Cauliflower- Mashed Potatoes

I have tried a few recipes that substitute some of the potatoes with cauliflower for a healthier option. I have not liked them so far...and some of them are quite involved when it comes to combine it all... but this one is really good and pretty simple. (though, I have found with any of them that they are not actually that much healthier, as you add ingredients to make them taste better...)

Sorry, the only picture I have of them is with a bat wing on top... and we only need to see those once... Just picture mashed potatoes in your mind, and you've pretty much got it down. But you can see the entire dinner here.

Cauliflower-Mashed Potatoes
makes 8 servings

{ingredients}
4 quarts water
2 tsp. salt
2 lbs. Yukon gold potatoes, cubed. (the great thing about these potatoes is that they do not need to be peeled though you can peel them if you want a smoother texture. They also make very creamy mashed potatoes.)
1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
1/2 c. butter, softened (I didn't soften my butter, just tossed it in with the steaming potatoes. It melts fast enough...)
2 (5.2 oz) packages garlic and herb cheese spread instead I used... a package of the Philadelphia's Savory Garlic Cooking Cream
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

{directions}
In a large pot, combine water and salt. Add potatoes and cauliflower. Bring to a boil over over medium-high heat. Cook 10-15 minutes, or until tender. (The smaller you cut, the faster they cook)

Drain well, and return to hot pot. Add butter, and cheese spread cooking cream. Mash with a potato masher until butter and cheese cream is melted. Season with a little salt and pepper, stirring to combine well.

I may have to try this recipe with the cheese spread, just to compare. But everyone thought they tasted great.

Baked Parmesan Tilapia

{We recently inherited some cheeses from my mother's latest Costco trip. We used some in our Baked Ziti Recipe (soon to come) and made it for a few of our neighbors who were in need of a frozen dinner option. But we still have a few... pounds of Parmesan and Mozzarella left. So I'm currently in the market for a few recipes to try that use said cheeses. I stumbled across this little beauty via Pinterest and Bryce has told me that it can go into the "Family Favorite Recipes" list. It was really good and very fast and easy. 

Easy Baked Parmesan Tilapia

makes 4 tilapia fillets

{ingredients}

4 tilapia fillets {we found a box of 26 frozen fillets at WalMart for a pretty good price so we just use frozen.}

3 tablespoons butter, at room temperature

1/4 cup grated/shredded parmesan cheese

1 garlic clove, minced

1/4 teaspoon thyme

salt and pepper to taste

lemon slices for serving

{directions}

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Pat tilapia dry (if frozen, it should be thawed first) with a paper towel and season with salt and pepper. Lay on a baking sheet sprayed with non-stick spray and bake for 10-12 minutes. While fish is baking, mix butter with garlic, thyme and parmesan cheese.

Remove fish from oven and gently flip. Spread about 1/2 tablespoon 1 Tablespoon of butter mixture on the fish {and I added a little extra cheese because I didn't feel like it covered the fish very well... and I had a little extra...}, and heat the broiler in your oven. Set fish under the broiler for about 2-3 minutes, or until cheese gets golden and bubbly.

Serve with lemon.

P.S. I'm still looking for some good recipes with Parmesan cheese... so if you have any suggestions, please... do tell!