This fabulous recipe for Mashed Cauliflower and Potatoes takes “regular” mashed potatoes to a new level of ultimate flavor while tamping down the carbs and starch. Roasted garlic gets added in at the end for even more earthy flavor. This will be your new favorite vegetable mash. Recipe gives directions for stove top or Instant Pot cooking.
This is my new favorite comfort food side dish. Mashed Cauliflower and Potatoes takes the best of mashed potatoes- creamy, silky texture and great when garlic, butter, and pretty much any herb is added… then takes the best of mashed cauliflower- less carbs and calories than potatoes for those watching such things as well as less starchy-natural sugars (1 cup of potatoes= 15g carbs and 80 calories vs. 1 cup of cauliflower= 5g carbs and 27 calories) – a lighter texture than potatoes, and a mild almost nutty flavor and also great paired with garlic, butter, and pretty much any herb. I’ve had a good amount of mashed potatoes in my life too (who hasn’t?) and I’ve experimented along with all of you on the bandwagon of “Let’s make cauliflower everything!”. But mashed cauliflower, that I love, isn’t the same texture EXACTLY as mashed potatoes, and mashed potatoes, also love!, are a little heavy in the gut besides being less ‘good for us’. But did you see how I did that with telling you that both potatoes and cauliflower pair well with garlic, butter, and herbs? In other words, potatoes and cauliflower are meant to be mashed together! Excellent texture, creaminess, and a little less where you want less, but more where you want more. And especially since the more includes even more flavor than either one of them alone.
Boiling the cauliflower and potatoes together, super simple. But I add a few other stars to the recipe for even more flavor. I recommend boiling the vegetables in broth (chicken or vegetable), toss in a few garlic cloves that will soften and add more mild nutty flavor to the finished dish. But I also HIGHLY recommend roasting several garlic cloves in the oven while the vegetables are cooking on the stove top or Instant Pot (Printable recipe has instructions for both).
Roasted garlic has a more robust flavor than the boiled garlic and if you mince it super fine after it comes out of the oven (click here to see my favorite chopper or you can use a chef’s knife), it creams into the mashed cauliflower and potatoes spreading generous flavor throughout. While you’re mashing the potatoes, the recipe calls for adding butter and milk to finish. These ingredients add even more heaven to the mash, but also more calories and if that matters, you can skip the butter, use more broth for smooth cauli-potatoes, and then increase the herbs and fresh ground pepper.
As you can see, this recipe is super easy to customize depending on what you want or need. But I highly recommend this fabulous combination of both cauliflower and potatoes mashed together at your next Sunday dinner, family gathering, or holiday. You are gonna love it! 😉
Mashed Cauliflower and Potatoes
Ingredients
- 2 pounds russet or yellow potatoes, washed and cut into large chunks. (See notes)
- 1 medium head cauliflower, cut into florets
- 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth. You will use less if using Instant Pot
- salt, to taste
- 1 head garlic, skins removed
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 4 tbsp butter, more to your liking
- ¾ cup whole milk, more if desired
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, for serving (optional)
- fresh ground black pepper, for serving
Instructions
For stove top cooking:
- Add 2 pounds potatoes and 1 medium head cauliflower in a large pot. Add 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth to cover the vegetables. You may use water if you like instead but the broth adds extra flavor. Add about 1 teaspoon salt to the pot and 2 of the garlic cloves from the head of garlic that you have already skinned. (Reserve the other cloves for roasting)
- Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for about 20 minutes (until the potatoes are fork-tender).
- While the cauliflower and potatoes are simmering, turn your broiler on and place oven rack on one spot below the middle. Put the remaining garlic cloves (you want at least 7 or 8) on a piece of aluminum foil and drizzle with the 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add a dash of salt and black pepper. Place the foil on the oven rack and heat until the edges of the cloves just start to brown, about 5-7 minutes depending on the heat of your oven. Watch closely so the cloves don't burn. Remove the cloves from the oven and mince until it's almost a garlic mash. Set aside.
- Drain the cauliflower and potatoes and return to the pot. Add 4 Tablespoons butter and the garlic mash that you've roasted and use a potato masher to mash the vegetables until the butter is fully melted.
- Add ¾ cup milk and mash some more until you reach the consistency you desire. Add more butter and/or milk if needed.
- Add more salt to taste, stir and place in a serving platter. Sprinkle top with 2 Tablespoons fresh parsley, black pepper and a pat of butter (to look even more irresistible) before serving.
