In one corner: cookie butter. Enough said. If there's cookie butter in it, and we review it, it's time for clicks galore. We all love it, and even if you say you don't, we all really know you're just in denial.
The other: cauliflower. Whether riced or pizza crusted, it matters not. Never knew that cauliflower had such a rabid fan base.
Two such opposite pulls...cookie butter and cauliflower....why not put them together into one?
Yes, yes, I know, Trader Joe's Mashed Cauliflower really isn't cauliflower cookie butter. There's no such thing as cauliflower cookies anyways....yet. But it's cauliflower in an easily spreadable form, right? There's at least a somewhat plausible similarity, right?
Well, if the mashed cauliflower were to be marketed as cookie butter, I'm not sure if it'd be more "chunky" or "creamy." It's certainly not "crunchy" but there are various sized hunks of cauliflower all in and through out that require a little jaw effort. I can see this presenting a textural challenge for some. It doesn't help that when prepared as directed with the requisite four tablespoons of water, there's a certain drippy wateriness that kinda brings the word "gruel" to mind.
The cauliflower tastes alright though. There's a slightly buttery inflection, with a fair amount of creaminess and a little garlic too. For something that's supposed to be mimicking the subtle comfy goodness of mashed potatoes, the dish does a relatively good interpretation. That being said, a good dash of black pepper helped out, and you'll want to season as you wish, though it's already so liquidy that gravy doesn't seem a viable option.
But in the end, mashed cauliflower really isn't that hard to make. Heck, we've made our own, and both Sandy and I were more satisfied with results from our own versus the the TJ's stuff out of a bag here. I can't even make much of a "convenience argument" here, I don't think. The bag cost $2.99 and while it won't be unwelcome in our freezer, I'm not convinced it'll be a usual pick up either. Sandy liked it more than I did, noting the texture could have been fluffier, giving it a four. Sorry, love, but that's entirely too high...if only it were cookie butter.
Bottom line: Trader Joe's Mashed Cauliflower: 6.5 out of 10 Golden Spoons
In love! I used the microwave method (less than the maximum recommended time, about 3:35-3:40 for a half bag) which doesn't involve adding any water... I didn't have a liquidy texture at all, personally. Perhaps the method makes a difference?
ReplyDeleteThe TJ website description mentions involving pieces of florets for a, "toothsome texture." Indeed, I found myself making kinda-chewing motions, but not fully chewing. To me, it was like the more textured mashed potatoes you can get, where you get little pieces of a potato.
I added garlic powder, nutritional yeast (gives you a great cheesy flavor) and a dollop of plain Greek yogurt and some ground black pepper. Absolutely loved it. Regular ol' cheese/sour cream would work the same wonders, I'm sure.