Garlic Smashed Cauliflower
Gluten Free Living – 2021
Garlic Smashed Cauliflower is wonderful. I modeled this side dish after my Garlic Mashed Potatoes recipe and I certainly wasn’t disappointed. I roasted up a whole bulb of garlic which made the dish savory and delightful. The recipe also includes cream cheese to make the dish creamy and cheesy. So, so good.
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I actually made Garlic Smashed Cauliflower twice. The first time was after Dallas’s big freeze this past Valentine’s Day. We stayed with my son and his wife for five weeks while we were looking for a house. I volunteered to make meals a few times a week, and this recipe was included in one of those meals. My son and daughter-in-law really enjoyed cauliflower served this way. Unfortunately, it got really dark early in the day so I didn’t have a chance to get many pictures.
I made it again a month or so after we moved in to our new home north of Dallas. I served it with our favorite meatloaf and potato recipes. Because we had leftovers, I sent part of it to some friends south of the Metroplex when I was taking them a meal. They loved it too. It’s not super low in calories, but this Keto recipe does not have the high calorie count from using potatoes.
If your family enjoys cauliflower, this is a terrific way to eat it. I’d be surprised if even your picky eaters don’t enjoy cauliflower made this way. Don’t worry about using a whole bulb of garlic. When you roast it first, it turns out much milder than raw garlic. The cauliflower and garlic just seem to melt in your mouth. Yum. Give me another serving!
Garlic Smashed Cauliflower is delightful.
The roasted garlic and cream cheese make this side dish savory as well as creamy and delicious.
If you enjoy Garlic Mashed Potatoes, you’ll love this version made with cauliflower.
Garlic Smashed Cauliflower is the perfect side dish for company and holiday meals like Thanksgiving, Christmas or Easter.
Here’s what I did.
I used these ingredients, but I used two heads of cauliflower. You need either two large heads or three small heads of cauliflower for this recipe.
Cut off the top of the bulb of garlic. If desired you can add about an 1/8 of a teaspoon of olive oil and drizzle it over the top.
Place garlic bulb on a cookie sheet or in a small baking dish and bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes. Allow to cool a few minutes before removing the garlic from the skins. Set aside.
Meanwhile, cut the cauliflower off the stock into florets and put in a large sauce pan or Dutch oven. Fill with water. Cover with lid and bring cauliflower to a boil.
Boil cauliflower until tender, about 10-12 minutes. Drain cauliflower in colander.
Put drained cauliflower back into Dutch oven and mash with a potato masher really well.
Add butter and cream cheese and mash into cauliflower.
Sprinkle with seasonings.
Add roasted garlic.
Stir to combine and transfer ingredients to a baking dish. If you’re not serving immediately you can heat the cauliflower up in the oven for about 10-15 minutes to reheat if necessary. (If it’s refrigerated it will take longer).
Garlic Smashed Cauliflower is a great dish to serve company especially if you have those with gluten intolerance. They can enjoy a great tasting dish but without gluten!
We enjoyed this with BBQ Meatloaf and Seasoned Oven Fries.
This is a great dish to get your kids eating cauliflower. I bet they like this version.
You can see some of the roasted garlic in the top picture. It tasted wonderfully with Seasoned Oven Fries and BBQ Meatloaf.
Here’s the recipe.
GARLIC SMASHED CAULIFLOWER
(My own concoction)
Garlic Smashed Cauliflower
Equipment
- 1 medium stock pot with lid
- 1 sharp knife to cut vegetables and mince herbs
- 1 colander
- 1 potato masher
- 1 electric mixer if not smooth enough
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- 1 serving bowl
Ingredients
- 2 large heads cauliflower or three small cauliflowers
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter (1/2 stick)
- 4 oz. cream cheese
- up to 1/2 cup half-and-half if needed (use as little as necessary for the right consistency)
- 1/2 tsp. sea salt
- 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
- 1 head roasted garlic (see directions below)
- 1 tsp. fresh parsley minced (or 1/2 tsp. dried parsley)
Instructions
- Cut cauliflower into florets.
- Boil cauliflower in a large stock pot filled with water for 10-12 minutes or until soft.
- Drain cauliflower in colander.
- Return cauliflower to stock pot and mash with a potato masher.
- Add butter and mash down with potato masher until it has melted.
- Add cream cheese and mash down again.
- Add half-and-half to desired consistency.
- Stir well.
- Add salt, pepper and garlic to taste.
- If not smooth enough, mix with an electric mixer.
- Put in a serving dish and serve.
- Sprinkle with fresh, chopped parsley.
Notes
© Can’t Stay Out of the Kitchen
Nutrition
I assure you that every mouthful is amazing.
Garlic Smashed Cauliflower is pretty delicious with any main dish meal, but it was excellent with BBQ Meatloaf and Seasoned Oven Fries.
This luscious, rich and creamy cauliflower is irresistible.
Give Garlic Smashed Cauliflower a try the next time you need a great tasting side dish.
You may also enjoy these delicious recipes!
Roasted Broccoli, Cauliflower and Carrots
Garlic Smashed Cauliflower
Equipment
- 1 medium stock pot with lid
- 1 sharp knife to cut vegetables and mince herbs
- 1 colander
- 1 potato masher
- 1 electric mixer if not smooth enough
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- 1 serving bowl
Ingredients
- 2 large heads cauliflower or three small cauliflowers
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter (1/2 stick)
- 4 oz. cream cheese
- up to 1/2 cup half-and-half if needed (use as little as necessary for the right consistency)
- 1/2 tsp. sea salt
- 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
- 1 head roasted garlic (see directions below)
- 1 tsp. fresh parsley minced (or 1/2 tsp. dried parsley)
Instructions
- Cut cauliflower into florets.
- Boil cauliflower in a large stock pot filled with water for 10-12 minutes or until soft.
- Drain cauliflower in colander.
- Return cauliflower to stock pot and mash with a potato masher.
- Add butter and mash down with potato masher until it has melted.
- Add cream cheese and mash down again.
- Add half-and-half to desired consistency.
- Stir well.
- Add salt, pepper and garlic to taste.
- If not smooth enough, mix with an electric mixer.
- Put in a serving dish and serve.
- Sprinkle with fresh, chopped parsley.