Mashed Cauliflower

Great recipe. This needs to be a side for a very rich protein (short ribs, steak, braised chicken, etc.), otherwise would be a bit bland. I got several “wow, this isn’t potatoes??” type comments which is always great when working with cauliflower.

Great recipe. Sour cream ups the creaminess, do not omit. I used immersion blender. Needs attention to seasoning, so taste as you blend. Very pleased.

Delicious! My only regret is that it took me so long to finally have the courage to try this recipe. I'll be making this over and over again in lieu of mashed potatoes. Also I used light sour cream.

I added 1 cup of beef broth to add some savory flavor and let it boil for 25 minutes total. I also substituted whole milk with oat milk and used sage instead of thyme. I kept the sage leaves in there and blended them in. It worked beautifully,

My grandmother used to simmer cauliflower in milk seasoned with just salt and pepper. It always tasted fabulous even to a kid! She didn’t usually mash it though.

The old trick of swishing your pot with a little water before adding the milk works here as well. Lowers the risk of scorching milk significantly. Or you can rub an ice cube around the pot - I believe that's what Melissa Clark does.

Based on feedback, I cut the cauliflower smallish, brought to a simmer on the stovetop, then oven braised for about a hour, stirring halfway through. I used cream cheese instead of sour cream because it has a small amount of carob bean gum, which acts a thickener. It's good enough to make again, so I popped the leftover milk into the freezer, labeled "cauliflower milk." Excellent for people that avoid carbs.

Used 1 cup 1% milk and 1 cup chicken broth and 2 Tbsp butter at the start and 3 Tbsp heavy cream in lieu of yogurt at the end. Otherwise, followed it to recipe. Definitely a nice chance of pace, great consistency, and easy peasy!

I put frozen cauliflower in the food processor before cooking. Seemed to turn out fine.

halved the recipe and it turned out delicious! Thank you NYTs!

So the veg was good! This recipe is all about texture. Smooth creamy-feeling purée. I cooked the veg for nearly an hour, as one reviewer suggested, to ensure no hard floret pieces. Processed til smooth. Next time I will drain it well. It was wet even without the addition of a few tbsps milk. I reheated it on a low burner to evaporate some of the moisture. The few tbsps of sour cream are worth the calories. If you’re hankering for mashed potatoes but don’t want the calories/carbs, try this.

Ended up adding a handful of chopped leeks to the cooking liquid because I had them on hand. Used an immersion blender, and didn’t need any additional liquid. I did add a dollop of Greek yogurt and a pat of butter when pureeing. So so good!

Mashed cauliflower is a god-send for people like my husband who are diabetic and avoiding starchy carbs like mashed potatoes. This recipe was very good first time I made it, but I didn't use the rest of the milk so it seemed wasteful. Next time I made it I put the cauliflower in a wider Dutch oven and only put in 1/2 cup milk and simmered it covered and the cauliflower steamed perfectly and was left with just enough milk for the rest of the recipe.

I was looking for a way to use the "local buttermilk" I like, so I substituted that for regular milk. No sour cream - the result was sufficiently tangy and to my liking. I might try it with half milk, half buttermilk. It also took forever for the cauliflower to get tender - probably the 90 minutes the other reader experienced. If I make it again, I may try "ricing" the cauliflower in a food processor first.

Don’t use all that nice milk. Most of it goes unused. Could use coconut or a combo