Creamy Cauliflower Garlic Rice

Name: Creamy Cauliflower Garlic Rice
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 1½ cups brown rice; 4 cups vegetable broth; 2 cups water; 6-8 cups chopped cauliflower; 2 tablespoons butter; 6-8 cloves minced garlic; ½ cup whole milk; ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese; 1 teaspoon salt plus more to taste; Black pepper to taste

Recipe GLPR910570f651f9e5

Side Dish

45 min

219 cal

Servings: 6

Stovetop

SNAP eligible

A comforting and nutritious side dish combining fluffy brown rice with a velvety cauliflower purée infused with aromatic garlic and melted mozzarella cheese. The cauliflower is cooked until tender, blended into a creamy sauce, and combined with garlic-butter rice for a dish that's naturally gluten-free and vegetarian.

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Ingredients

1½ cups brown rice

4 cups vegetable broth

2 cups water

6-8 cups chopped cauliflower

2 tablespoons butter

6-8 cloves minced garlic

½ cup whole milk

½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1 teaspoon salt plus more to taste

Black pepper to taste

Directions

Cook the brown rice according to package directions in a separate pot. Once cooked, set aside and keep warm.
In a large pot, bring the vegetable broth and water to a boil over high heat.
Add the chopped cauliflower to the boiling broth and cook for approximately 10 minutes, or until the cauliflower is very tender and easily pierced with a fork.
Carefully transfer the cooked cauliflower to a blender or food processor. Reserve 1 cup of the cooking liquid.
Puree the cauliflower until smooth, gradually adding the milk and some of the reserved cooking liquid as needed to achieve a creamy, pourable consistency. Season the cauliflower puree with 1 teaspoon of salt and adjust to taste.
In a large nonstick skillet, melt the butter over low heat. Add the minced garlic and sauté gently for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the garlic becomes very fragrant and golden but not browned.
Add the cooked rice to the garlic-butter mixture and stir well to combine, coating all the rice evenly.
Pour the creamy cauliflower puree over the rice and stir thoroughly until fully incorporated and the mixture is creamy and cohesive.
Stir in the shredded mozzarella cheese until melted and evenly distributed throughout, or sprinkle on top as desired. Season with additional salt and black pepper to taste.
Transfer to a serving dish and serve warm alongside your favorite main course.

Comments

Grocery List Plus Editorial Staff4

This is an honest weeknight dish that checks nearly all boxes for a Charlotte family. Cauliflower, butter, garlic, milk, and mozzarella are stocked at every major chain (Harris Teeter, Food Lion, Publix, Walmart, ALDI, Kroger), and brown rice costs under a dollar per serving; the total cost lands around $1.20–$1.50 per serving, well below chain-restaurant price. The stated 45 minutes is realistic if you're ricing the cauliflower raw, though using frozen riced cauliflower would cut 10 minutes and save prep mess. It reheats adequately with a splash of broth, making leftovers usable for lunch the next day. The one mild drawback: it's mild-flavored as written and needs aggressive seasoning or a stir of hot sauce to excite an adult palate, and the constant-stir requirement during rice cooking demands attention rather than set-and-forget convenience.