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    Culinary Lion » Recipes » Keto Dinner Recipes » Ricotta Cauliflower Mash with Cremini Mushroom Gravy

    Ricotta Cauliflower Mash with Cremini Mushroom Gravy

    by Frank Campanella 4 Comments


    Jump to Recipe
    Ricotta Cauliflower Mash Mushroom Gravy

    It’s not truly thanksgiving without mashed potatoes and gravy right.

    Well this Ricotta Cauliflower Mash with Cremini Mushroom Gravy will be a part of your new KETOFIED thanksgiving menu for years to come.

    Low on carbs, packed with flavor!

    Ricotta cauliflower mash on a thanksgiving plate with mushroom gravy

    How to cook Cauliflower Right

    There is a lot of debate on the best way to cook cauliflower for recipes. Because cauliflower has a high water content it can make recipes soupy and watery. You can roast cauliflower but I find that it dries out and becomes crunchy and fibrous.

    That’s great for Cauliflower Mac n Cheese Recipes but not what you want for a creamy cauliflower mash. If you’re able to steam your cauliflower that’s probably your best method. It will give you tender soft cauliflower but not add too much moisture to your recipe.

    A trick I’ve picked up when cooking cauliflower is to leave the head of cauliflower in large pieces or even cook whole. I boiled my cauliflower but quartered it to fit in my pot instead of cutting it down into small florets.

    This prevents the cauliflower from becoming waterlogged. Once the cauliflower is fork tender remove it from the pot then be sure to drain for 5-10 minutes even patting dry to remove excess moisture.

    Whether you boil or steam I recommend leaving the cauliflower in large hunks instead of small florets.

    Keto Cauliflower Colcannon

    Less is more

    If you read my recipes you know I’m not afraid of long ingredient lists. I love to add layers of flavor sometimes using 10-15 ingredients in a single recipe.

    That being said I feel like less is best for this Ricotta Cauliflower Mash. To truly mimic the flavor and texture of traditional mashed potatoes requires simplicity.

    Salt and white pepper along with a pinch of onion and garlic powder is all the flavor you need. Feel free to add different herbs or seasoning if you like but I wanted the cauliflower mash to keep its fluffy white texture.

    Butter is a must and using a high quality grass fed butter is highly recommended.

    You might be tempted to use more than a ½ a stick of butter but it will effect the consistency of the final product.

    Instead add a pat of butter on top afterwards to give your mashed cauliflower added buttery goodness.

    pouring mushroom gravy on to mashed cauliflower

    Ricotta: the Secret to Perfect Cauliflower Mash

    Most mashed cauliflower recipes you will find use a mixture of cream cheese and heavy cream. I elected to use whole milk ricotta instead because of its light creamy texture.

    Ricotta cheese doesn’t have a lot of flavor on its own but adds velvety smooth texture to any recipe. It’s actually my secret ingredient in my Italian Meatloaf Recipe for amazing melt in your mouth meatloaf.

    If you don’t have ricotta on hand softened cream cheese will work but I find the texture of the ricotta fat superior. I hope you give it a try and let me know what you think.

    Let’s get Mashing.

    If you don’t have an Immersion Blender or “Stick Blender” you need one. It’s a tool that gets a lot of use in my kitchen. Plus it’s the perfect time of year to put one on your amazon wishlist.

    You can make all sorts of soups and sauces. Sauces like hollandaise or homemade salad dressing are a breeze.

    The whisk attachment allows you to make perfect whipped cream in no time without cramping wrists from vigorous hand mixing. 

    Now that I’ve given you my case for owning an Immersion blender let’s talk about what it does for this recipe.

    Once you have cooked your cauliflower and it’s drained and dry I place the cauliflower back in the pot I cooked it in. The pan will have a bit of residual heat and will help melt the butter.

    I take my stick blender and begin pulsing it  into the large pieces of cauliflower mashing them down until they begin to for a mash.

    At this point I add the ricotta and seasoning the mash before continuing to blend but now stirring in a circular motion until the chunky mash has become a smooth purée.

    You can decide how chunky to leave your cauliflower mash. Some people like it smooth like baby food while others prefer a chunkier home style version.

    Ricotta Cauliflower Mash with Mushroom Gravy

    Let’s talk Gravy.

    I wanted to give you a gravy that was packed with flavor but easy to prepare. The veggies in this recipe not only provide flavor but will also thicken the gravy when blended. If you have actual turkey drippings from cooking the bird that’s fantastic.

    Be sure to defat the broth or your gravy will be oily and separate. If you don’t have turkey dripping you can just use any store bought broth or stock to prepare the gravy.

    This recipe is not the fastest but your patience will be rewarded. Slowly sauteing the veggies over low heat will caramelize the veggies giving the gravy a beautiful golden color as well as providing amazing flavors.

    I like to put the pot on the back burner while I’m preparing my Ricotta Cauliflower Mash and just stir occasionally until the veggies are completely soft and mushy.

    Then add in your broth and bring to a simmer along with your gelatin and cream cheese.

