Mashed Cauliflower with Cheddar Cheese

I am such a potato lover! That's been another tough part about doing a low carb diet. I have a hard time coming up with side dishes that aren't noodles or potatoes. I've seen several recipes for mashed cauliflower, and I've even eaten it before, but I had never made it myself. 

First, I removed all the leaves and as many stems as I could from the cauliflower. I cooked it in 4 cups of water with 4 chicken bullion cubes. 

Bring to a boil, and cook for 8 minutes or until tender. Drain. At this point, I transferred the cauliflower to another bowl to blend it, because I used my immersion blender (my very favorite kitchen tool), and I didn't want to scratch my nonstick pot. You could also use a blender or a food processor. Blend the cauliflower into a silky smooth purée. 

I returned it to the pot and added some milk, butter, seasonings to taste (I used garlic powder, salt, and pepper), and a handful of shredded cheese. Combine until the cheese and butter have melted. 

Technically, you could be done at this point... Or you could add bacon bits and sour cream, put it in a casserole dish, top it with cheese, and broil it until the cheese makes a nice golden top :) 

My husband didn't really care for the dish, but my brother, my sweet P, and I all loved it, each of us having seconds. I was thrilled that P loved it. It's such a healthy dish, and she doesn't like many vegetables. It looks like I'll be making this often in the future!

I have an idea in mind for the leftovers, so keep an eye out for that!

Enjoy!