Best Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes (with Boursin!)
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If you're looking for the best cauliflower mashed potatoes recipe, this is it. The mashed cauliflower is light, fluffy, and flavored with delicious Boursin cheese. It's an easy, healthy, vegetarian + low-carb side dish that is a guaranteed family hit!
Would you like a super easy side dish recipe that just so happens to be good for you, too? I thought you might! We make cauli mash regularly for dinner and, of all the variations we've tried, these are our favorite.
Why we believe these are the best cauliflower mashed potatoes
- They are good enough to trick a diehard mashed potatoes fan into thinking they're the real deal. ā This actually happened.
- Boursin cheese, the best cheese ever. ā The one thing the entire universe seems to agree on.
- 3 ingredients = a super simple side dish.
- The best side for a meat and gravy dinner. Think roast chicken, roast beef, or Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners.
- But this mashed cauliflower recipe is so creamy that it doesn't need gravy. Serve it beside steak or pan-fried chicken for a quick and easy weeknight meal.
- WAY easier to make than mashed potatoes, this mashed cauliflower recipe is light, fluffy, and perfectly flavored.
- It's a healthy vegetarian + low-carb recipe that won't leave you feeling like you're missing out.
READ MORE: How to make cauliflower rice
How to make cauliflower mash
To make the best cauliflower mashed potatoes, lightly steam the cauliflower making sure not to overcook it. You don't want it to turn soggy or limp or you will have thin, runny cauli mash. To make thick, creamy, fluffy mashed potatoes, don't overcook the cauliflower!
- Cut the cauliflower into smallish pieces (see the picture above) and put them into a large pot with 1 cup of water.
- Now bring the pot to a boil and steam the cauliflower for 10 minutes. Drain any remaining water from the pot then put the cauliflower into your food processor.
- Add the Boursin cheese and blend the cauliflower until it is light and creamy.
- Season! Please don't forget this part. Just like potatoes, cauliflower is bland without salt.
We like to put a pat of butter and a sprinkle of chives on top of the bowl of mashed cauliflower as it looks pretty for serving. But if you're serving yourself from the stove, you can skip this step.
What is Boursin cheese?
In case you haven't yet met the best cheese in the world, let me introduce you to Boursin. It's soft and creamy and delicately flavored with herbs and garlic. Technically a brand of Gournay cheese, it's like whipped cream cheese got together with crumbly goat cheese and this is their love child.
Boursin cheese substitute
While there is no exact substitute for Boursin cheese (thank goodness it's widely available!), you can use some cream cheese or goat cheese with a tiny sprinkle of Italian seasoning to mimic the creaminess and flavor.
What to serve with cauliflower mashed potatoes
Mashed cauliflower can be served anytime you would traditionally serve mashed potatoes. We love it with all of our roast chicken recipes:
- Lemon Herb Butter Roast Chicken
- Parmesan Crusted Roast Chicken
- Orange Cranberry Roast Chicken with Rosemary Balsamic Butter ā festive!
Roast chicken with this mashed cauliflower recipe and a simple green salad tossed in one of our favorite salad dressing recipes makes a delicious meal.
You can also serve cauli mash with Coq au Vin, Juicy Baked Chicken Thighs, Perfect Baked Chicken Breasts, or BBQ Crockpot Beef Ribs.
Because cauliflower mashed potatoes are a 2 in 1 carb-like veggie side, we sometimes keep dinner ultra simple and make this recipe with our 18 minute Juicy Baked Pork Chops and call it dinner.
Healthy Cauliflower Recipes
- Garlic Brown Butter Mashed Cauliflower
- Easy Roasted Italian Cauliflower
- Paleo Cauliflower Fried Rice
- Spinach Lemon Cauliflower āRice' Risotto
- Roasted Tandoori Cauliflower with Tahini Yogurt
Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 large cauliflower (about 3-lbs. cut into chunks)
- 1 package Garlic & Fine Herb Boursin Cheese
- 1-2 teaspoons sea salt
- Optional: butter and minced chives (to garnish)
Instructions
- Add the cauliflower to a large pot with 1 cup of water. Bring the water to a boil, cover the pot, and let the cauliflower steam for 10 minutes. Remove it from the heat and drain any remaining liquid.1 large cauliflower
- Working in batches if needed, add the cauliflower and Boursin cheese to your food processor and blend on high until smooth. Season to taste, starting with 1 teaspoon ofĀ salt.1 package Garlic & Fine Herb Boursin Cheese, 1-2 teaspoons sea salt
- Serve the Boursin mashed cauliflower in a bowl and top with a little butter and some chives.
Video
Nutrition
We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.
I wanted something a little healthier (January resolutions!) and am really happy I found your recipe. I love mashed potatoes and these were a great alternative. They totally fooled me!
Good recipe – a keeper. But why oh why call it ‘cauliflower mashed potatoes’ when there are no potatoes??
When we did our research, we found that most people called cauliflower that was mashed like potatoes ‘cauliflower mashed potatoes’ so we went with that. š
This is the best mashed cauliflower recipe!! Cooking advice is spot on. Perfect consistency and flavor. I used garlic/herb Boursin and Truffle salt, which was so good. Next time, I’m going to use the black cracked pepper Boursin- I’ve used it with real mashed potatoes and it’s amazing.
Where are the potatoes?
This is a mashed cauliflower recipe that resembles mashed potatoes.
Wow this was so delicious! I served with sauteed italian shrimp.
Do you think you could make an extra batch and freeze for later?
While you can freeze mashed cauliflower, I’m not a big fan of it as the flavor of the cauliflower becomes stronger after it thaws.
Best mashed cauliflower I have ever hadĀ
I love boursin cheese so knew that I would love this recipe as soon as I saw it. It was every bit as good as I imagined it would be. Thank you!