Low Carb Smashed Sautéed Cauliflower with Garlic, Parmesan

Low carb cauliflower is so good when it’s sautéed than smashed. It’s not the perfectly smooth keto cauliflower mash with great texture. Or you can put it in the food processor for a very smooth version. 

Low Carb Smashed Cauliflower Recipe

Our version is a delicious chunky smashed version that cooks the cauliflower first with garlic and olive oil. The sautéed cauliflower gives an amazing flavor and it’s so good, you might have to make double the batch! It’s low carb and low sugar, which is perfect as a side dish. Best of all, it’s low calorie and much healthier than smashed potatoes. Add less cheese and replace butter for olive oil if you want it to be super healthy! This is the perfect side dish for any dinner or holiday table. It’s a great way to have a low carb Thanksgiving meal without the starch of mashed potatoes.

Watch Video for Easy Smashed Cauliflower

How to Make Healthy Smashed Cauliflower Recipe (photos)

• Chop fresh cauliflower into bite sized pieces. If using frozen, thaw the cauliflower and use paper towel to drain excess water. But if you can get a hold of fresh cauliflower the flavor is so much better and less mushy than frozen.
• Sautee garlic with butter and then the cauliflower. Cook until cauliflower is brown.
• Add milk, seasoning and cook until soft
• Read recipe box below for further recipe details
• If you want a very smooth version, add it to a food processor to get it to the texture that you like.

Tips for Storing Leftover Keto Cauliflower Mash

• You can store leftovers for up to 3 days in the fridgerator.
• Do not freeze because when it thaws, the cauliflower will release alot of water. And the results might be mushy veggies.
• Re-heating this dish in the microwave is great and add a little extra dollop of butter or handful of parmesan cheese before serving.

Low Carb Smashed Sautéed Cauliflower

Yield: 6 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes mins

Cook Time: 20 minutes mins

Total Time: 30 minutes mins

Sautéed cauliflower has so much flavor that’s why this is such a popular dish. If you want a smoother texture, just allow the mixture to cool and process it in the food processor. 

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Ingredients

• 1 (1) medium head of cauliflower (about 2 pounds-910g)
• 2 Tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil or butter
• 3 cloves (3 cloves) garlic , minced
• 1 1/2 cups (360 ml) milk (low fat, whole, almond or soy)
• 1/2 cup (50 g) parmesan cheese (optional)
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) kosher salt , or to taste
• fresh cracked black pepper , to taste

Instructions 

• Roughly chop the cauliflower into about 1-inch pieces.
  
• Heat large pan on medium-high heat. Add butter/oil and garlic. Cook until garlic is translucent and fragrant, about 30 seconds.
  
• Add cauliflower and stirring occasionally, sauté for about 5 minutes or until cauliflower is lightly browned.
  
• Add milk, salt and pepper. Bring cauliflower to a simmer, stirring occasionally, and cook for about 5-10 minutes or until the cauliflower is tender.
  
• Remove pan from heat and allow to cool a bit. Using a potato masher, mash the cauliflower until it’s to your preferred texture. Stir in the cheese until it melts.
  
• Taste for seasoning and add more if you like. Serve warm.
  

Video

Nutrition Information per Serving

Calories: 130kcal, Carbohydrates: 8g, Protein: 7g, Fat: 8g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Cholesterol: 10mg, Sodium: 578mg, Potassium: 383mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 125IU, Vitamin C: 47mg, Calcium: 193mg, Iron: 1mg

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Low Carb, Vegetarian

Calories: 130

Here’s more of our low carb vegetable recipes

This recipe was originally published in 2019 and re-published in 2021 with updated photos. Enjoy our healthy air fryer cauliflower, low carb cauliflower pizza crust or this cauliflower made into a sandwich. You can use low carb bread for this! If you’ve made any of our recipes, let us know in the comments. And we appreciate your 5-star rating!