Slow Cooker Turkey With Garlic Mashed Cauliflower

Enjoy Slow Cooker Turkey with Garlic Mashed Cauliflower as a healthier alternative to mashed potatoes. This recipe makes it all in the same crockpot – easy peasy!

Why heat up the oven to make a turkey when you can bake it in your crock pot? I’ll show you how easy it is to make a juicy and delicious Slow Cooker Turkey.

Super Easy Turkey in the Slow Cooker

Turkey is one of those meals we hardly ever think of cooking aside from Thanksgiving. It always seems like it’s going to be such a fuss to prepare and roast the bird, fix the mashed potatoes and gravy, green bean casserole and all the other fixin’s we’ve come to expect with a turkey dinner. Thankfully, I found a super easy way to make it so you can enjoy turkey any time of the year — in a slow cooker!

A Gluten-Free, Low-Carb, High Protein Meal

Instead of heavily carb-laden mashed potatoes loaded with butter and cream, I substituted by making mashed cauliflower with low fat milk and reduced the butter. This Slow Cooker Turkey dinner ends up being gluten-free, low-carb and high in protein. You’re going to love it – trust me!

I originally shared this recipe for Slow Cooker Turkey with Garlic Mashed Cauliflower at Belle of the Kitchen. Every month, Ashlyn from Belle of the Kitchen and I trade blogs to bring our readers new “Ideas for the Kitchen” around a common recipe theme. In January, many of us make resolutions to eat a little healthier, so Ashlyn and I thought “healthier” alternatives would be a great way to kick off 2016. While I was at Belle of the Kitchen, Ashlyn was here sharing her recipe for Lighter Chicken Taco Soup.

How to Make Mashed Cauliflower and Turkey in the Slow Cooker

Now the best part of this entire Slow Cooker Turkey with Garlic Mashed Cauliflower recipe is that you make it ALL right in the same crockpot aside from the gravy.

1.) Cut into florets and place in the slow cooker

You start by cutting a small head of cauliflower into florets, rinsing clean with water and throwing it in the bottom of the slow cooker.

2.) Top with Turkey and Chicken Broth

Next, put the thawed turkey breast on top of the cauliflower florets and pour chicken broth over it. Rub the Slow Cooker Turkey with minced garlic, cover and turn the crockpot on low for 7-8 hours or high for 4-5 hours.

3.) Let the cooked turkey rest

Once the Slow Cooker Turkey is fully cooked, you remove it from the crockpot and cover with foil.

4.) Use cooking liquid for a gravy

While the turkey is resting, you drain any liquid left in the crockpot with the cauliflower and use it to prepare a quick gravy in a saucepan on the stove top. I just used a little corn starch to thicken mine and spiced it up with a little pepper.

5.) Mash the cooked cauliflower

Use a potato masher or a fork to mash the cauliflower right in the slow cooker. If you want a smoother consistency, you can also puree the cauliflower in a blender. Stir in a little butter, low fat milk, grated parmesan cheese and black pepper to make the Garlic Mashed Cauliflower.

6.) Serve Dinner

Slice the Slow Cooker Turkey and serve it on a plate drizzled with gravy alongside a helping of Garlic Mashed Cauliflower for an easy low-carb family dinner.

Is this recipe keto-friendly?

Yes, this mashed cauliflower is definitely keto-friendly! Cauliflower is a naturally low-carb vegetable. When you make it, you are only adding milk, butter, and cheese – all low-carb additions.

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5 from 2 votes

Slow Cooker Turkey With Garlic Mashed Cauliflower

Author: Carrie Ypma

Ingredients

• 1 small head of cauliflower
• 3 lb turkey breast thawed
• 1 - 14.5 oz can of chicken broth
• 2 teaspoons Minced Garlic

For Garlic Mashed Cauliflower

• 1 tablespoon low fat milk
• 1 tablespoon Butter
• 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
• â…› teaspoon Black Pepper

For Slow Cooker Turkey Gravy

• 6 tablespoons Cold Water
• 2 tablespoons Cornstarch
• 1/8 teaspoon Black Pepper

Instructions

• Cut and wash cauliflower and separate into florets. Put cauliflower in the bottom of a lightly greased slow cooker.
• Place turkey on top of cauliflower.
• Pour chicken broth over the top of the turkey.
• Rub 2 teaspoons of minced garlic into the top of the turkey.
• Cook on high 4-5 hours or low for 7-8 hours.
• Remove turkey to a cutting board. Cover loosely with foil and let stand for 10 minutes while you work on the next step.
• Drain liquid into a glass measuring cup and set aside to create gravy.
• Use a potato masher or blender to make the cauliflower creamy. Add milk, butter, pepper and grated parmesan cheese. Keep warm in the crockpot on low.
• In a small saucepan bring the liquid you drained from the slow cooker to a boil. Combine cornstarch with cold water. Whisk the cornstarch into the liquid in the saucepan until combined and add pepper. Once the gravy has thickened, you’re ready to slice the turkey and serve your meal!

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Serving Suggestions for Slow Cooker Turkey with Garlic Mashed Cauliflower

Here are a few ideas to help with your Slow Cooker Turkey and Garlic Mashed Cauliflower dinner:

• • Serve fresh, frozen or canned green beans on the side for a delicious healthier alternative to green bean casserole.
  • Skip the beans and serve the Slow Cooker Turkey and Garlic Mashed Cauliflower with a fresh tossed salad and light dressing.
  • Add more garlic to the Garlic Mashed Cauliflower if you want the garlic flavor to be stronger.
  • To make the Garlic Mashed Cauliflower creamier, you could add a little cream cheese instead of or in addition to the parmesan cheese.
  • Slow Cooker Turkey would be a great way to prepare the bird at Thanksgiving if you were expecting a smaller crowd.
  • Most turkey breasts come with a string mesh around them. Before you put the turkey in the slow cooker, pull the string mesh away from the turkey breast and reposition it. This will make it easier to remove the string mesh with kitchen scissors before you slice the Slow Cooker Turkey.

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More Turkey and Cauliflower Recipes

While you’re here be sure to check out some of the other related recipes on Ideas for the Home by Kenarry®, like:

• Baked Cauliflower Poppers
• Sweet Barbecue Turkey Meatloaf
• Easy Turkey Sausage Quinoa.

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Originally published January 2016. Updated January 2019. 

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