Black Pepper Free Chive Mashed Cauliflower

Creamy, buttery, and flecked with bright green chives, this mashed cauliflower is the kind of comfort food that earns a permanent spot in your weeknight rotation. Skipping black pepper entirely is trickier than it sounds — it hides in spice blends, seasoned butters, and even some store-bought broths — but this recipe keeps things clean and completely transparent with its ingredient list. Steaming the cauliflower rather than boiling it preserves a more concentrated flavor, so the finished mash tastes rich and satisfying without needing any heat from pepper to prop it up. Warm whole milk and melted unsalted butter get blended right in, giving the texture that silky, almost whipped quality that makes it hard to stop eating. Fresh chives bring a mild, oniony lift that ties everything together beautifully, and a handful of flat-leaf parsley adds a little extra color if you want it. Sea salt is the only seasoning you need here, and you can dial it up to your own taste as you go. It's a genuinely crowd-pleasing side dish that just happens to leave the pepper shaker on the shelf.

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