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There are mashed potatoes, and there are THESE cheesy roasted cauliflower mashed potatoes. With slightly nutty and sweet roasted cauliflower, potato and cheese in them (and a bit of yummy thyme), they could well be your new go-to mash recipe!
The BEST mashed potatoes!
There aren’t too many recipes that I would call my ‘go-to recipes’. There’s THIS amazing Greek chicken and potatoes that I literally could eat every day of my life, for instance. There’s this easy moussaka which I like to make for guests. And there’s this nothing-short-of-incredible 6-ingredient Swedish chocolate cake, which I have dreams about!
But when it comes to mashed potatoes, THIS roasted cauliflower and potato mash recipe is always the one I turn to.
What’s so great about it? Well, here goes…
- It’s a mixture of pureed cauliflower AND potato AND cheese. Mashed cauliflower alone can be a bit too runny. Adding a little potato too makes the mash just right.
- Roasting the cauliflower gives the mash a delicious, slightly nutty and sweet flavour. Yum.
- You could say this is like a cross between a classic mashed potato and a potato cauliflower puree – a kind of cauliflower cheese mash. It’s super delicious when you eat it with roast meat, vegetables and gravy. I always make it when I have family or guests over for a traditional British roast dinner!
- You can make it ahead. I sometimes make it the day before. I pour my delicious cauliflower mashed potatoes into some kind of small serving dish with a lid like the one in my photos (affiliate link). When I’m ready to serve up dinner, I simply reheat on medium power in the microwave.
- You can make it look quite fancy! Save some of the delicious roasted cauliflower florets to sprinkle over the top, and drizzle over a bit of olive oil.
- Adding some fresh or dried thyme is the icing on the cake!
What ingredients do you need to make this cauliflower and potato mash?
- roasted cauliflower
- boiled potato
- warm milk infused with fresh or dried thyme
- cheese and butter (swap for a big drizzle of olive oil if you prefer or for vegan cheese and olive oil if you want to make your mash vegan)
- salt and pepper to taste
And how do you make cauliflower mash with a food processor?
This delicious cheesy cauliflower mash is super easy to make. All you do is roast cauliflower while boiling a bit of choppped potato (photos 1 and 2). Then you pulse the cauliflower, potato, cheese and a bit of warm herb-infused milk and butter in the food processor (photos 5 to 8). Done!
I usually warm the milk in a small saucepan and add some thyme to infuse with the wonderful flavour. If I’m feeling a bit short on time though I sometimes mix the thyme into the milk and microwave it instead (photo 3)!
Just like this…
You will end up with a mash that is somewhere between classic mashed potatoes and a potato puree. If you’d prefer your cauliflower mash to be a bit thicker, simply add a bit more potato.
Save some of the smallest, crispiest bits of cauliflower for garnishing the top!
The best part is warming the milk with thyme in it on the stove. It’s strangely calming and satisfying, and smells divine!
Pro tips: 1. Don’t over process. If you blend for too long, the mash can become a little too smooth and ‘gloopy’ – at least for my liking! 2. Once you’ve made your impressive looking side dish, you can pop a lid or cover on it and keep it warm in the oven until you’re ready to eat.
FAQ
I don’t have a food processor. Can I still make this cauliflower mash?
Don’t worry if you don’t have a food processor. Mashing and stirring works well too. Just use your potato masher, or even a fork. Your mash might not be quite as smooth, but that’s OK.
Hmmm… butter and cheese… how can I make my cauliflower mash healthier?
Well… there’s only a little bit of butter and cheese in each portion of mash. But if you prefer you can add a big drizzle of olive oil instead of butter.
You could even skip the cheese altogether if you like, or use less of a stronger tasting cheese. Something like parmesan would work really well.
What can I serve with cauliflower and potato mash?
- Serve it with a roast. Any kind of roasted meat or baked fish, or even a vegetarian alternative like this delicious baked eggplant goes well. I usually serve more roasted vegetables with this meal, too, and maybe some delicious gravy!
- I sometimes serve it with some good quality sausages. This meal is delicious comfort food either as it is or with a green vegetable on the side.
- Serve it with a casserole such as this Mediterranean stove top chicken casserole or this baked chicken and chorizo with cherry tomatoes.
- Believe it or not, the taste and texture of this mash reminds me a little of hummus! So if you are feeling brave, why not serve it as a dip with raw vegetables, bread sticks or tortilla chips?
A word about vegetables
These days, I prefer to buy really good quality, locally grown vegetables. I try to buy organic from my local farmer’s market, but I realise organic vegetables can be expensive!
I get around this by loosely planning what I’m going to cook over the next week so that I only buy what I need and not much gets wasted. Of course this is easier said than done so the system isn’t perfect!
Farmer’s markets are great if you have one close by. Another great option is ordering an organic veg box. If you’re in the UK, the award-winning Riverford is worth a look. You can order seasonal organic veg boxes (plus meat, fish, dairy, recipe boxes and more) of various sizes weekly, fortnightly, or as and when.
The great thing is that their vegetables are on average 20% cheaper than supermarket organic vegetables, and customers say ‘freshness and flavour’ is the main reason they buy from them – so just what we’re looking for!
Not quite what you’re looking for? Try these crispy brussels sprouts with tahini sauce and almonds instead. They’ll be the best brussels sprouts of your life!
More easy potato side dishes
- If you try one more potato recipe from Scrummy Lane, let it be these amazing Greek potatoes!
- These crispy smashed potatoes are also Greek style, but ready a little quicker than the potatoes above. You can even make them in your air fryer!
- Looking for a show stopping potato side? Try this potato bake with bacon, or these creamier garlic parmesan potatoes (aka dauphinoise potatoes).
- If you’re looking for something a little different, try these mini garlic and parmesan hasselback potatoes!
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Cheesy roasted cauliflower mashed potatoes
Equipment (affiliate links)
Ingredients (UK/Australia? Click button below for grams & ml)
- 1 medium cauliflower cut into florets
- 2 tablespoons olive oil (for roasting)
- 1 medium potato peeled and chopped into small chunks.
- 4 tablespoons grated cheese (or 1 handful – any strong cheese e.g. strong cheddar)
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ⅓ cup milk
- 2 thyme sprigs (or 1 teaspoon dried thyme)
- salt & black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 220C/420F.
- Spread the cauliflower out on a baking tray in one layer and drizzle with the olive oil. Roast for 15 to 20 minutes or until the cauliflower is golden and almost caramelised.
- At the same time, boil the potato chunks until they are soft (about 15 minutes). Also warm the milk in a small saucepan with one of the thyme sprigs or the dried thyme.
- Put aside a small handful of the roasted cauliflower florets. Then put the rest into the bowl of a food processor and blend with a bit of the warm milk (thyme sprig removed!).
- Add the potato, butter, cheese and as much of the rest of the milk as you need to blend to a smooth puree.
- Finally, grind in plenty of salt and pepper and blend for a couple more seconds.
- Scrape the mash into a nice serving dish. Top with the reserved cauliflower florets, a sprinkle of fresh thyme leaves (if using fresh) and a drizzle of olive oil.
Janice says
This couldn’t have dropped into my inbox at a better time! I ‘ll be making this to accompany roast chicken today.
Helen says
I’m so excited to hear this, Janice! I really hope you enjoyed it! 🙂
the hungry mum says
What a fab idea! I reckon this would taste ten types of amazing. Cheese is my religion 😉
Helen says
Thanks, Hungry Mum! Hope you give it a go!