Low-carb, gluten-free pizza?? C’est Possible?? Yes, it’s possible AND delicious. If you’re on Pinterest, then it’s hard to miss the new rage in pizza: cauliflower-crust. Years ago, I remember testing out cauliflower mashed potatoes. I’ve never been a huge fan of cauliflower, so I was skeptical to say the least. But I was pleasantly surprised that cauliflower produced a creamy mashed substance that resembled mashed potatoes. Sure nothing can beat the real thing, but add a couple pats of butter and cauliflower becomes the potato’s first cousin. Check out my Garlic Cauliflower Mash recipe.
Knowing the changeling powers of cauliflower, I couldn’t wait to test out cauliflower-crust pizza. Especially after reading the many recipe reviews which focused on skeptical husbands and boyfriends falling head over heels for the low-carb crust. My fiance – a self-described meat and potatoes guy who doesn’t eat “plants” -balked at the thought of vegetables taking the place of doughy carb-loaded pizza crust. Fortunately, between the grocery store and recipe-testing night, he forgot all about the dreaded veggie crust and was too focused on watching TV to see me in the kitchen furiously shredding a head of cauliflower. Though I originally saw the cauliflower-crust pizza on Pinterest, to make the dish, I followed the photo through cyberspace to its original home on Recipe Girl – Cauliflower Crust Hawaiian Pizza. I’m not a huge fan of pineapple, so I decided to try out my own toppings. I also had to alter Recipe Girl’s crust so it would stand up to my toppings. The first time I made the crust, un-adapted it tasted delicious but it fell apart under the heavy meat and cheese. Cauliflower crust will never be as sturdy as regular pizza crust but with my changes and extra cooking time it definitely holds its own.
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Healthy Recipe Ecstasy? YES!!!! Alasdair said this dish was better than the pizza we had in New York City on our last visit. He also said it tasted nothing like cauliflower. Need I say more??? Ok I’ll say a little more. This crust is gluten-free!!! This is an HRX SUPER SUCCESS!
- CRUST:
- 1 large head of cauliflower
- 2 large eggs
- 2 cups finely shredded mozzarella cheese
- 3 teaspoons dried oregano
- 3 cloves minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
- TOPPINGS:
- 1 jar of Bruschetta spread (I used the Harris Teeter brand but any brand would work or you can make your own)
- 8 ounces of whole Mozzarella cheese
- ¼ pound thinly-sliced Prosciutto
- Dried or fresh oregano to taste
- Freshly-ground black pepper to taste
- Fresh basil for garnish (optional)
- Shred or food process the cauliflower into small crumbles. I’ve done it both ways and the food processor is so much faster. Just make sure to do a “pulse” and “chop” so that the cauliflower does not puree. Place the cauliflower crumbles in a large bowl and microwave them (dry) for 8 minutes. Give the cauliflower a chance to cool.
- In a medium bowl, mix the cauliflower crumbles with the remaining crust ingredients.
- Pat the “crust” into a 9 to 12-inch round on the prepared pan. Spray the crust lightly with nonstick spray and bake for 20-25 minutes (or until golden). Recipe Girl’s recipe says to cook for 15 minutes. I found that the crust did not crisp in that amount of time. Plus, I’ve upped the amount of cauliflower so it needs additional cooking time. Remove the crust from the oven once it’s browned like the picture below and turn the oven heat up to broil.
- Spread the Bruschetta sauce on top of the baked crust, leaving a ½-inch border around the edge. Add the Prosciutto, spreading it out around the pizza. Top evenly with the Mozzarella slices. Finally, add the oregano and black pepper to taste. Broil the pizza for 6-7 minutes, or until the toppings are hot and the cheese is melted and bubbly. Cut into 6-8 slices and serve immediately.
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Tagged: basil, bruschetta, cauliflower crust, cauliflower crust pizza, dinner, gluten-free, gluten-free pizza, mozzarella cheese, pizza, Prosciutto
Looking forward to the next blog. Cookbook reading must be in the genes! A girl can never have enough cookbooks!
I am gonna try this!!!
Thanks so much for the recipe! I made it tonight and it was delicious!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for stopping by!