Mashed potatoes are great, don't get me wrong.
But with all the other deliciously-heavy side dishes to choose from at Thanksgiving, wouldn't it be nice to have at least one lighter alternative? Or, what if you are like me, and cannot tolerate night-shade (white potatoes)?
Cauliflower to the rescue!
To start things off, any dish you add these caramelized onions to will be a hit. The Kitchn does a great tutorial on how to caramelize onions. It make take a bit of extra time and planning up front, but the results is well worth it.
Cauliflower is great a great low carb substitute, and if cooked correctly can have almost an indistinguishable texture compared to white potatoes. I haven't loaded these down with butter and heavy cream, instead I snuck in non-fat Greek yogurt to provide that bit of creaminess to this side dish. Your dinner guests won't know the difference!
Whipped Cauliflower with Caramelized Onions
Prep Time: 1 hour (caramelized onions) + 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 6
Ingredients:
- 2 small/medium heads of cauliflower, about 8 cups chopped
- 1-1/2 tbsp butter
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1-1/2 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
- 1/4 cup chicken stock
- 6 oz non-fat Greek yogurt
- Caramelized onions (1 whole onion) - follow The Kitchn instructions
You will also need:
- Blender or immersion blender
- Electric hand mixer
Directions:
- Bring a large pot of water to boil. While the water is warming, chop cauliflower into florets. Once water is to a boil, add cauliflower. Continue to boil for 10 minutes, until the cauliflower becomes very tender. Drain cauliflower.
- Return large pot to stove top. Over medium heat, melt butter. Add garlic and rosemary and allow to become fragrant but be sure not to let the garlic become too brown, about 1-2 minutes. Add cauliflower and mix to combine. Allow to cook for an additional 8 minutes.
- If your blender is large enough (or you have an immersion blender) you can do this next step in one batch. If not, this can be done in batches. Transfer cauliflower mixture to blender and add chicken stock. Blend but do not completely liquify - we want a 'mashed potato-like' texture.
- Return cauliflower to large pot (no heat). Add Greek yogurt and caramelized onions. Whip the cauliflower with the hand mixer until all ingredients are well incorporated.
- I like to finish things off in the oven so that the cauliflower is warmed through and this also creates a bit of a crisp layer, which is a nice touch :) This would be a great dish to prepare ahead of time on Thanksgiving and just re-warm in the oven before sitting down to eat. 375F for about 15 minutes should do the trick!
Nutritional Information (1 serving)
120 calories - 6 g Protein, 13 g Carbohydrates, 5 g Fat