) and some salt & pepper. Then I get my hand beater out and whip it up like I do mashed 'taters.

It's soooooo yummy and a wonderful replacement for those who avoid mashed potatoes because of the calories. One medium head of cauliflower has only about 144 calories. A medium head, mashed, usually gives you about (and I'm just taking a guess here) 2 to 2-1/2 cups. As opposed to 2 cups of mashed potatoes, which will give you about 300 calories.

Yes, we eat it pretty often, sometimes mashed with light cream cheese, lowfat cheddar and bacon bits.

Other times with cream cheese, green chilis and lowfat cheddar.

I also have a mushroom "ricotta" recipe made with fresh shredded cauliflower that's delicious.

Last night I didn't have many calories left for supper, so I mashed cauliflower, added chicken broth and curry powder and baked it. It wasn't my favorite dish, I would have liked to have added a red or green pepper, but DH hates peppers.

Has anyone else ever tried celery root as a substitute for mashed potatoes? I love it, but it is hard to find here, and expensive when I do find it.

Thanks for the ideas!

Lots of good ideas. Thanks. I do mine pretty simply. I cook the heck out of the cauliflower, then pulse it in the food processor with a little chicken or vegetable stock and some rf sour cream. Add salt and pepper and it's ready. So good, my family doesn't even ask for regular mashed potatoes anymore!