Who doesn’t love pizza? Seriously, I sat down a few weeks ago pondering that question and realized that I don’t think I actually know anybody that doesn’t like pizza. I know people that don’t like spaghetti, or sandwiches, or even mac n cheese (I know…they exist! *gasp*) but pizza? I’ve just come to the conclusion that pizza is the equivalent of that kid in high school that everybody seemed to get along with.
Since starting my healthy eating journey, one of the things that I’ve seriously struggled with has been my love for pizza and how I’ve had to avoid it at all costs if I didn’t want to feel bloated and yucky for the next few days. However, that all changed when I discovered the wonderful world of cauliflower pizza crust. It’s truly magical. I didn’t even know that it was possible to make a pizza crust from cauliflower and a few other ingredients but yes, it is indeed possible, very easy and insanely good.
It all starts with cauliflower “rice”. I believe that this can be bought prepackaged at many grocery stores, but I just bought a medium sized head of cauliflower, washed it, threw it in a food processor and pulsed it a few times until the cauliflower resembled a rice-like consistency. After that, I microwaved it covered with a paper towel for 4 minutes.
Once the cauliflower rice has cooled down a little bit…here comes the key part: squeeze out as much water as possible from the cauliflower “rice”. Seriously, I can’t even emphasize this enough. I transferred my cauliflower rice to a strainer and mashed out as much water as I could with a wooden spoon. After that, I transferred the rice to a dish cloth and wrung out as much juice as I could. If your hands are seriously cramping then you’re doing it right.
You should end up with around 2 1/2 packed cups of dry cauliflower rice. I then added the egg, cheese and Italian seasoning and mixed thoroughly. Don’t be afraid to get down and dirty with your cauliflower dough, feel free to use your hands to really make sure you mix it all thoroughly.
Then, transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and sprayed with cooking spray. Pat the mixture down until the dough is about 1/4 inch thick and it’s good to go in the oven!
I like the texture of this because the edges turn out a little crispy but the middle is still nice and soft which I personally think matches the texture of pizza pretty well.
6 Slices
2 Slices
25 minPrep Time
39 minCook Time
1 hr, 4 Total Time
Save Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 Medium Head Cauliflower (2 1/2 cups cauliflower rice)
- 1/4 Cup Shredded Parmesan
- 1 Tbs Italian Seasoning
- 1 Egg
- 2 oz Reduced Fat Cream Cheese
- 4 Tbs Almond Milk
- 2 Tbs Shredded Parmesan
- 1 Garlic Clove, Minced
- 1/4 Cup Finely Chopped Spinach
- 1/2 Cup Roughly Chopped Spinach
- 7 oz Canned Artichoke Quarters
- 1/2 Cup Italian Cheese Blend (Mozzarella will also work)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees Farenheit
- Rinse and chop cauliflower into florets. Add to food processor and pulse until cauliflower forms a rice like consistency (skip this step if you are using prepackaged cauliflower rice)
- Microwave cauliflower rice for 4 minutes, set aside to cool
- Drain thoroughly, wring out as much juice as you can from the cauliflower. You want it to be as dry as possible
- Transfer dried cauliflower rice to a bowl, add 1 egg, Italian seasoning and Parmesan cheese. Use hands to blend thoroughly. Transfer cauliflower "dough" to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and sprayed lightly with cooking spray. Pat down until dough is around 1/4 inch thick. Bake in oven for 15-20 mins until dough is a golden color and edges are nice and crispy
- While the dough is in the oven, put cream cheese in a saucepan over medium heat until melted. Add the milk a tablespoon at a time and whisk thoroughly. Gradually add in the Parmesan cheese and spinach and whisk until you have a creamy sauce
- Spread sauce over dough, you can leave the edges bare to give that pizza crust effect. Top with spinach, artichokes and mozzarella cheese. Return to oven and bake for 12-15 mins or until cheese has fully melted
- Allow to cool for 5-10 mins and enjoy on it's own or with a yummy side salad!
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 2 slices
Servings Per Container 3
Amount Per Serving
Calories 218
Calories from Fat 90
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 10g
15%
Saturated Fat 3g
15%
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 73mg
24%
Sodium 560mg
23%
Total Carbohydrate 22g
7%
Dietary Fiber 5g
20%
Sugars 7g
Protein 14g
28%
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
|
