Cheesy Loaded Mashed Cauliflower makes a delicious low-carb, keto friendly alternative to mashed potatoes!

Low-Carb Loaded Mashed Cauliflower
Cheesy mashed cauliflower made with a touch of whipped butter, buttermilk, garlic and herbs and topped with cheese and bacon – low-carb, low calorie and keto, but you’ll swear it’s totally indulgent!
I also love Mini Bell Pepper Loaded Turkey Nachos or Loaded Jalapeno Popper Nachos.
A few weeks ago I stopped to eat lunch with the family at Pizzeria Uno. I ordered a burger and somehow the waiter talked me into getting the loaded mashed potatoes – OMG! Yes, it was a moment of weakness but some of my best ideas come from those moments. This version is so so good, lower in carbs, gluten-free, Keto and makes the perfect side dish to any meal.
How to make mashed cauliflower:
Mashed cauliflower is a great low-carb, lower calorie alternative to mashed potatoes. To make it, boil the cauliflower until tender then puree with an immersion blender along with buttermilk, milk or dairy-free milk. You can add chives, garlic, sour cream and butter.
Variations:
If you don’t have buttermilk you can use a little milk and sour cream in it’s place.
More Cauliflower Recipes:
- Cauliflower Mac and Cheese
- Creamy Cauliflower Mash with Kale (Low-Carb Colcannon)
- Cauliflower Fried Rice
- Cauliflower Tots
- Creamy Roasted Cauliflower Chowder
Loaded Cauliflower "Mash" Bake
Ingredients
- 4 slices center cut bacon
- 6 cups about 24 oz cauliflower florets
- 3 cloves crushed garlic
- 1/3 cup 1% buttermilk
- 1 tablespoon whipped butter
- 3/4 tsp kosher salt
- fresh black pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh chives divided
- 1/4 cup shredded reduced fat shredded cheddar
Instructions
- Cook the bacon in a skillet until crisp; set aside on a paper towel then crumble.
- Fill a large pot with water, bring to a boil and add cauliflower and garlic. Boil until the cauliflower is soft, about 15-20 minutes. Drain, and return to the pot.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Add the buttermilk, butter, salt and pepper to the cauliflower and purée with a hand blender. If you don't own a hand blender, a regular blender would work fine as well.
- Mix in 1 tbsp of the chives and transfer to 4 individual casseroles (3/4 cups each) or one 8 x 8 casserole dish and top with cheddar and crumbled bacon.
- Bake in the oven until the cheese melts, about 5 minutes then top with remaining chives.
I have made this several times. It tastes so decadent and delicious! It’s a hit with my whole family.
This was so delicious and so easy to make! Very, very filling and just enough bacon and cheese to make it super indulgent.
Loved this! Will definitely make again
These were very good. I didn’t have the exact ingredients (this is pandemic cooking at it’s finest). I used fat free cream cheese and I had a whipped butter that also had garlic in it so I used that.
Thanks for the lower in calorie and carb version of twice baked potatoes.
I love the flavour better than mashed potatoes. I plan on using this instead of mashed potatoes for my Shepherds Pie!