2tablespoonschives or parsley, chopped, for garnish
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 400°F.
Place the butter, garlic, kosher salt, and black pepper in your food processor bowl.
Cook the bacon in a skillet until crisp. Drain on paper towels, then crumble. Set aside.
Trim the cauliflower and cut it into chunks. Place the chunks in a large microwave-safe bowl. Add ¼ cup water. Cover and microwave on high until very tender, about 10 minutes. The bowl will be hot - careful when removing it from the microwave. Drain and transfer the cooked cauliflower to the food processor.
Process the cauliflower on high speed until very smooth, 1-2 minutes, stopping once to scrape the sides with a spatula.
Transfer the cauliflower puree to a small 1-quart casserole dish. Top with the shredded cheddar and the crumbled bacon. Bake just until the cheese is melted, 3-5 minutes. Top with the parsley and serve.
Video
Notes
Instead of cooking the bacon in a skillet, you can make microwave bacon. Cauliflower lacks starch, so this mash is not as thick as mashed potatoes, although it's definitely rich and creamy. One way to thicken it is to add ¼ cup of dry-grated parmesan cheese with the other ingredients that you place in the food processor. The Parmesan acts as a pretty powerful thickener.You can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in an airtight container, for 3-4 days. The bacon does lose its crispiness, but the mash is still very rich and flavorful. Reheat the leftovers in the microwave, covered, at 50% power.