Hey, guess what? There’s cauliflower in there (underneath all the cheesy, onion-y goodness). Health food for the win!
I’ve been wanting to experiment with cauliflower for a long time but it’s always scared me with its funky appearance and distinct texture and flavor. So until I figure out how to eat cauliflower on its own, I shall pair it with potatoes. Not a bad combo if you ask me.
These twice baked potatoes have about 1/3 of a cauliflower inside, but you really can’t tell. The texture remains the same as a traditional twice baked potato, with just a slight taste of fresh, steamed cauliflower.
What you need to know about this recipe:
– It’s super simple, requiring just 7 ingredients.
– It can be made dairy-free by using dairy alternatives to butter, sour cream and cheese.
– It makes a seriously satisfying side dish, or with the addition of chili on top, could be a complete meal.
– It’s cheesy, dense and extremely flavorful.
– Although I have no subjects to test on (yet), I bet kids would love these.
I served mine alongside some grilled chicken and steamed broccoli and carrots, but they would also go well alongside hearty soups, meat entrees or dinner salads. And, they reheat really well, so make a few ahead of time and then snack on them throughout the week.
Cauliflower Twice-Baked Potatoes
Ingredients
- 3 large russet potatoes
- Olive or coconut oil
- 1/4 head cauliflower (stems removed and loosely chopped // 1/4 head yields ~1 1/2 cups)
- 1 1/2 Tbsp butter
- 3 Tbsp light sour cream
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp each sea salt & pepper
- 3 Tbsp shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (204 C).
- Wash and scrub your potatoes. Then dry and lightly coat with oil. Place directly on the top or middle rack and bake for 1 hour, 15 minutes, or until they’re golden brown and have a bit of “give” to them when lightly squeezed.
- Remove from oven and let cool until they’re comfortable to handle.
- In the meantime, steam your cauliflower over a double boiler (or in the microwave) for about 15 minutes or until tender.
- When your potatoes are cooled, cut them in half and gently scoop out the insides with a spoon, leaving about a 1/4 inch rim. Add the potato and steamed cauliflower to a large mixing bowl, along with the butter, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and sour cream and combine with either a potato masher or hand-held mixer. Be careful not to overmix or the potatoes can become sticky. Add a splash of milk if it appears too thick.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (176 C).
- Scoop the filling back into your potatoes and place in a baking dish. Top with a sprinkle of cheddar cheese (optional) and bake for 15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the potatoes are warmed through.
- Serve immediately, topping with chives or green onion (optional). Cover and store in the fridge for up to a few days.
Michele says
Vegan version beats my memories of double stuffed baked potato with sour cream & chives. Yum 🤤
My flavor boosters:
*Roast the cauliflower, maybe with some nutritional yeast
*Replace the vegan sour cream (haven’t found a successful vegan alternative) with a soft vegan cheese—scallion Miyokos or Treeline tastes just like sour cream & chives! Or a cheddar—used 1-2 oz per
*Stir in or too some steamed broccoli, roasted mushrooms, etc for even more of a meal
Always make an extra potato to reheat later
Dinner tonight!!
Amazing! Love your swaps, Michele. Appreciate you sharing! xo
Morgan says
This is a weekend staple in our house. Usually made on Sunday afternoon for dinner, with leftovers to take to work the next day! So delicious and tasty – thanks for your creativity, Minimalist Baker <3
Love it! So glad this recipe is a staple for you, Morgan. Thanks for the lovely review!
Cheri says
Delicious! Making again tonight. The cauliflower blend in with the potato so well.
Woohoo! Love to hear this. Thanks for the lovely review, Cheri!
Lucy says
This is a recipe that we come back to again and again. So good! Awesome with a chilli or a stew.
We’re so glad you enjoy it, Lucy! Thanks so much for the lovely review! xo
Kathryn says
Love this recipe! I add fresh garlic and have made it mixing in some grated Parmesan cheese! Delicious!
We’re so glad you enjoy it, Kathryn! Thanks so much for the lovely review!
Alexis says
Incredibly tasty. I skipped the sour cream and used a splash of milk instead. Super tasty!
Thanks for sharing, Alexis!
