Cauliflower Cream ♥

Cauliflower Cream is my favorite among this year's new Thanksgiving vegetable recipes, one to clip for everyday, not just holidays. Cauliflower Cream is simply delicious -- for everyone at the table but especially those who avoid potatoes. It is so smooth and so creamy, and tastes so much like mashed potatoes that at first, my taste testers only asked, "Wow, who made the potatoes?" Everyone was surprised to learn that the 'potatoes' were cauliflower!

PHOTO NOTES The cauliflower in the first photograph (above, right) was mashed, not sent through the food processor; its texture is still creamy, but bits of cauliflower are evident. The cauliflower in the second photograph (at left) has been processed in the food processor and you can see exactly how creamy smooth it is.

Of all the vegetable recipes I made for this Thanksgiving series, this is the one I can most imagine making again and again, for everyday. There's no giving up mashed potatoes, but these are sort of unexpected. Last week, the leftovers were absolutely delicious with this pork tenderloin with cranberry sauce, where appearance wasn't so important!

CAULIFLOWER CREAM

Hands-on time: 30 minutes
Time to table: 60 minutes
Makes about 3 cups

Big pot of salted water
1 large head cauliflower

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 small onion, diced
2 - 3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1 chicken bouillon cube, crushed

1 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into bits
Salt & white pepper to taste
Grated nutmeg or pimentón to garnish

Preheat oven to 350F.

Bring the salted water to a boil. Cut off the outside leaves of the cauliflower, use knife to cut out the core with a large V. Cut into large florets. Drop into boiling water, cooking til soft, about 10 - 15 minutes. Drain well in a colander.

Meanwhile, heat a small skillet on MEDIUM, add the 1 tablespoon of butter and let melt til shimmery. Add the onion, garlic and bouillon and let cook til onions are just beginning to turn brown.

Combine the onion mixture, cooked cauliflower and sour cream in a food processor and process til smooth. Add the 2 tablespoons of butter and process til smooth. Transfer to a well-greased baking dish and bake til hot all the way through, 15 - 20 minutes.

MAKE-AHEAD TIPS
DAY BEFORE Make the entire casserole and either bake (for reheating the next day) or just refrigerate to bake the next day.
THANKSGIVING DAY Bring to room temperature. Bake at 350 for 30 - 45 minutes or until hot all the way through.
LEFTOVER REPORT Warms up just beautifully! And where potatoes get 'crusty' when reheated, the cauliflower does not.

NUTRITION ESTIMATE
Per Half Cup Serving: 169 Cal (70% from Fat, 8% from Protein, 21% from Carb); 4 g Protein; 14 g Tot Fat; 9 g Sat Fat; 4 g Mono Fat; 9 g Carb; 3 g Fiber; NetCarb6; 3 g Sugar; 77 mg Calcium; 1 mg Iron; 61 mg Sodium; 32 mg Cholesterol; Weight Watchers points 4 points

Per Quarter Cup Serving: 85 Cal (70% from Fat, 8% from Protein, 21% from Carb); 2 g Protein; 7 g Tot Fat; 4 g Sat Fat; 2 g Mono Fat; 5 g Carb; 2 g Fiber; NetCarb3; 2 g Sugar; 38 mg Calcium; 0 mg Iron; 31 mg Sodium; 16 mg Cholesterol; Weight Watchers 1 point (yes, this is one of those funny recipes where cutting the serving size in half converts the Weight Watchers points from 4 to 1)

TODAY'S VEGETABLE RECIPE INSPIRATION
Adapted from Greene on Greens

KITCHEN NOTES
I've made this two ways, one in a large serving dish for the table or buffet, also in small ramekins (as pictured) for individual servings. Both were great.
I used regular sour cream but another time would definitely experiment with low-fat or no-fat sour cream too.
The texture would be different, but I think you could make this without a food processor too, just using a hand-held potato masher or a hand mixer.
Update: I remade Cauliflower Cream for my family's Thanksgiving gathering and it was just as delicious. Because I didn't have access to a food processor, it wasn't smooth like potatoes but I liked it at least as much, because it was obvious the mixture was cauliflower. My recommendation? Make it both ways, to see if you have a preference.
These look really plain in a bowl! I sprinkled pimentón and nutmeg over top for a little garnish (and they were fine, just not special) but next time, will either do buttered bread crumbs or maybe something like chopped green onions cooked in a little butter.

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MORE IDEAS for THANKSGIVING VEGETABLE RECIPES

featured in 2006
~ Creamy Cauliflower Gratin ~

more good choices for Thanksgiving
~ Cauliflower Tomato Medley ~
~ Cauliflower Cheddar Horseradish Gratin ~
~ Cauliflower with Pancetta, Capers & Parmesan ~

~ more cauliflower recipes ~

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Move aside, turkeys. (No, not you, dear readers! Thanksgiving turkeys!) Here at A Veggie Venture, vegetables are the real stars of the Thanksgiving table. So it's new Thanksgiving recipes all November long for a fabulous collection of Thanksgiving vegetable recipe ideas. Whether it's last year's famous World's Best Green Bean Casserole or a brand-new recipe which catches your fancy this year, move over turkeys, it's vegetables' time.
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