Cottage Cheese Cauliflower Mash
This Cottage Cheese Cauliflower Mash is a perfectly smooth and creamy low carb substitute for mashed potatoes. Tender steamed cauliflower is blended with smoked gouda, cottage cheese and Greek yogurt, made in just under 20 minutes. Serve alongside any protein that you like and dinner is served.
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❤️ Why You’ll Love This Keto Mashed Cauliflower Recipe
- Freshly steamed tender cauliflower
- Creamy smoked gouda and cottage cheese
- Blended perfectly smooth and creamy
- Low carb substitute for mashed potatoes
- Made in under 20 minutes
- Serve on the side of any protein that you like
You might have tried other mashed cauliflower recipes and were disappointed in either the texture or flavor. This won’t be one of those recipes, I promise! From the super creamy texture to the incredible smoky cheesy flavor, this mashed cauliflower will not disappoint.
And if you’re not a huge fan of cauliflower (sometimes even I get tired of it), not to worry because the flavor is not overly strong, instead you’ll taste the smoky cheese and tangy yogurt. And the best part of making this is you don’t even need to use your stove. Simply steam the cauliflower in the microwave and blend with the other ingredients in a blender, then it’s ready to serve.
This mashed cauliflower can be served with just about any protein that you like. I have some suggestions that I’ve listed down below for you to check out.
🛒 Ingredients for Cottage Cheese Mashed Cauliflower
- Cauliflower
- Smoked gouda cheese
- Cottage cheese
- Greek yogurt
- Butter
- Garlic salt
- Ground black pepper
*Exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below.
🥣 Recommended Tools
🔪 How to Make Creamy Mashed Cauliflower
Add the cauliflower to a large microwave safe bowl, cover with a plate and cook in the microwave 10 minutes or until tender.
While the cauliflower is steaming, add the cottage cheese and Greek yogurt to a high-powered blender, then mix until smooth.
Drain the cauliflower onto paper towels, pressing down to remove any excess moisture. This step is absolutely key to getting thick and creamy mashed cauliflower, so don’t skip it.
While still hot, add the cauliflower to the blender and mix briefly.
Add in the shredded smoked gouda, softened butter, garlic salt and ground black pepper.
Continue mixing until the cauliflower is smooth and creamy. This should take about 3-5 minutes, stopping and scraping down the sides a few times.
Serve warm with some salt and pepper over the top. You can also add a pad of butter as well.
☑️ Storage Instructions
Store leftover cauliflower mash in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
🍴 What to Serve with Mashed Cauliflower
- Chicken Stroganoff
- Marsala Mushroom Chicken Bites
- Chimichurri Steak Bites
- Herb Crusted Pork Tenderloin
- Roast Beef with Gravy
💡 Tips
- Steaming the cauliflower in the microwave is the best way to cook it, as it doesn’t get waterlogged like it does when you boil it. But the key is to really squeeze out every bit of water, which will accumulate in the bowl as it steams. If you leave any water in, your cauliflower will be soupy when you blend it up.
- It’s important to add the cauliflower into the blender while it’s still hot. This will help melt the cheese into the cauliflower and makes for the perfect creamy texture. If for some reason your cauliflower cools down before you’re ready to blend it, heat it up again in the microwave and pat it dry with paper towels.
- If your cottage cheese is on the watery side, drain off any extra water, otherwise it will make the cauliflower watery. The same is true for the Greek yogurt. If you need to strain either one, it’s worth the effort, trust me.
- I prefer a smooth and creamy texture for this cauliflower, which is why I blender the cottage cheese first and also why you want to blend the cauliflower for a few minutes. If you don’t have a high-powered blender, you can use a regular blender or food processor, just know that it might take longer to get the cauliflower perfectly smooth.
- Grate the smoked gouda yourself, rather than buying it pre-shredded, as they typically contain anti-caking ingredients and won’t be as creamy.
🔄 Substitutions and Additions
- The smoked gouda cheese is a key ingredient in this recipe. While cottage cheese is also important for a creamy texture, the gouda gives a nice smoky flavor to the cauliflower. If you can’t find it in the store, a smoked cheddar will also work. And if you can’t find that, you can use any strong flavored cheese that melts well instead. I have found the smoked gouda is easy enough to find, even Walmart sells it and trust me, it’s worth using in this recipe.
- If you don’t have Greek yogurt, you can use sour cream instead. Mascarpone cheese would also work well.
- To add a slight onion flavor, sprinkle some chopped fresh chives over the top before serving.
- If you don’t have garlic salt, you can use half garlic powder and half salt.
- To add a little extra smoky flavor, you can add in some smoked paprika.
- If you want to add more garlic flavor, you can add in some roasted garlic cloves.
What’s the secret to creamy cauliflower mash?
There are actually a few secrets: first, steaming it instead of boiling in water, then squeezing every bit of moisture out is the most important thing. Second, blending with a creamy cheese like the smoked gouda really helps make the cauliflower extra creamy. Third, adding the cottage cheese, butter and Greek yogurt also help create the perfect texture.
What are the common mistakes when making cauliflower mash?
Boiling the cauliflower, instead of steaming it, is probably the single most common mistake. When you get all the moisture out, you will end up with the creamiest texture.
What can you add to mashed cauliflower to make it taste better?
This is where the smoked gouda cheese comes into play. The flavor is strong enough to mellow out the strong taste of cauliflower and it makes ALL THE DIFFERENCE.
How do I make my cauliflower mash thicker?
Making sure you get all the moisture out of your cauliflower, straining a watery cottage cheese and/or Greek yogurt all help the cauliflower turn out thick and perfectly creamy.
What’s healthier, mashed potatoes or mashed cauliflower?
Mashed cauliflower is definitely on the healthier side as they are lower in carbs and have a lower glycemic index.
🍽️ More Keto Cauliflower Recipes
- Cauliflower Risotto
- Coconut Cauliflower Rice
- Whole Roasted Cauliflower
- Easy Cauliflower Mac and Cheese
- Cauliflower Potato Salad
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Cottage Cheese Cauliflower Mash
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds cauliflower, cut into small pieces (1 medium head)
- 1 cup smoked gouda cheese, shredded
- 1/2 cup cottage cheese
- 1/4 cup Greek yogurt
- 3 tablespoons salted butter, room temperature
- 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Add the cauliflower to a large microwave safe bowl, cover with a plate and cook in the microwave 10 minutes or until tender.
- While the cauliflower is steaming, add the cottage cheese and Greek yogurt to a high-powered blender, then mix until smooth.
- Drain the cauliflower onto paper towels, pressing down to remove any excess moisture. While still hot, add the cauliflower to the blender and mix briefly.
- Add in the shredded smoked gouda, softened butter, garlic salt and ground black pepper.
- Continue mixing until the cauliflower is smooth and creamy. This should take about 3-5 minutes, stopping and scraping down the sides a few times.
- Serve warm with some salt and pepper over the top. You can also add a pad of butter as well.
*Make sure to scroll up and read the post for substitutions, additions and helpful tips for making this recipe.
*Nutritional data is provided as a courtesy and is accurate to the best of my knowledge. You can verify it using the nutrition calculator of your choice. All data is based on net carbs, without sugar alcohol: Swerve, Erythritol, Monk Fruit or Allulose.
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