Photos by Nathalie Krull
Forget about those boring side dishes…These decadent cauliflower and herbed-butter mashed potatoes serve up the ultimate rich, velvety comfort food experience by blending creamy gold potatoes with tender cauliflower and a luxurious, herb infused butter. By simmering fresh rosemary, thyme, and sage directly into brown butter, this recipe produces a deep, savory, complexity that perfectly masks the cauliflower while keeping the consistency impossibly light and fluffy. Every spoonful delivers that ultra creamy texture you crave.
By blending cauliflower into your mashed potatoes you significantly boost the nutritional value of the dish, while lowering its total glycemic load, increasing fiber, and antioxidants and reducing its calorie density. The simple addition keeps the comfort food texture you love while introducing powerful cruciferous benefits. It is the perfect, indulgent twist on a classic. An unforgettable side dish for the holiday table.
Ingredients:
3 pounds Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks
1 medium to large cauliflower head cut into florets
5-6 large garlic cloves, peeled
1 cup butter; alternatively use vegan butter, or 3/4 cup of olive oil
4-5 sprigs of fresh thyme
1 sprig of fresh rosemary
1 sprig of fresh sage
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream or substitute of choice
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1-2 tablespoons of olive oil
salt to taste
Let’s make this…
Lightly coat the cauliflower florets, and garlic cloves in olive oil, place them on a cookie sheet, and roast them in the oven at 425 for 20-35 minutes until tender inside with deep caramelization on the edges. Stir or flip them halfway through to make sure they don’t burn. Once done, remove from the oven and set aside.
Bring a large pot of water to boil, add the potatoes, and boil over medium heat until tender… for about 15-20 minutes. While the cauliflower, and potatoes are cooking, place the butter or butter alternative into a small pan with the fresh herbs, rosemary, sage, and thyme (reserve a couple sprigs of thyme for after cooking). Cook over medium to low heat until the butter is lightly browned, swirl it in the pan occasionally to infuse it with the herbs, and to make sure it doesn’t burn…this will take about 8-10 minutes.
If you choose to use olive oil, cook on low heat for 5-10 minutes without smoking it. Remove it from the heat, and let it cool slightly before removing herb sprigs, and lay them on a paper towel to cool. When the potatoes are done, drain them, and then pour them back into the pot, add the roasted cauliflower, and garlic cloves, cook over medium heat stirring for about 2 minutes to help remove any additional liquid, and further soften the cauliflower. Turn off the heat, and add the browned butter infused with herbs. Use a potato masher, and mash until well combined. You can choose how smooth you would like to make it; I like it with some small cauliflower chunks in it. Add the cream, pepper, nutmeg, and salt to taste.
Remove the thyme and sage leaves that you cooked in the brown butter from their stems, and sprinkle them over the dish. Add a sprig or two extra fresh thyme leaves too. It’s ready to serve, and enjoy.
Classic holiday food is expected this time of year. Most of us look forward to the holiday spread. Why not change it up a bit this year and serve up these better for you mashed potatoes? Sneak a little extra nutrition into your holiday favorites. See if anyone can even tell. This dish is proof that you don’t have to sacrifice flavor to eat a little healthier. Making simple changes to your classic holiday meal might make a big difference in the long run. While a single holiday dinner won’t derail your health, the festive season runs from November till the beginning of January. Introducing mindful changes like cauliflower potatoes reshapes family traditions, rewires your flavor preferences, reduces chronic inflammation, and may reduce cumulative winter weight gain.
Give them a try, and make a difference in the lives of your loved ones bite by bite. Wishing you good health and good luck on all of your cooking adventures.
