Instant Pot Buffalo Cauliflower Dip

Oh my goodness!  So anyone that knows me knows that I am not exactly a healthy eater!  Instead, I indulge in all of the great delicious things that the world has to offer.  So, when I collaborated with the genius behind https://alilyloveaffair.com for this Instant Pot Buffalo Cauliflower Dip recipe….I struggled for a bit.  Now, don’t get me wrong…..I LOVE cauliflower!  But, I love it raw with a gallon of ranch dressing!  Yes!  Bring on the cauliflower! I really wanted to experiment and come up with a way to cook cauliflower in the Instant Pot in a way that I would love it as much as I do when it’s raw with a ton of ranch.  I have read a lot of posts where people make buffalo chicken dip…but without the chicken.  So I figured, what the heck…..let’s give it a try!  What could be so bad about cauliflower, cheese and buffalo sauce?  I love all of those things! Guys…….I’m telling you something…..it was AWESOME!  Admittedly, I was a little upset that something so good was a little on the healthy side.  There’s no chicken…yet I felt the same satisfaction of eating buffalo chicken.  HOW CAN THAT BE????  Have I actually found a dish that does not have meat in it that I want to eat, that I can’t stop eating??   It happened…..I caught myself eating it…..and then eating more…….and then saying…oh just one more bite.   What has happened??  I am eating a vegetarian dish….what??????  And……I loved it. Trust me when I say You MUST try this.  It’s addicting and a crowd pleaser for sure.

Tips for making Buffalo Cauliflower Dip:

1. Make sure that you cut up the cauliflower into 1-2 inch pieces.  If you leave the cauliflower whole it will take MUCH longer to fully cook!
2. Experiment with different cheeses and hot sauces.  I think think this would be awesome with pepper jack or blue cheese!  Go crazy and add in whatever you like!
3. Don’t tell anyone this is made with cauliflower…..seriously…you will leave your guests wondering what the heck this is and what makes it so amazingly delicious!

Instructions for making Buffalo Cauliflower Dip:

1. Cut head of cauliflower into 1 or 2 inch pieces
2. Place cauliflower pieces into an insert pot- I used my smaller pot in pot insert that I use for meatloaf
3. Coat cauliflower with olive oil, salt and pepper
4. Pour 1 cup of water into pot
5. Place insert onto trivet or onto silicone sling and place into pot
6. Close the lid and move valve to “seal” position
7. Cook on manual high pressure for 6 minutes
8. When timer beeps, quick release pressure
9. Open lid
10. Cauliflower should be soft enough to mash with a potato masher
11. Mash the cauliflower with a potato masher- I found that the metal version works better than the plastic version for this
12. Once cauliflower is “mashed” (it won’t be completely mashed but will be broken up into much smaller pieces) mix in the cream cheese, 1 cup of shredded cheese, sour cream and hot sauce.  Continue to “mash” until all ingredients are combined evenly
13. Top with remaining 1 cup shredded cheese
    1. You can leave as is and allow to melt on its own or…
    2. You can place pan in the broiler and brown on the top to add additional melted cheesy goodness
14. Serve with your favorite dippers…..celery, pita chips, tortilla chips or carrots!  Enjoy!

Ingredients for making Buffalo Cauliflower Dip:

• 1 head of cauliflower- cut into 1-2 inch pieces
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• 8 ounces cream cheese- cut into 1 inch cubes
• 2 cups mozzarella cheese- shredded
• 1 cup hot sauce-I used Frank’s Red Hot Buffalo Wing Sauce
• 1 cup sour cream
• pita chips, celery, carrots, tortilla chips- for dipping!

 

Recipe