Instant Pot (or Stovetop) Low-Carb Loaded Cauliflower Mash

Instant Pot Low-Carb Loaded Cauliflower Mash is a quick and delicious low-carb side dish that everyone will love. And this tasty recipe is also Keto, low-glycemic, and gluten-free. Use the Recipes-by-Diet-Type Index to find more recipes like this one.

My recipe for Instant Pot Low-Carb Loaded Cauliflower Soup has been such a hit on the blog and with people in my huge extended family that I found myself wondering why those same flavors wouldn't also be a winner in a mashed cauliflower dish. And although it took me two tries to perfect the technique of making a cauliflower mash in the Instant Pot, the end result was as delicious as I had imagined!

However, just in case you have not yet joined The Church of Instant Pot, I want to make it perfectly clear that you can also make this delicious loaded cauliflower mash in a pan on the stove using the instructions from Pureed Cauliflower with Garlic, Parmesan, and Goat Cheese, and the results will be just as good! So take your choice on the method, but if you like the idea of mashed cauliflower with butter, sharp cheddar, cream cheese, bacon, and green onion, I hope you'll give this a try!

You need 2 pounds of chopped cauliflower and this is the perfect time to use one of those 2 lb. bags from Costco! Chop the cauliflower into same-size pieces. Use a steamer basket with 1 cup of chicken stock or water and chopped cauliflower on top of the basket. Cook on MANUAL, HIGH PRESSURE, 2 minutes, let it natural release for 1 minute, and then quick release. Keep the Instant Pot on KEEP WARM setting.

While the cauliflower cooks, cook the bacon, slice green onions, and prepare the cubed cream cheese and grated cheese.

Drain the cauliflower into a colander placed in the sink and let it drain well. Then put back into the Instant Pot with the butter and use an Immersion Blender to puree to your desired consistency. (Be careful not to scratch the Instant Pot inner pot.) When the cauliflower is as mashed or pureed as you prefer, add the cream cheese and 1 cup grated sharp cheddar and stir into the cauliflower until it's mostly melted.

Then add the 6 slices bacon (cooked and crumbled) and 1/4 cup green onions, and stir into the cauliflower. Season to taste with salt and fresh-ground black pepper.

Serve hot, with more grated cheese, bacon, and green onions sprinkled over the top as desired.

Instant Pot (or Stovetop) Low-Carb Loaded Cauliflower Mash

(Makes 4-6 servings; recipe created by Kalyn and inspired by Instant Pot Low-Carb Loaded Cauliflower Soup.)

Equipment:

I used my 6-Quart Instant Pot to make this, but it can also be made in another type of Electric Pressure Cooker. (Or if you don't have a pressure cooker, follow cooking times in my recipe for Pureed Cauliflower with Garlic, Parmesan, and Goat Cheese and make it in a pan on the stove.)

Ingredients:
2 lb. chopped cauliflower (about 9 cups chopped cauliflower)
1 cup chicken stock or water
1-2 T butter (optional, but good)
1/4 cup cream cheese, cut into cubes
1 cup + 2-3 T grated sharp cheddar cheese
6 slices + 1 slice bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/4 cup + 1 T diagonally sliced green onions
salt and fresh-ground black pepper to taste

Instructions:

Chop the cauliflower into largish pieces that are all close to the

same size. (You can use them stem and core for this too.) Put steamer basket (or other insert that will hold the cauliflower) into the Instant Pot with 1 cup chicken stock or water. Put cauliflower on top of the basket. Cook on MANUAL, HIGH PRESSURE, 2 minutes, let it natural release for 1 minute, and then quick release. Keep the Instant Pot on KEEP WARM setting.

While the cauliflower cooks, cut the bacon into small pieces and cook until crisp, draining well and blotting off the fat when it's done. (I used pre-cooked bacon from Costco and cooked it for a little over a minute in the microwave, then blotted off most of the fat.) Measure out the butter, cubed cream cheese, and grated cheese, and thinly slice the green onion. Set aside some of the grated cheese, bacon, and green onions to garnish the finished dish.

Drain the cooked cauliflower into a colander placed in the sink and put the stainless steel inner pot back into the Instant pot. Let the cauliflower drain well, then put it back into the inner pot with the butter. Use an Immersion Blender to puree cauliflower to your desired consistency. (You can probably do this with a hand mixer, or even mash with a potato masher, but I have only tried it with the Immersion Blender.) When the cauliflower is as mashed as you prefer, add the cream cheese and 1 cup of grated sharp cheddar and stir them into the cauliflower until cream cheese and cheese is mostly melted. Season to taste with salt and fresh-ground black pepper.

Then add most of the crumbled bacon and the 1/4 cup green onions and stir into the cauliflower. Check to see if the cauliflower is as hot as you'd like it, and if not cook for a minute or two on SAUTE/LOW to heat the cauliflower. (Be careful; if you heat too long or use too high of heat it will scorch on the bottom of the stainless steel pot.) 

Serve hot, with the rest of the grated cheese, bacon, and green onion sprinkled over the top.

TO COOK IN A PAN ON TOP OF THE STOVE:

To make this recipe in a pan on the stove, follow the instructions and cooking times for Pureed Cauliflower with Garlic, Parmesan, and Goat Cheese, omitting the garlic if you prefer and switching the goat cheese and Parmesan for the butter, cream cheese, and grated sharp cheddar used here and adding crumbled bacon and sliced green onions. You will need a larger pan than shown in that recipe to make this one that uses 2 lbs. chopped cauliflower, and you'll need to use enough chicken stock or water to cover the cauliflower if you're cooking it on the stove.

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Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:

Everything used here is a low-carb or low-glycemic ingredient and this recipe should be approved for low-carb or low-glycemic eating plans. If you're strictly following the South Beach Diet, this recipe might be too high in fat, although you could use low-fat cheese and cream cheese and go easy on the butter and bacon to make a version that might be okay for an occasional treat on South Beach.

Find More Recipes Like This One:

Use the Recipes by Diet Type photo index pages to find more recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. Or Follow Kalyn's Kitchen on Pinterest to see all the good recipes I'm sharing there.

Nutritional Information?

If you want nutritional information for a recipe, you can sign up for a free membership with Yummly and use the Yum button on my site to save the recipe and see the nutritional information. Another option is entering the recipe into this Recipe Nutrition Analyzer, which will calculate it for you.

More Ideas for Cheesy Cauliflower:
Cauliflower Gratin with Sharp Cheddar and Parmesan ~ Kalyn's Kitchen

Low-Carb Cauliflower Mac and Cheese ~ All Day I  Dream About Food

Low-Carb Twice-Baked Cauliflower ~ Kalyn's Kitchen

Cheesy Cauliflower Mac-n-Cheese ~ Barefeet in the Kitchen

Low-Carb Cheesy Baked Cauliflower Tots ~ Kalyn's Kitchen

Cheesy Cauliflower Alfredo Bake ~ Crunchy Creamy Sweet

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