Creamy Parmesan Instant Pot Mashed Cauliflower "Potatoes" is a healthier, low carb alternative to mashed potatoes that taste absolutely phenomenal. Head over to the Keto-Friendly section of the blog to check out all of the other great low-carb recipes!
Hey, y'all! I've spoken before that I'm apprehensive about my Instant Pot. To be honest, the thing intimidates the hell out of me. I have this absolutely inane fear that the lid is going to blow off of it and cause a massive explosion. Part of this stems from an accident I had a few years back that left me with PTSD (I should probably note it wasn't cooking related), and partly because I've read horror stories of classic pressure cookers.
I'm slowly easing into the Instant Pot. I make my Instant Pot Shredded Chicken all the time for meal prepping and I make a pretty banging Instant Pot Taco Soup. Just recently, I've started using it weekly to make a fabulous little side dish called Creamy Parmesan Instant Pot Mashed Cauliflower "Potatoes".
This dish goes along well with our low-carb lifestyle and seriously replaced good old fashioned potatoes in our household. I've made this stuff three times in the last two weeks, no lie.
Now, I know mashed cauliflower doesn't exactly sound appetizing. I get it, which is why I call it "cauliflower potatoes", you know, kind of like "cauliflower rice". Add in parmesan cheese, garlic, and fresh herbs and ooooooooh man, you're going to fall in love.
The cool thing about this recipe is that it all happens in the Instant Pot, well, that and a mixing bowl. The whole head of cauliflower fits right in the Instant Pot so there's no need to break it down into florets. Just remove the stem and leaves and put the whole head right in!
Can you make this dish ahead?
Ugh, yeah! Which is fantastic because this dish is perfect for holiday menus. With Easter coming up, this is a great dish to make the day before and simply reheat when you're ready to enjoy it. Simply pop it into a covered casserole dish and bake in the oven for 20 to 30 minutes at 350.
Pro Tip:
Make sure to let the cauliflower cool 5-10 minutes (with the Instant Pot lid removed) before mashing. This helps extra moisture drip down (and helps it get extra creamy!), and makes it easier to handle.
What sides pair well with this dish?
This scrumptious dish pairs well with Low Carb, Keto-Friendly Green Bean Casserole, Garlic Roasted Asparagus, Roasted Ranch Flavored Carrots and Easy to Make Garlic Herb Knots.
Kitchen Essentials:
Servings: 4
Ingredients:
1 head cauliflower, stem and leaves removed 1 cup stock, chicken or veggie (water works too) 4 cloves garlic 6 sprigs fresh thyme (or 1 tbsp dried thyme) 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated 1/2 cup sour cream 4 oz cream cheese, cubed Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions:
1. Place the stock, garlic cloves, and sprigs of thyme in the bottom of a 6 quart Instant Pot. Place the trivet on top of the garlic and rest the cauliflower on top of the trivet.
2. Cook for 15 minutes on the steam setting. Once finished, do a quick pressure release as soon as the Instant Pot beeps. Open the lid and allow the cauliflower to rest for 10 minutes.
3. Transfer the cauliflower to a mixing bowl with as little liquid from the pot as possible.
4. Mash the potatoes with sour cream, cream cheese, cheese, salt, and pepper.
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