Loaded Gravy Volcano Mashed Potatoes

About

Kids and adults alike are gonna love this! Serve as either an exciting side dish or a crowd-pleasing center dish. Garlicy potatoes are filled with a bacon-fat and onion gravy. Topped with shredded cheddar, crispy bacon bits, and fresh chives, you cannot miss out on this keto recipe.

Ingredients

1 ½ pound cauliflower, raw
2 tablespoon butter, unsalted
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper, ground
1 teaspoon garlic, fresh
1 slice – 6" long bacon, pork
2 tablespoon butter, unsalted
1 cup whipping cream, extra heavy/gourmet, not whipped
⅛ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon baking aids xanthan gum by bob's red mill
3 tablespoon, shredded cheddar cheese
3 teaspoon, cut pieces chives

Instructions

Prepare a large head of cauliflower by removing the core and breaking up the florets. Place the florets in a large pot and cover them with water. Cover with a lid and bring the pot to a boil, then cook uncovered for approx. 15 minutes – until the cauliflower is al dente soft.
Once the cauliflower is done, transfer the florets to a food processor. Blend with the first amount of butter and salt, the pepper, and the garlic. Once blended to a smooth creamy mixture, let the mashed ‘potatoes’ sit out to cool and evaporate some moisture.
While the cauliflower is cooking, cook the bacon in a pan until it is crisp. Once the bacon has cooled slightly, chop the bacon into bits. Leave all excess fat in the pan.
Heat the bacon fat over a low heat and melt in the second amount of butter. Whisk the cream into the fats until they have all emulsified.
With the fats on a low simmer, whisk in the second amount of salt, the onion powder, and the xanthan gum. Continually whisk and cook until the gravy has thickened enough to lightly coat the back of the spoon. Then, set the gravy aside to cool and thicken more.
Once both potatoes and gravy are cooled enough to handle, prepare each loaded volcano. Each serving starts with a ⅓ cup of ‘potatoes’. Press a large cavity into the potatoes with the back of a spoon. Fill the volcano with a ¼ cup of gravy. Top off each volcano with a sprinkle of bacon bits, one tablespoon of cheddar, and one teaspoon of chives.