When I need something fancy, or when teething gets real, I go straight to this recipe for nourishment and yum.
$ – Savvy: To note, on a cost-per-Calorie basis, riced cauliflower is actually an “F grade” item. For two people aiming for 4,000 kcal per month collectively, it would cost over $2,300 in groceries per month if they only ate riced cauliflower. That said, it’s a powerful veggie in the cruciferous family and does the body wonders in gut health. So eat it up! But if you’re watching your budget, we recommend making your own, decreasing the frequency of serving it, and/or consider adding higher-calorie low-cost items to the plate to balance the grade.
I created this recipe in an attempt to improve the “F grade” of one of my favorite foods.
I could have simply sauteed it with some olive oil and herbs, and served it alongside a few higher calorie low-cost items. I didn’t want to have to rely on additional items to create room in the budget for riced cauliflower. And, I didn’t really want to have to make my own all the time. SO – I bought the bulk pack of 6 by 1-pound bags of frozen riced cauliflower from Costco and got to work. For me, this ended up being cheaper than buying a head of cauliflower and “ricing it” myself.
Cauliflower, cheese, butter/oil & spices 
Pureed and ready to serve! 
Toddler meal made easy!
$ – Savvy: I managed to bring the cost per Calorie down and the grade up from an F-grade (solo riced cauliflower) at >$2,300/month to a savvy B-grade at $665/month! This recipe makes it more than 3.5 times less expensive to use riced cauliflower than if you just steamed it, and it comes with extra nutrients like protein and calcium.
Cheesy Mashed (or Riced) Cauliflower
Equipment
- skillet, spoon, blender or food processor
Ingredients
- 1 lbs Riced Cauliflower Costco bulk (OR whole cauliflower head)
- 2 oz Goat Cheese
- ½ cup Pecorino Romano Cheese grated block
- 1 oz Kerrygold Butter grass fed
- ¼ tsp Thyme optional
- ½ tsp Garlic Powder optional
Instructions
- In medium to large skillet cook the frozen riced cauliflower over medium heat with butter (or oil), stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Cook until it almost begins to crisp and the liquid disappears.
- Place cooked cauliflower in a food processor and add cheeses and preferred spices. Blend to desired consistency. Pepper to taste.
- If you'd rather keep the riced texture, simply strain/ drain the cauliflower after cooking it, then combine all of your ingredients in a large bowl and mix until well coated. For the diversity inherent in riced cauliflower, I don't list "cauliflower florets" in the ingredients above.
Notes
- This recipe could easily be made into a vegan recipe by using non-dairy cheese and plant-based butter or oil.
- If you have a history of heart disease or are aiming for healthier fats, replace the butter with avocado oil to decrease the amount of saturated fat. This change creates a more Mediterranean dish.
Nutrition
If you’d rather keep the riced texture, do this:
Simply drain and strain the cauliflower after cooking it, then combine all of your ingredients in a large bowl and mix until well coated.
If you DO have a food processor or a really good blender, you can rice your own raw cauliflower. Just buy a regular head of cauliflower!
This might be cheaper than buying the “riced” version (depending where you’re located + the store + brand + the season, etc), but guaranteed it will preserve more nutrients to buy a whole fresh head of cauliflower and “rice it” yourself, than purchasing the raw fresh bag of riced cauliflower. I found that the same amount of Costco frozen riced cauliflower is cheaper than a head of cauliflower at HEB.
That’s one reason why I prefer to buy frozen riced cauliflower to fresh/raw because the frozen version has been blanched and immediately frozen after processing to preserve more nutrients and prevent breakdown. Another reason is that I am less likely to waste the cauliflower because it’s not wilting in my fridge.
I’m not joking. My kid loves this stuff.
Even when teething.
Sometimes I serve it cold.
It’s an easy way to get veggies in plus extra calcium, fat & protein in that help kids grow and satisfy them longer.
Here’s a table with external links for each recipe ingredient (plus a few alternate ingredient ideas). As previously mentioned, prices vary per region, season, city, store and personal preference for brand or specific type of food item.
| Goat Cheese (Costco – best $ or Sam’s or TJ’s) | Cauliflower Florets (clean 15) | Garlic Powder (organic) |
| Pecorino Romano Cheese (or Sam’s) Il Forteto Toscano brand has WAY less Sodium | Frozen Riced Cauliflower (Costco – best $) | Thyme or TJ’s |
| Kerrygold Grass Fed Butter (Costco) or HEB (more $) | Shallots | Black Peppercorn |
| Daiya Cheddar Vegan Cheese | Nutritional Yeast | Avocado Oil or Costco (bulk for less) |
TJ’s = Trader Joe’s . Sam’s = Sam’s Club
