Creamy Parmesan Instant Pot Mashed Cauliflower

close up shot of mashed cauliflower in brown bowl with parsley

4.68 from 28 votes

Creamy Parmesan Instant Pot Mashed Cauliflower

This Instant Pot mashed cauliflower is a creamy, yet healthy, lower carb alternative to mashed potatoes. Made with cauliflower, parmesan cheese, greek yogurt, and seasoned with thyme.

Prep Time10

Cook Time25

Total Time35

Course: Dinner, Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Diet: Gluten Free

Servings:

Calories: 109kcal

Author: Denise Bustard

Equipment

Ingredients

1 head cauliflower leaves removed
1 cup stock see note 1
4 cloves garlic whole; smashed with the side of a knife
6 sprigs thyme fresh

Mash with

½ cup parmesan cheese freshly grated
½ cup greek yogurt plain
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

Prep Instant Pot - place the stock, garlic cloves and sprigs of thyme in the stainless steel inner pot of the Instant Pot.
Prep the cauliflower - wash the cauliflower and remove the leaves - no need to cut it up into florets. In the Instant Pot, place the trivet on top of the stock and garlic. And the whole cauliflower on top of the trivet.
Pressure cook - place the lid on the Instant Pot and set the valve to the 'sealing' position. Cook on high pressure for 15 minutes. Do a quick pressure release (release the pressure immediately when the IP beeps). Allow the cauliflower to rest with the lid open for 10 or so minutes, until it cools slightly and it safer to handle (and allows extra moisture to drip off). see note 2
Mash - transfer the cauliflower to a new pot with as little liquid as possible from the Instant Pot. Mash with the yogurt, cheese, salt and pepper. see note 3

Notes

1- if you are using an 8 quart Instant Pot, increase the stock to 1.5 cups.

2- Make sure to let the cauliflower cool 5-10 minutes (with the Instant Pot lid removed) before mashing. This helps extra moisture drip down (and helps it get extra creamy!), and makes it easier to handle.

3 - Since cauliflower sizes vary, you may need to adjust the seasoning to taste.

Storage

Cool completely.
Portion into an air tight container.
Refrigerate for up to 4 days.

This recipe should be freezer-friendly but has not been tested.

Reheating

BEST: bake it in a casserole dish (covered) at 350°F for 20-30 minutes, or until heated through.
In a pinch: heat in the microwave until steaming hot.

Keeping it warm

If you wish to make this recipe a couple of hours ahead of your meal, you can keep it in the Instant Pot on 'keep warm'.

You'll want to keep the lid on to keep it from drying out

Nutrition