These cauliflower mashed potatoes are a keto-friendly Thanksgiving dream—and come with a protein-rich secret ingredient!
I get it. Thanksgiving is a time to splurge and forget about counting calories for one delicious evening of pure, guilt-free indulgence. And while that’s true, it doesn’t mean that all the dishes need to be heavy and calorific. With some tweaks here and there, even the classics can be given a wholesome makeover, making them just a little more waistline-friendly without sacrificing any flavor. Take these cauliflower mashed potatoes, for example. This dish is creamy, dreamy, and still captures all the comfort of a classic mash, but without the high carbs and excess fat.
Made with keto-friendly and gluten-free ingredients, this cauliflower mash is silky, rich, and decadently smooth. The best part? It’s made with a protein-rich secret ingredient—move over butter, because cottage cheese is in town!
Are Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes Healthy?
This cauliflower mashed potatoes recipe is a great way to enjoy a healthier, low-carb take on classic mashed potatoes. By swapping out potatoes for cauliflower, you’re getting a lighter dish with fewer calories and carbs, but still plenty of flavor.
Plus, cauliflower is a good source of fiber, vitamins, and minerals, making this a delicious way to add some extra veggies to your meal! With the addition of cottage cheese, you also get a little protein boost, and the mash becomes so smooth and creamy without the need for butter. You won’t feel like you’re missing out this Thanksgiving!
Take Your Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes to the Next Level!
Some people find that their mash has an overpowering cauliflower taste, and this is because they don’t go hard with the flavor additions. You wouldn’t eat plain mashed potatoes, so don’t eat plain cauliflower mash, either!
Use a heavy hand when adding your roasted garlic and cottage cheese. You can also be generous with seasonings like salt, pepper, garlic powder, and chives. And why not jazz up your mash even more by stirring in a little black truffle paste or adding a handful of chopped sun-dried tomatoes?
FAQs & Tips
How to make ahead and store
Storing this mash is easy! Just keep it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. When you’re ready to enjoy it again, a quick reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave will bring it back to its original creamy texture. Freezing isn’t ideal for this mash, as cauliflower can become watery when thawed.
When Should I Stop Cooking the Cauliflower?
Getting the cooking time right is crucial. Undercooked cauliflower can be crunchy, while overcooked cauliflower can become mushy and waterlogged. Aim for fork-tender florets when cooking your cauliflower.
Why is my Cauliflower Mash Watery?
One of the biggest complaints people have about cauliflower mash is that it turned out watery. This often happens when excess moisture from the cauliflower is not properly squeezed out before processing, so make sure you really get that liquid out!
Serving Suggestions
To get you ready for your Thanksgiving feast, here are a few ideas for a delicious spread! If wrestling with a whole turkey isn’t your thing, try this Air-Fryer Turkey Breast recipe—it makes the main course as simple as can be. And you have to serve it with some Turkey Gravy (just swap the flour for almond flour, if you’re watching your carbs). Green beans are my favorite veg to serve up this time of year, and I can never choose between a Low-Carb Green Bean Casserole or these Sautéed Green Beans With Crispy Prosciutto, so I usually end up making both! Can’t get enough of cauliflower? Make this Low-Carb Riced Cauliflower Stuffing.
Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 head of garlic
- 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
- 5 cups cauliflower (1 pound) cut into florets
- 1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese
- 2 tablespoons milk of choice I used unsweetened almond milk
- 1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
- Generous pinch of freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400℉.
- Slice the top off the head of garlic, peeling off the excess papery skin and trying to keep the head intact.
- Place the garlic onto a piece of shiny-side-up aluminum foil and rub all over with the oil. Close the foil to make a packet around the garlic (remember to put the shiny side against the garlic) and roast in the oven until the center of the garlic is very soft, about 40 minutes.
- While the garlic cooks, bring a large pot of water to a boil.
- Once boiling, add in the cauliflower florets, cover and cook until fork-tender, about 8 to 10 minutes.
- Drain the cauliflower and spread onto a thin, clean kitchen towel. Let it cool for 5 to 10 minutes, until cool enough to handle.
- Wrap the cauliflower in the kitchen towel and squeeze out as much excess moisture as possible. Really put some muscle into it, as this gives you thick and creamy cauliflower mash, not thin and soupy mash!
- Once you've gotten the moisture out, place the cauliflower in a large food processor, along with all the remaining ingredients. Squeeze half of the softened garlic cloves out and add them to the food processor.
- Blend until smooth and creamy, stopping to scrape down the sides of the food processor as necessary. You'll need to let it run for a few minutes to get the cottage cheese nice and smooth.
- Taste to see if you need to add more garlic, salt, or pepper, then serve when ready.
Nutrition Info:
Recipes written and produced on Food Faith Fitness are for informational purposes only.
Great low-cal mashed potatoes with some modifications. Make it easy on yourself and steam the cauliflower rather than boil it. No squeezing will be necessary and it will not be watery! Take it out and let is sit in the strainer to dry out well. Drain the cottage cheese (I use 3/4 of a cup) and add no more than 3-4 cloves (toes) of garlic in the food processor with the cottage cheese and chop prior to adding the cottage cheese. Go easy on the salt, you can always add more later. We use cottage cheese with chives but you can always add your own. We now like this recipe better than real mashed potatoes.
We love these “mashed potatoes” better than the real ones. But save yourself some time and electricity. Steam the cauliflower that than boil it and remove the steamer basket and let the cauliflower cool. Not need to bake the garlic; but the taste will be too bitter if you just add peeled garlic. I just saute about 5 cloves of garlic in some olive oil until they start browning and you get the equivalent of having baked them. I put the cottage cheese and garlic in first to chop the garlic and blend and then add the cooled cauliflower. Again not necessary to squeeze the cauliflower and sometimes no extra milk is necessary.
So glad you and you family enjoy this recipe! A great mashed potato substitute. Thanks for reading!