Cheesy Mashed Cauliflower

This cheesy mashed cauliflower side dish is made in the Instant Pot! An easy and delicious low carb alternative to mashed potatoes.

This post may contain affiliate links.

Cauliflower mash is a fantastic lower-carb alternative to mashed potato - and the cauliflower lends itself to all kinds of other flavors - like my recipes for Horseradish Cauli Mash and my Mashed Cauliflower with Blue Cheese! 

However, often the cauliflower is cooked by boiling it - which can make the end result very watery. A great alternative are those prepared bags of florets that steam in the microwave - but although they're convenient, they're not the most economical option.

So for this recipe, I have steamed the whole head of cauliflower in the Instant Pot - it works SO well! After cooking it's very easy to mash by hand - or get someone else to do it for you! I've added cheese to the mash which I think gives it a wonderful flavor.

How to Make Cheesy Mashed Cauliflower 

Place a trivet into the base of the Instant Pot (mine is 6qt), and add some chicken or vegetable broth. Remove the leaves from a whole head of cauliflower (mine weighed about 2 lb after trimming), and place it onto the trivet.

Seal the lid, and select the Steam setting for 15 minutes. When the cooking time has been completed, quick release the pressure, then carefully remove the lid and leave it open for 10 minutes.

Use the trivet handles to remove the cauliflower - it should be super soft but not watery. Place it into a large bowl together with some cream cheese and grated Parmesan. 

Mash everything together until smooth, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Note - for a super smooth cauli mash, you can use a food processor instead. 

Transfer to a serving bowl, and garnish with a little butter and some fresh thyme leaves.

Leftovers reheat really well! Just cook in the microwave until piping hot. This would make a great side dish for a holiday meal!

📖 Recipe

StepAwayFromTheCarbs.com

Cheesy Mashed Cauliflower - in the Instant Pot

5 from 2 votes

This cheesy mashed cauliflower side dish is made in the Instant Pot! An easy and delicious low carb alternative to mashed potatoes.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

IP Warm-up and Cooling Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 45 minutes mins

Net Carbs: 5.1

Calories: 140

Ingredients Equipment Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

• 1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 whole head cauliflower approx. 2lb
• ½ cup cream cheese room temperature
• ½ cup finely grated Parmesan
• salt and black pepper to taste
• butter and fresh thyme leaves to garnish

Equipment

• Instant Pot Duo, 6-QT, Stainless Steel/Black
• KitchenAid Gourmet Stainless Steel Wire Masher
• JOBKIM Gravity Electric Grinder Set of 2

Step-by-Step Instructions

 

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

1. Place a trivet into the base of the Instant Pot, and add the broth. Remove the leaves from the cauliflower, and place it onto the trivet.
2. Seal the lid, and select the Steam setting for 15 minutes. When the cooking time has been completed, quick release the pressure, then carefully remove the lid and leave it open for 10 minutes.
3. Use the trivet handles to remove the cauliflower - it should be super soft but not watery. Place it into a large bowl together with the cream cheese and Parmesan. 
4. Mash everything together until smooth, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Note - for a super smooth cauli mash, you can use a food processor instead. 
5. Transfer to a serving bowl, and garnish with a little butter and the fresh thyme leaves.

Nutrition

Calories: 140kcalCarbohydrates: 8.6gProtein: 6gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 28mgSodium: 429mgFiber: 3.5gSugar: 4gNet Carbs: 5.1g

Notes

5.1g net carbs per serving of approximately ⅔ cup.

Tried this recipe?

Let us know how it was!

Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is my best approximation. Net carbs are calculated as the total grams carbs minus the total grams of fiber.