Cauliflower Cheesy Bread “Pizza”

 

A friend of mine has been raving about this cauliflower “pizza” crust and of course I was skeptical. How can you make crust out of cauliflower and my next thought, is it any good? For one, I do not like cauliflower…raw, steamed…no way I will eat it. Two, I will eat it ONLY if it is prepared in an Indian dish with spices. I’ll try anything once, especially if you tell me it’s good. So…

I was excited when I found this recipe on Stick a Fork In It! It seemed pretty simple so I went with it! Not to mention, what a great way to get in some veggies! Now of course I made a few revisions so…you can visit the original recipe via the link above.

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Cauliflower Cheesy Bread Pizza—Recipe!

Ingredients

1 cup cooked, riced cauliflower
1/2 cup 2% shredded mozzarella cheese*
1/2 cup Fat Free sharp cheddar*
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp Italian Seasoning
1/2 tsp onion powder (optional)
1/2 tsp garlic salt
Olive oil (optional)

If you are making a pizza ADD ingredients below:

Pizza sauce
Mozzarella cheese, shredded
Other additional toppings of your choice

*Many people have commented and said that the amount of cheese can be reduced by half, and still taste just as good! [I’m going to try this next time. I also like having a variety of cheese on my pizza  – 1/4 cup of each cheese or stick with 1/2 cup of one cheese]

Directions:

1. To rice your cauliflower, take 1 large head of cauliflower, remove the stems and leaves, and chop the florets into chunks. Add to a food processor [or blender] and pulse just until it looks like rice. Alternatively, you can grate the cauliflower with a cheese grater.
2. Place the riced cauliflower in a microwave safe bowl, add 1/4 cup water, and microwave for 6-8 minutes, stirring half-way through.
3. To make the pizza, preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Spray a pizza pan or cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray. [If you have parchment paper, just line the pan with the paper. You won’t need cooking spray]
4. In a medium bowl, combine the cauliflower, reduced-fat cheese, and egg together and stir until blended well. Add the Italian seasoning, garlic, and garlic salt. Transfer to the pan/cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, and shape into a 9-inch circle [or square]. Brush the crust with olive oil to help it brown in the oven. [I forgot this step and it turned out just fine, but I’m sure it adds a nice flavor].
5. Baked on 450 degrees for 15 minutes, until the crust is browned and cooked through the middle. [I flipped mine over and continued to cook for 5 more minutes = total 20 minutes].  I also added 2% mozzarella and placed it back in the oven on broil for about  2 minutes to help melt the cheese. You know your oven so keep and eye out to make sure it doesn’t over-cook.
6. Cut into “cheesy bread” pieces and Enjoy!

**If you are only making Cheesy Cauliflower Bread use the above step, but if you’re making a “pizza” with toppings, use the instructions below:

For Pizza:

Remove the crust from the oven, add your sauce and toppings. Place under a broiler at high heat until the cheese is melted and bubbly. (About 3-4 minutes).

Allow the pizza to cool slightly, then cut into slices and serve.

Update: I tried this recipe adding turkey pepperoni and green peppers! It was delish! If you try it, let me know what you think!

 

Enjoy!