Vegetarian KFC Mashed Potato Bowl
I have never been a big fast food person. We didn’t eat it often growing up so it has never been something I crave. So when Raf was telling me about how he went through a KFC phase (when he was younger) and would frequently eat their Famous Bowl, I was intrigued. I wanted to try to recreate those flavors, with vegetarian foods, at home. What I came up with is this crispy cauliflower mashed potato bowl. I should mention again, that I have never had THE KFC bowl, but my bowl combines similar textures with delicious flavors for one big bowl of comfort.
To replace the popcorn chicken… I baked crispy cauliflower. To make this, the cauliflower florets are coated in a light batter and then tossed in seasoned breadcrumbs. They bake up in the oven to create a super crispy exterior while the cauliflower inside is tender and delicious.
For the mashed potatoes… I have heard that steaming potatoes rather than boiling them makes for a lighter and fluffier texture, so that is how I like to cook them. I steam the potatoes until they are tender and easy to pierce with a fork. Then I use a potato ricer to break down the potatoes (this again helps to keep them lighter and fluffier vs. mashing). To add flavor, I warm milk and butter in a small saucepan with minced garlic. The garlic flavor infuses into the milk so when it combines with the potatoes you get that garlic flavor all throughout. And of course, season those potatoes generously with salt and pepper.
For the gravy… I used my miso mushroom vegetarian gravy. It has such good flavor with the combination of miso, mushroom and onion. I use a little butter to give it some richness but it is not heavy and it tastes so good over mashed potatoes. You can always make the gravy ahead of time and heat it up when you are ready to assemble the bowls. The recipe for my gravy can be found here.
For the bowls… we also need corn and cheddar cheese and I like the addition of chopped chives for garnish. I opted for a can of corn here but you could definitely use the fresh stuff, especially when it is in season. For the cheese, I went with Trader Joe’s unexpected cheddar shreds, because it is one of my favorites. To assemble the bowls, start with a big pile of the fluffy garlic mashed potatoes, top that with the sweet corn and then the shredded cheese. (I know this isn’t the exact order of the KFC bowl but I like to layer the cheese inside so it melts nicely into the corn and potatoes.) Next add the crispy cauliflower and top it all off with the gravy and a sprinkle of fresh chives for garnish. Then, it is time to dig in.
Vegetarian KFC Mashed Potato Bowl
Ingredients
- 1 medium cauliflower, cut into florets
- 3/4 cup flour
- 1 1/4 cup of unsweetened oat or almond milk
- 1 1/2 cups bread crumbs
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 Yukon Gold (or your favorite) potatoes
- 3/4 cup milk
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- salt & pepper
- 1 can of corn
- shredded cheddar cheese
- Miso Mushroom vegetarian gravy (or you favorite Vegetarian gravy)
- Chives
Instructions
- PREHAT: your oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spray with a non-stick spray. (I actually use an avocado oil spray for this)
- COMBINE: Start with two medium bowls, add the flour and oat milk to one bowl, stir to combine and create a batter, if the batter seems to thick add a little more milk a tablespoon at a time. In the second bowl combine the breadcrumbs, salt, garlic powder, paprika and onion powder.
- BATTER UP: Dip each floret first in the batter, shaking off any excess then roll in the breadcrumbs to fully cover. Place finished cauliflower pieces on your prepared baking sheet. Continue until all the florets are coated. (Tip: Use one hand for the batter and one for the breadcrumb mixture, helps keep the process cleaner)
- BAKE: Bake the cauliflower at 400 for 20 minutes, flip all the pieces over and continue baking for another 25-30 minutes until the breadcrumbs are nice and golden brown.
- STEAM: Peel the potatoes and cut into large cubes. Place a steam in a pot with water, bring to a boil. Add the potatoes to the steamer and cover. Cook until the potatoes are tender and easily pierced with a fork.
- WARM: In a separate small pot, add the milk, butter and minced garlic. Place over medium low heat and allow to warm thoroughly. You don't want to boil, just warm the milk, allow the butter to melt and slightly cook the garlic and infuse the milk with garlic flavor in the process.
- MASH: Once the potatoes are cooked. Use a potato ricer (or masher) to break down the potatoes. Add the warm milk mixture and mix together. Season generously with salt and pepper.
- WARM: Place the corn in a microwave safe bowl and microwave for about a minute and a half, just to warm it through.
- ASSEMBLE: Once everything is cooked, it is time to assemble. Start with the fluffy garlic mashed potatoes. Top them with shredded cheddar cheese, then the corn, followed by the crispy cauliflower. Top it all off with a generous pour of the gravy and sprinkle with chopped chives. ENJOY!