When I first tried smashed cauliflower I hated it. Normally I really like cauliflower so I was upset that I didn’t enjoy this side dish. It was a popular side for Atkins diets and anyone looking to lower their carbs, but I thought it tasted nasty. No flavor at all! Till now that is. I have played around with various recipes and have finally come up with one that my husband and I both love!  It’s an easy recipe but it does take some prep time, but it’s worth it. I have also used broccoliflower and even the orange cauliflower in this recipe. It’s a lower calorie version as well. Feel free to use full fat ingredients if you don’t like the fat-free or light ingredients. I use FF Half-and-Half and light ingredients. The amounts of the ingredients can be increased or decreased evenly depending on how big your cauliflower head is. And if you don’t have ricotta cheese or cream cheese you can leave it out. It taste so much better with these cheeses though! It’s goes well with any main dish: fish, beef, chicken, pork. Give it a try!

INGREDIENTS:

1 head cauliflower, trimmed and cut into small pieces

1-2 TBS butter or butter substitute

1-2 TBS fat-free half-and-half or 1% milk (or whatever you have around)

1-2 TBS fat-free or light ricotta cheese

1-2 TBS fat-free or light sour cream

1-2 TBS light cream cheese

1-2 wedges light Laughing Cow Cheese (I like the garlic & herb one but any flavor is good)

1-2 scallions chopped (green and white parts)

3-4 cloves of garlic chopped (you can use less if you don’t like too much garlic)

1/4-1/2 cup parmesan cheese (for topping)

Salt & Pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1: Place cut up cauliflower, garlic and scallions into a microwave safe container and cook on HIGH for about 6-8 minutes until cauliflower is tender and soft. Stir halfway through cooking time.

2: In a food processor or blender place cauliflower mix, butter, ricotta, half-and-half, sour cream and Laughing Cow cheese and blend until very creamy. It will still be a little grainy but should be on the creamy side. I usually have to do this in two batches in my food processor. I also sometimes need to add a little more milk to make is creamy. Adjust as needed.

3: Place the mixture into a small casserole dish, deep pie plate or any oven safe baking dish. Top with parmesan cheese. The mixture is still usually warm at this point. Then place the dish into a 350 degree oven until top gets brown and sides bubble a little. This may take about 20-30 minutes.

4: Remove from oven and serve! My husband likes to add hot sauce to his as well.