Keto Twice Baked Loaded Mashed Cauliflower

Low Carb Loaded Mashed Cauliflower Recipe

Whenever I would see loaded mashed potatoes on a menu, I would order it. This is pre-keto days of course. But I love mashed potatoes and when you add cheese and bacon, they become next level! I had to create a keto friendly loaded faux-tato version and use the ketogenic potato, cauliflower instead! This is recipe for low carb loaded mashed cauliflower is a side dish I like to make around the holidays. It’s so rich and creamy. This twice baked cauliflower is heaven when paired with turkey or prime rib. And it’s lighter and not so heavy compared to regular loaded potatoes.

This recipe starts by making my incredible recipe for keto mashed cauliflower. This mashed cauliflower is thick, creamy and doesn’t have that funky cauliflower taste. Then we add my favorite – bacon, green onion and cheddar cheese. Everything gets baked in the oven and the result is creamy, droolworthy loaded keto cauliflower!!

How to Make Thick Mashed Cauliflower

Achieving thick mashed cauliflower is key to making a loaded keto cauliflower side dish. Cauliflower tends to absorb moisture as it cooks,so it’s important to get out all that excess moisture in order to have thick, creamy cauliflower mash. I like to use a paper towel to do this.

Simply place your cooked cauliflower in between sheets of paper towels and press to release the excess fluid. The more moisture you are able to ring out, the thick the cauliflower mash.

Make Ahead Keto Side Dish

You guessed it! You can make this side dish ahead of time which is ideal if you are preparing many recipes for the holidays – like Thanksgiving or Christmas.

To make keto loaded mashed cauliflower ahead of time, prepare the mashed cauliflower. Add the bacon, cheese and green onion. Scoop in the casserole dish you wish to bake it in. Then refrigerate until you want to heat it up. On the day of your dinner, cook in a 400 degree oven for 30 to 40 minutes.

Mash or Puree Cauliflower

I prefer to use a blender to mix my mashed cauliflower. It’s easy and doesn’t require a lot of time. You can also use a food processor. If you don’t have either of those kitchen appliances, you can use a potato masher to mash up your cauliflower. This produces a more chunky cauliflower mash.

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Secret to Delicious Mashed Cauliflower

The secret to the best tasting mashed cauliflower without that funky cauliflower smell is to use chicken broth to cook the cauliflower florets. My favorite chicken broth is bone broth by Bare Bones Broth. This is an organic chicken bone broth made from bones of pasture raised chicken necks and feet. This produces the most gelatinous broth filled with collagen. They also have a Rosemary Lemon flavored chicken bone broth which would be delicious in this recipe too.

Variations

If you love variations in recipes, try adding the following to your keto loaded cauliflower:

• cayenne pepper
• roasted garlic
• blue cheese
• sour cream
• cream cheese