I can’t believe I’m about to say this but here goes… these Loaded Jalapeno Bacon Mashed Cauliflower – Faux-Tatoes are better than mashed potatoes! There I said it and it’s true!
Potatoes used to be a staple in our diet. Let’s face it they are cheap, versatile and cook fairly quick. However as you probably already know they are very high in carbs which is not good if you’re trying to maintain a low-carb lifestyle. One large potato has a net carb count of 56 grams! Compared to cauliflower which has a net carb count of only 2 grams for a 1/2 cup serving. When you see the numbers it’s really a no brainer for those of us counting carbs.
You know how people say things like frog legs and squirrel taste like chicken, when they are trying to get someone to try it? Well, I’m not going to tell you that cauliflower tastes like potatoes because it doesn’t. It is however a pretty awesome alternate when prepared like this. I’ve tried Cauliflower Mashed Faux-tatoes several different ways and I can’t say that I loved them all. As a matter of a fact some I really didn’t like at all! After all of the testing and tweaking I have done I have to say that this preparation is delicious. Part of the difference seems to be adding the sour cream. I don’t know the science behind it but for some reason it really tames the cauliflower taste and gives it more of a smooth taste. Give these Jalapeno Bacon Mashed Cauliflower Faux-tatoes a try and I’m almost 100% certain you are going to love them as much as we did.
Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons sour cream
- 1/4 cup Philadelphia spicy jalapeno cream cheese spread
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese – shredded
- 1/2 cup cheddar cheese – shredded
- 1/4 cup green onion – diced
- 5 slices bacon
- 1 jalapeno sliced
Instructions
- Bring a quart of water to a boil in a large pan and add cauliflower.
- Cook until tender.
- Meanwhile cook bacon until crisp and then break into pieces.
- Drain cauliflower well. You want to get rid of as much moisture as possible.
- Add cauliflower, butter and sour cream to a food processor and puree until smooth. If you do not have a food processor you could use a blender or hand blender for this.
- Add cream cheese spread, 1/2 of the cheddar cheese (1/4 cup) and parmesan cheese to the cauliflower mash and process just long enough to incorporate.
- Stir in 1/2 of the jalapeno into the cauliflower mash.
- Scoop the cauliflower mash into a casserole dish.
- Bake at 325 for 15 minutes.
- Garnish with remaining cheddar cheese (1/4 cup), bacon and 1/2 of the green onions (1/8 cup) then return to the oven for 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.
- Top with remaining green onions (1/8 cup) and remaining jalapeno slices.
- Serve and enjoy!
About Tammy Northrup
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