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Surprise South Beach Mashed 'Potatoes'

Read Reviews (124)

"Cauliflower replaces potatoes as the secret Phase 1 ingredient in this South Beach Diet classic." — The South Beach Diet Online

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Original recipe makes 4 servings Change Servings

4 cups cauliflower florets
1 ounce butter flavored cooking spray
1 fluid ounce fat-free half-and-half

Pinch salt
Pinch freshly ground black pepper

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Directions

Steam or microwave the cauliflower until soft. Puree in a food processor, adding the butter spray and the half-and-half to taste. Season with salt and pepper.

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Footnotes

This recipe is optimal for Phase 1 of the South Beach Diet.
Copyright© 2003 Waterfront Media, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Preparing this recipe as written is a waste of time. Instead, cook the cauliflower for longer, and dry it between layers of paper towels. Add a couple of wedges of laughing cow cheese (I like the garlic and herb kind), and some reduced fat parmesan. Add salt and black pepper and use a hand mixer to get the potato-like texture. The key is to make it taste good while still using South Beach-friendly ingredients.

—dansez99

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Most Helpful Critical Review

Oct 18, 2007

I give it a 2 because of the modifications I had to make. Ok, people this is a SIMPLE RECIPE! I boiled the cauliflower(a whole head) until very soft and almost transparent. To me-that is the trick: boiling it to death. (I'm sure I kill all the nutrients out of the veg. but it tastes so comforting that I really don't care!) I also added a large chicken bullion cube to the boiling water. After I drained it well, I put it back into the pot and added 2 slices (or more-it's up to you) of DELUXE (it's real and creamier) american cheese, put the lid back on and let the cheese melt. Then I blended it WELL with a hand mixer. My family has been eating this as a substitute for mashed potatoes for years now. We love it and hope you will too!!!

—Khristine

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145 Ratings

Mar 16, 2006

My husband and I have been on the South Beach diet for about 7 months now. This recipe has become a staple in our home, although I don't quite make it this way. I boil the cauliflower until soft, drain it really well, and then mash it with a little bit of Smart Balance buttery spread, salt, and pepper. No, it doesn't have the same texture or even the same flavor of mashed potatoes, but it's still a very good and healthy alternative. You can melt a little bit of 2% cheddar cheese on top, or mix in a little sour cream and green onion for some variety. I've made brown gravy and put it over this - also very good. I can honestly say I do not crave mashed white potatoes anymore. This recipe is good enough for me.

—NATALIESHD

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Dec 06, 2005

First of all, there is NO substitute for mashed potatoes! The people who left bad reviews need to have lower expectations! This is a great recipe for people who are trying to take positive steps toward lifestyle changes in their diets! A great creamy consistency that goes well with the dishes that you would normally serve potatoes with. Added cream cheese, galic and onion, garnished with chives and a little dollop of low fat sourcream. Very tasty!

—PUREWATERFALL

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Feb 06, 2007

WOW! Fantastic. I have been on low carb for about 3 weeks now and it's been preet easy until today. I needed comfort food and I was starving. I bought cauliflower today and was looking for something besides just steaming it and adding alot of butter spray and salt. Lets face it, cauliflower is pretty bland. Anyway, I was already cooking it when I found this recipe. I hate measuring so I did what I always do and just threw the ingredients in the food processor and hoped for the best. Awesome!! Of course I added some stuff. Instead of butter spray, which I usually use but is one reason I am doing low carb so I can eat BUTTER and CHEESE, helloooo, anyway I am rambling. I added 2 tbl. of butter and 2 oz of sharp cheddar. Also about 1 T. finely diced onion. YUMMY. I wish I had more!

—UNICORN141

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Jan 06, 2007

The trick to getting the texture right is to steam the cauliflower until it is tender, then let as much of the water drain off as possible. I ran mine through my potato ricer then used the mixer after I had the seasoning where I wanted it (2 wedges of Laughing Cow light, 3 roasted garlic cloves, a bit of fat free 1/2 and 1/2)- it was perfect!

—Sarah O

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Apr 22, 2006

My husband and I *love* potatoes in all its glorious forms, and giving them up so we could get healthier was hard. I love RAW cauliflower, but hated it cooked, until now. My husband hates it, raw or cooked. Well I have to say, we were both pleasantly surprised. I can't say it tasted "just like" mashers, but it was surprisingly similar, and it got my Beloved to eat a vegetable! It's definitely a recipe worth tinkering with- try adding different spices/cheese/whatever for different tastes. I was hesitant to make this in the food processor, as I expected it to turn to soup if I ran it long enough to get to the "whipped" stage, but it was fine. I'll try hand mashing next time, as we like lumps, but this was really good, and even our 3 year old son liked them. Worth a shot, and don't be discouraged if they're not perfect the first time- store brand frozen cauliflower is cheap! I'll definitely make this again!

—KBD517

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Jan 21, 2004

I really was surprised. The texture was much lighter and the taste was a little sweeter than real mash potatoes. The second time I made this recipe I added a little shredded cheddar which made it even better.

—c-jay

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Nutrition

Calories
30 kcal
2%

Carbohydrates
6.2 g
2%

Cholesterol
< 1 mg
< 1%

Fat
0.2 g
< 1%

Fiber
2.6 g
10%

Protein
2.2 g
4%

Sodium
244 mg
10%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Nutritional Information

Surprise South Beach Mashed 'Potatoes'

Serving Size: 1/4 of a recipe
Servings Per Recipe: 4
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 30
Calories from Fat: 2

% Daily Value *
Total Fat 0.2g < 1 %
Saturated Fat 0.1g < 1 %
Cholesterol < 1mg < 1 %
Sodium 244mg 10 %
** Potassium 322mg 9 %
Total Carbohydrates 6.2g 2 %
Dietary Fiber 2.6g 10 %
Protein 2.2g 4 %
Sugars 2.8g
Vitamin A < 1 %
Vitamin C 78 %
Calcium 4 %
Iron 5 %
** Thiamin 6 %
** Niacin 7 %
** Vitamin B6 14 %
** Magnesium 6 %
** Folate 32 %

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.