Getting my ingredients ready! This healthy, low carb alternative to loaded mashed potatoes is delicious and easy to make.

One food I miss is the wonderful potato and all of its delicious incarnations – fried, mashed, baked and soup. But at 37g of carbs, it’s not the best thing for weight loss. Once I’m closer to my goal, I’ll start adding healthy, higher carb foods, like potatoes, back into my diet.

So I’m always on the lookout for low carb recipes to replace my beloved potato dishes. This one is from George Stella’s The Complete Low-Carb Cookbook. Cauliflower purée takes the place of the mashed potatoes. It’s a great, healthy alternative, but I have to admit, this recipe had me at bacon.

Once the cauliflower purée is ready, just mix in the bacon and cheddar cheese. The key is keeping the purée warm. If it cools, just nuke it for a minute in the microwave before adding the bacon and cheese.

Bacon, Cheddar Mock Mashed Potatoes
Net carbs: 2
Weight Watchers PointsPlus: 4 (add extra points if you use butter)
Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 medium head cauliflower
• 1 tbsp cream cheese, softened
• ¼ C grated Parmesan cheese
• ¼ tsp minced fresh garlic
• ¼ tsp chicken base or ½ tsp chicken granules
• 1/8 tsp black pepper
• ¼ C shredded Cheddar cheese
• 4 strips cooked bacon, cut into small pieces
• 3 tbsp butter, if desired
• ½ tsp chopped chives, for garnish

This was the perfect side for my grilled chicken. You can top it with butter if you like. For my first time making the dish, I opted to skip the butter. But I’ll probably add it in the next time.

Directions

• Bring large pot of water to a boil over high heat
• Clean and cut cauliflower into small pieces. Add to pot and boil for 6 minutes or until well done.
• Drain well, but do not let cool. Pat the cooked cauliflower between several layers of paper towels, or place cauliflower in a colander and use a heavy bowl to press the excess water out.
• Using a food processor, pulse the hot cauliflower with cream cheese, Parmesan, garlic, chicken base, and pepper until almost smooth. Transfer to serving dish.
• Stir in Cheddar cheese and bacon bits. Serve hot, topped with butter and chives if desired.
• If cauliflower purée becomes cool before stirring in Cheddar and bacon, simply reheat in microwave for 1 minute.

Approximate nutrition information per serving: 170 calories, 12g fat, 11.5g protein, 2g net carbs, 2g fiber, 4 PointsPlus