Cauliflower Crust Pizza

In trying to eat healthy, I try to steer clear of certain foods that may be delicious but are in no way good for you. One of those foods is pizza. I definitely still crave some of those unhealthy foods but know that eating them would make me feel sick so I have tried to find ways to make healthy versions of some of my favorite unhealthy foods.

Today I will be sharing my recipe for a cauliflower crust pizza. In my opinion, it taste just as good as the real thing but leaves me feeling so much  better afterwards. I can eat seconds (or even thirds) without feeling guilty. The recipe is a little time consuming but is definitely worth it, just trust me.

You only need a few ingredients to make the crust and then whatever toppings you want for your pizza. We start off with cauliflower and a food processor. You can use just one head of cauliflower but I typically use two heads of cauliflower to achieve a thicker crust.

You will need to break down the cauliflower before placing into the processor. I find cutting the cauliflower into fairly small pieces makes it easiest and prevents the food processor from clogging up. Process the cauliflower until it is a rice-like texture.

Preheat your oven to 375 degress F. Place some parchment paper on a pizza sheet and then pour the cauli-rice onto the prepared sheet. You don’t want to skip the parchment paper because the cauliflower has a tendency to stick and will make it difficult to remove from the pizza sheet in one piece even when using nonstick spray.

Bake the cauli-rice for 15 minutes and then remove and allow to cool. Place a cheese cloth over a large bowl and pour the cauli-rice into it after it has cooled. You can also use a dish cloth for this step if you do not have any cheesecloth.

Next you will squeeze the cauliflower until little to no water comes out of the cheese cloth. It is time consuming and a bit of work out but is very important. You want to get as much water out of the cauliflower as possible to insure that the dough sticks together well. When finished the cauliflower should now resemble a ball of dough.

At this point you mix in the remaining ingredients; the egg, the Italian seasoning, and the parmesan cheese. Once completely mixed, pour back onto the prepared pizza sheet until it is even. Increase oven to 475 degrees F and cook for another 15 minutes.

Your crust is now complete and time to add all of your favorite toppings. My husband and I try to keep it healthy by not adding tons of cheese but instead loading it up with tons of veggies. On this particular pizza we precooked some chicken and cut it up and placed on the pizza. We chose to use pesto for our pizza sauce instead of the traditional tomato based sauce. We can’t always agree on what toppings we want so on his half you see olives and onions while I went with pepper and onions. We then put some mozzarella cheese on top sparingly.

Lastly we placed the pizza back in the oven just long enough to melt the cheese. Believe it or not the two of us devoured this entire pizza in one sitting. It is so delicious and leaves you feeling guilt free. What toppings do you plan to add to your pizza?