Foodie Fridays: Dill Havarti Mashed Cauliflower

From Eating Well

In yesterday's post I mentioned that dill Havarti is one of my favorite cheeses.  Imagine my delight when I found a recipe for mashed cauliflower using this cheese!  I had heard that mashed cauliflower is very similar in taste to mashed potatoes, and I have been meaning to try it, so this is the perfect opportunity.  And since the recipe comes from the Eating Well website, it is a relatively healthy version as well!  I fully intended to prepare this recipe before posting it, but my husband is out of town and one of our dogs cannot be left alone because she is not well, so I will have to wait a few days before I have a chance to get the ingredients I need.  After all, you can't make Dill Havarti Mashed Cauliflower without dill Havarti and cauliflower!  I will update this post as soon as I actually get to try this dish.

Dill Havarti Mashed Cauliflower

8 C. cauliflower florets (about one large head)
4 cloves garlic, peeled
1 C. grated dill Havarti cheese
1/4 C. low-fat milk
1 T. butter, cubed
1 tsp. dried dill
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 T. sliced chives or green onions

Steam the cauliflower with the garlic for about 10-14 minutes in a Dutch oven fitted with a steamer basket.  Transfer the vegetables to a food processor.  Add all of the remaining ingredients except the chives/green onions and purée until smooth.  Stir in the chives/green onions.  Serves 6.

Note: You can use Cheddar cheese if you prefer, or if you cannot find the dill Havarti.  Come to think of it, you could certainly use potatoes instead of cauliflower if you are a spud fanatic and/or dislike cauliflower!

Update: I finally got the chance to make this, and it is amazingly good!  It is a little more watery than mashed potatoes, more like soft grits (only not gritty), but the taste is almost exactly like potatoes!  I dumped everything into the cooking pot I used for the cauliflower and used my immersion blender rather than a food processor.  Also, I substituted minced garlic from a jar for the whole fresh cloves (added after the cauliflower was cooked) and stirred in some parsley as well as green onions.  I had this with my plain version of Baked Chicken Tenders, and it was quite a satisfying meal.