    Ricotta Cauliflower Mash with Mushroom Gravy

    Once the gravy has come to a simmer simply use that Immersion Blender that you used for the cauliflower to purée the gravy until smooth.

    If the blender is not fully submerged tilt the pot so you don’t splash hot liquids over yourself and the kitchen.

    After your gravy is blended smooth it may not be as thick as you like it. Stir with a spoon and the gravy will thicken as it cools.

    If it’s still not thick enough just add another tablespoon or two of cream cheese. The gravy will be smooth but not look overly creamy. Perfect for drowning turkey, stuffing and mashed cauliflower.

    Need More Holiday Recipes Please Checkout These Delicious Side Dishes

    • Jalapeno Cranberry Sauce Cream
    • Chipped Beef Green Bean Casserole
    • Sausage Green Bean Casserole
    • Cauliflower Mushroom Risotto
    • Cauliflower Mac & Cheese
    Mashed Cauliflower with mushroom gravy stuffing muffins turkey breast and cranberry sauce

    Ricotta Cauliflower Mash with Mushroom Gravy

    Ricotta Cauliflower Mash

    This Ricotta Cauliflower Mash with Cremini Mushroom Gravy will be a part of your new KETOFIED thanksgiving
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Side Dish
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: cauliflower, Cauliflower Mash, ricotta
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 30 minutes
    Servings: 12
    Calories: 76kcal
    Author: Culinary Lion

    Ingredients

    • 2 heads Cauliflower about 8-10 Cups
    • ¼ cup Butter ½ Stick
    • 4 oz Ricotta Cheese
    • 3 tsp Real Salt
    • 1 tsp Garlic Powder
    • 1 tsp Onion Powder
    • ½ tsp White Pepper

    Instructions

    • Quarter 2 heads of cauliflower and place in a pot, fill with just enough water to cover then add 2 tsp of real salt and bring to a boil.
    • Cook cauliflower until fork tender, about 15 minutes then drain for 10 minutes until completely dry. Pat dry if needed.
    • Place cauliflower back into pot along with remaining ingredients. Then begin mashing cauliflower using a stick blender. Purée until smooth.
    • Let cool for 5 minutes before serving. If mash is not thick enough add a few tablespoons of grated Parmesan or shredded mozzarella.

    Notes

    Serving Size ½ Cup

    Nutrition

    Calories: 76kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 15mg | Sodium: 652mg | Potassium: 299mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 160IU | Vitamin C: 46mg | Calcium: 42mg | Iron: 1mg
    Ricotta cauliflower mash on a thanksgiving plate with mushroom gravy

    Cremini Mushroom Gravy

    5 from 1 vote
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Condiment
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: Gravy, mushroom
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 30 minutes
    Servings: 12
    Calories: 85kcal
    Author: Culinary Lion

    Ingredients

    • ½ cup Diced Onion
    • ½ cup Diced Cremini Mushrooms
    • ½ cup Diced Celery
    • ¼ cup Diced Carrots
    • 1 Qt Turkey Stock
    • 4 oz Cream Cheese
    • 2 tbsp Butter
    • 1 tbsp Unflavored Gelatin Powder
    • ½ tsp White Pepper
    • ½ tsp real Salt
    • ½ tsp Thyme

    Instructions

    • Dice carrots, onion, celery and mushrooms then add to a saucepan along with butter. Simmer on medium low stirring frequently caramelizing the veggies until soft. About 15-20 minutes
    • Next add half of the turkey stock and seasoning continuing to simmer for 10 more minutes
    • Add remaining turkey stock along with cubed softened cream cheese. Using a stick blender purée the gravy until completely smooth. About 2 minutes. 
    • Finally whisk in gelatin and stir for 10 minutes then remove from heat. Let cool for 10-15 Minutes before serving.

    Notes

    Serving Size ⅓ Cup

    Nutrition

    Calories: 85kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 18mg | Sodium: 263mg | Potassium: 138mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 650IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 16mg | Iron: 1mg

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Mandy

      December 16, 2019 at 2:12 am

      5 stars
      Thank you SO much for this! Prepared this way makes cauliflower an awesome replacement and I can’t wait to try this out on my baby boy. Thanks again!

      Reply
      • Culinary Lion

        December 16, 2019 at 4:24 pm

        thats fantastic!!! so glad you liked it, I love this recipe!! thanks for sharing!!

        Reply
    2. Deanna

      April 21, 2022 at 9:58 pm

      5 stars
      The BEST cauliflower mashed I’ve ever had!

      Reply
      • Frank Campanella

        April 25, 2022 at 11:44 am

        thanks so much!!! the ricotta makes it for me!!

        Reply

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    Frank

    Hey Everyone, My name is Frank Campanella. I've spent the last 20 years as a chef in restaurants throughout the mid Atlantic cooking everything from seafood and steak to classic pub grub. Now I'm taking all thoses recipes and giving them a low carb/ Keto facelift. I hope you love flavorful delicious food because that is the only recipe you will find here. Thanks for stopping by and don't forget to sign up for the mailing list so you can get all the latest recipes.

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