For Instant Pot or other pressure cooker:
- Add potatoes and cauliflower to the insert of your pressure cooker and add 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth. You may use water if you like instead but the broth adds extra flavor. Add about 1 teaspoon salt to the pot and 2 of the garlic cloves from the head of garlic that you have already skinned. (Reserve the other cloves for roasting)
- Seal the lid on the cooker, select Manual cooking and cook on high pressure for 10 minutes. (See next step for preparing roasted garlic while potatoes and cauliflower are cooking.) Once the 10 minutes is up, let pressure release naturally for 5 minutes then finish with a quick release. Remove lid when pressure is completely released and the top can be turned easily.
- While the cauliflower and potatoes are pressure cooking, turn your broiler on and place oven rack on one spot below the middle. Put the remaining garlic cloves (you want at least 7 or 8) on a piece of aluminum foil and drizzle with the 1 Tablespoon olive oil. Add a dash of salt and black pepper. Place the foil on the oven rack and heat until the edges of the cloves just start to brown, about 5-7 minutes depending on the heat of your oven. Watch closely so the cloves don't burn. Remove the cloves from the oven and mince until it's almost a garlic mash. Set aside.
- Remove the cauliflower and potatoes with a slotted spoon to a large bowl. (Do not pour any remaining broth or water into the bowl unless you want to make the recipe dairy-free then add the broth in place of milk or butter.) Add the butter and the garlic mash that you've roasted and use a potato masher to mash the vegetables until the butter is fully melted.
- Add ¾ cups milk and mash some more until you reach the consistency you desire. Add more butter and/or milk if needed.
- Add more salt to taste. Sprinkle top with fresh parsley, black pepper and a pat of butter (to look even more irresistible) before serving.
Equipment
Notes
- You can peel the potatoes or leave them unpeeled for a more rustic look and flavor.
- Cooking the cauliflower and potatoes in your pressure cooker is not necessarily faster but I wanted to give you both options depending on preference.
- If you're not a huge garlic fan, leave out the roasted garlic. You could add a sprig of fresh rosemary during the initial boiling or pressure cooking process and remove before mashing.
- For even more flavor and comfort food goodness, add a cup of freshly grated Parmesan to the mash along with the butter.
Can this be prepared the day ahead for a potluck?
Absolutely, Julie! You can prepare the day before and for a potluck I like to reheat it in a crockpot. Then just let it sit in it on warm during the festivities.
Loved the combination. Need to save recipe.
This is a real keeper! It is so good! I’ve made this twice now and will continue to make it many more times. The amounts of both cauliflower and potato are perfect!
This was my first attempt at mashed Cauliflower. I love potatoes and I loved this just as much. The consistency of this is almost the same and it cooks faster than potatoes. Very yummy Sally, Thank you!
These potatoes were delicious. Served them to my family that swore they would not like cauliflower mashed potatoes if I made them…and they were so flavorful they didn’t have a clue! Definitely will be a recipe on repeat in my household.
I love hearing this, Stacey! The first time I made them for my family, they also had no idea they weren’t just mashed potatoes. 🙂
3 strips of crispy chopped bacon made for a nice addition to the original recipe. Very, Very tasty! Thanks Sally!
Very tasty! I made them a second time and added a bit horseradish, which made them even better! This recipe is definitely a keeper!
Loved this recipe! By the time it is done most people didn’t even know that there was cauliflower in the recipe. delicious!
This was good and a great way of adding extra veggies into a meal. I had mine along with rotisserie chicken and corn. It was the perfect accompaniment and it was easy to make. Thanks Sally!
When one is counting carbs, one welcomes all the help one can get. At 27 carbs per one cup serving, this recipe is a real winner. Most all diabetic diets limit serving size to one-half cup, further reducing the carb count to 14 per serving. My particular diet limits total carb intake per meal to 35, leaving me with a whopping 21 carb allowance, definitely a game changer. Thanks!
Hi, I am looking forward to trying this recipe for myself and my husband. I was wondering if you knew the serving size? I am counting carbs so this information would be so helpful.
Thank you!
Socrotiff
Hello! One serving is about 1 cup. Hope this helps and I hope you enjoy!
That roasted garlic looks incredible!!
Tawnie, 😉
Love the idea of adding cauliflower to the classic mashed potatoes, it must bring an incredible taste to the dish! Yum 🙂
Thanks Sylvie, we really loved the flavor combination.
Sometimes you just have to have potatoes and cauliflower doesn’t cut it. I love how you have combined the two to still have the wonderful potato flavors. I think my kids will love these and they won’t realize they are eating cauliflower.
Hi Vicky, I’m in total agreement with you. That’s why this combination is perfect! Thanks for commenting.
Loving your addition of roasted garlic to these mashed cauliflower and potatoes recipe. Such a great idea.
I made these for my veggie-hating kids last night, and they LOVED them! Thanks so much for sharing!