Cauliflower cheese may sound strange if you’ve never heard of it before. But once you’ve tried it, you will understand the craze surrounding cauliflower mash in the world! For many, the real star of a Thanksgiving dinner is the assemblage of side dishes, not the turkey. If you like your mashed potatoes creamy, but without all the carbs, this is the mashed cauliflower recipe for you. The end result is a buttery, creamy, cheesy blend of cauliflower that makes it seem like you’re just having an ordinary side dish and aren’t going without anything.

The good news is that the longer the mashed cauliflower sits, the more flavor it has. If you’d like to save a little time on Thanksgiving, make the mashed cauliflower the day before, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator, and heat in the oven or on the stove top the following day.

It is true that Thanksgiving comes with indulgences, but if you want to save your indulgence for another dish, cheesy and creamy mashed cauliflower makes the perfect stand-in for mashed potatoes. You can really jazz these up with herbs, cheese, bacon – you name it, or you can keep it simple.