A slightly more elegant way to eat roasted cauliflower is by mashing it once it’s done roasting. It’s a hard decision – eat roasted cauliflower trees, or mash ’em up. Mashing them does make it easier on the belly (if that’s an issue), and it’s one way to have a plate of garlicky, creamy mashed.
I added thyme to the cauliflower before roasting, but you can keep it simple by using just the garlic and olive oil. I like a bit of Parmesan cheese with my mashed cauliflower, so I sprinkle some of that in at the end, in the blending phase.
I probably don’t need to suggest ways to eat this, but in case you’re looking for ideas, this goes great in a shepherd’s pie, with roasted meats (if you eat meat of course), and other green roasted or lightly sauteed vegetables, like spinach and kale.
Mashed Roasted Cauliflower
Ingredients
- 1 medium cauliflower head
- 1 large clove garlic, pressed or finely minced
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil (or other oil, or ghee or unsalted butter)
- 1/4 teaspoon fresh thyme (optional)
- warm water or milk (dairy-free milk such as almond or coconut milk)
Method
- Preheat an oven to 400°F (200°C, or gas mark 4).
- Slice the cauliflower into pieces and add it all to a mixing bowl.
- Add olive oil, salt, and garlic to the bowl, and blend well to fully coat the cauliflower.
- Place the cauliflower on a cookie sheet, and in the oven, and bake for about 20 minutes, or until they are browning around the edges.
- Take the cauliflower out of the oven, and place in a blender.
- Add about 1 to 2 cups of very warm water (or milk) to the blender. You’ll be the judge of how much water to add based on how you like your mashed cauliflower.
- Blend until it is the consistency you like.
- Eat!
Janet NX
January 14, 2011 at 1:23 pmThis looks delicious Erica! I made your zucchini fritters yesterday and they were great too – and a fab way to use up our zucchini that are going from tiny to HUGE as we watch! Thank you.
Erica
January 15, 2011 at 3:46 pmThanks Janet! You have zucchini growing right now?!
Janet NZ
January 15, 2011 at 4:18 pmHi Erica. Greetings from a windy, but very warm New Zealand. Yes, we are up to our ears in zucchini at the moment. I swear you can actually watch them growing! 🙂
Erica
January 15, 2011 at 5:49 pmThey are prolific during the warm growing season here too! Best wishes from Seattle, WA!
Janet NZ
January 15, 2011 at 11:03 pmSo many food bloggers are from Seattle… a place I have longed to visit (since the tv program in the 70’s). What IS IT about Seattle? 🙂
Kiley
January 31, 2012 at 8:21 pmOMG! We made these tonight and they were SO GOOD! Mashed potatoes no longer exist in my world.
Kelly Smith
November 6, 2012 at 1:01 pmIs there a reason you use water for blending? Would nondairy milk also work? I want these to be as close to mashed potatoes as possible! Thanks!
Erica
November 6, 2012 at 1:44 pmYou can use dairy-free milk or water. At the time I wrote this, I was not making dairy-free milk on a regular basis, so water was just easier. 🙂 I added it to the recipe. Thanks!
Kelly Smith
November 14, 2012 at 2:52 pmThank you! I ended up using water and then adding 1 oz cream cheese.
Angela
March 10, 2018 at 7:01 amI made these last night, using butter and milk like I normally do with my mashed potatoes. Delicious! These will be an excellent addition to our low carb meals. Thanks so much for sharing!
Erica
March 10, 2018 at 9:39 amGreat to hear. Yes, it works well the traditional way too 🙂