This has become a favorite side dish in our house, and the only way the boys really enjoy eating cauliflower. This is super, super easy - if you have a food processor, especially. I started hearing about people using mashed cauliflower as a substitute for potatoes when I began to eat more low-carb this summer, and this is the recipe I came up with. I think it tastes great, and the mouth feel is creamy and amazing. And it's much healthier than potatoes! It's yummy on its own, or with some kind of sauce or gravy on it. One of my sons was very suspicious of it the first time I made it, but after the first few bites he said, "You need to make this a LOT!"

Ingredients

1 medium to large head of cauliflower, washed and trimmed, then cut into chunks (approx. 1 1/2 to 2 inches in size)

4 oz. cream cheese, cut into a few chunks

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into a few chunks

salt (about 1/2-3/4 tsp.)

pepper to taste

Extremely Helpful Equipment

Steamer basket

Food Processor

Directions

Place the cauliflower in a steamer basket over boiling water, and steam for about 15-20 minutes until very tender. (Don't have a steamer? Boil it until tender, then drain VERY well.)

Put the cooked cauliflower into a food processor and run it until the cauliflower is partially mashed, then add the cream cheese, butter, salt (start with 1/2 tsp., then add to taste), and some pepper to taste. Run the processor until the cauliflower is a uniform, creamy consistency. Sometimes it wants to be stubborn and not really start mashing up, but be patient and let the machine do its thing - the cauliflower will yield to the might of technology.

Serves about 6 or more, depending on the size of the cauliflower. It's great left over, too.

NOTE: my mother makes this and does not have a food processor, so she just mashes it all up by hand. She says it is still good, but not quite the same creamy consistency as you get with a machine. She also finds she has to boil the cauliflower a bit longer to get it soft enough to do by hand.

Equipment Notes:

I have something like this for my steamer setup - much sturdier than the collapsable baskets.

My food processor is a Kitchen Aid - powerful and easy to use!