Edward Myler says
Amazing. I made baked potatoes and cheesy mexican cauliflower cheese sauce with pepper jack and cilantro last night. I searched on Google for a recipe that would incorporate both for reheats for Monday night Football, and Bingo!! I found your recipe!??. Thanks for the great idea!
Sarah says
Oh My! Liking my fingers (and bowl) still. I roasted the cauliflower instead of steam and it turned out delicious. Five stars indeed!
Rebecca Narracott says
Hi Dana, just wanted to let you know that this recipe was a HUGE hit with my kids (age 5,7 & 9!) – it’s not easy getting them to eat cauliflower but they didn’t even notice! They all asked for it to be on the menu again next week, thanks for the great idea :-) Rebecca
Debra says
OMG! These are seriously good! I like cauliflower, so the taste would not have bothered me at all, but the thing is, you don’t taste the cauliflower. What I found interesting was it gave the potatoes a lighter texture, though I like baked potatoes too, they seem heavy on my stomach after having one. These were just perfect, I used a potato masher, so the texture for both was just fine. I did add about a tablespoon of bacon ranch dressing, to get that bacon flavor of a stuffed baked potato. Yum, this will be a regular at my house.
Low Cost Baked Potatoes Oven says
Nice post mate and looking forward to more dishes from your book..:)
Wendy says
I made these vegan by adding some Earth Balance and unsweetened almond milk to the potatoes and cauliflower. Then I added some precooked onion, bell peppers, mushrooms and broccoli and topped some of them with some vegi cheese. They were so yummy! Because I made them vegan they were a little dry; we just try not to add too much oil to our food. I’m sure made following the recipe they would not be dry at all.
Thanks for the recipe!
Dani says
Dana, I’m so excited to try these that they are already prepped and ready to pop in the oven for dinner tonight. It’s not even 4 p.m. yet. Now, off to plan a dish to go with these delicious taters. Thank you!
Heidi @foodiecrush says
This is the way I like my cauliflower for sure, hidden under a layer of cheese.
Angie@Angie's Recipes says
A fantastic idea! I need to try this ASAP!
Amanda @ Once Upon a Recipe says
Yuuuummmm! What a wonderfully sneaky way to put cauliflower into something so deliciously tasty. Cauliflower has totally been growing on me lately – have you ever tried the following? Cut a head of cauliflower into bite-size pieces, steam just until al dente and place in a baking dish. Mix together equal parts mayonnaise and mustard and spread over the cauliflower. Top with grated sharp cheddar and bake at 375F until the cheese is melty and bubbly. Seriously good.
Tammy says
I have some teens I am going to test this on soon! They look so good!
Tammy
Lindsey says
i wonder if you could similarly use sweet potatoes or yams? either way, i love the idea of using cauliflower!
Sarah says
YUM. that is the comfortiest of comfort foods.
Eileen says
These potatoes look great! I love the idea of switching up classic twice-based potatoes with cauliflower. Who doesn’t want more vegetables in their life, right? :)
Lisa says
What a great way to add a bit more nutritional value to the traditional twice-baked potato! Yummy :)
Erica says
Those look so pretty and healthy! I can’t wait to make them as a side
McKenna Ryan says
This looks so yummy!! I want to try this out! Maybe to night for dinner? xx. McKenna Lou
Julie @ Harvest Moon Kitchen says
These look great! I love cauliflower (I can’t wait until it’s in season again up here in the Northeast!), especially roasting it. Well, roasting is kind of my go-to flavor-boosting MO with most veggies… :) I particularly like tossing it with lemon and curry spices first, then either enjoying as is or turning it into a roasted cauliflower soup. Yum!
Kathryn says
This is a great idea. I’m a bit squicky about cauliflower (it looks like a brain!) but smother it in a load of cheese and I’m sold!
Erica @ In and Around Town says
Love the addition of the cauliflower to this classic potato dish! YUM!
Ashley says
Yum!! I love that you combined the potato and cauliflower in this recipe. We like cauliflower a lot and finally tried whipping steamed cauliflower in the food processor, which sort of turns into mashed potatoes. I added garlic/salt/pepper/butter and WOW, it was totally delicious. We both loved it. Obviously not quite the same as mashed taters but such a nice change of pace for eating cauliflower! Will have to try this out next.
Marjory says
What a genius idea!