Creamy Mashed Cauliflower

This creamy mashed cauliflower is seasoned with butter, garlic, and parmesan. It's ready in just 20 minutes!

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 10

Total Time 20

Servings servings

Calories 103kcal

1 cauliflower head medium, trimmed, 1 pound
2 tablespoons unsalted butter soft
1 teaspoon fresh garlic minced
¼ cup Parmesan grated, not shredded
1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt or ½ teaspoon of any other salt, including Morton kosher salt
⅛ teaspoon black pepper freshly ground

Wash the cauliflower, towel dry, trim the outer leaves, and cut it into florets or chunks.
1 cauliflower head
Place the cauliflower florets in a microwave-safe bowl. Add 4 tablespoons of water to the bottom of the bowl, cover it with a microwave-safe plate, and microwave on high for about 10 minutes, until very tender.
Meanwhile, place the butter, garlic, Parmesan, salt, and black pepper in your food processor's bowl.
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, 1 teaspoon fresh garlic, ¼ cup Parmesan, 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt, ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
When the cauliflower is cooked, carefully drain it (the bowl and plate will be hot, and steam will escape) and transfer it to the food processor.
Process until very smooth, 1-2 minutes, stopping once or twice to scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula. Serve immediately.

It's perfectly acceptable to use frozen cauliflower florets in this recipe. The instructions are the same as using fresh cauliflower.
Don't undercook the cauliflower. For this recipe, you want it to be very soft, not tender-crisp.
Drain the cauliflower well after steaming it. The less water it contains, the thicker the mash will be.
Make sure you add grated Parmesan. Its texture nicely thickens the mash.
You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Gently reheat them in the microwave, covered, at 50% power.