Cauliflower Crust Pizza

I will start by saying this cannot be compared to actual pizza. However, if you crave pizza like I do, this is a really good weekday substitute and you are eating tons of veggies!

You will need:

• 2 heads of cauliflower
• 2 eggs
• 1-2 tsp salt
• Lots of shredded mozzarella cheese (TJ’s light mozzarella has the lowest calories)
• Pizza sauce 
• Toppings – I did one turkey pepperoni and red onions, and one veggie with red peppers, red onions, and black olives

Processed cauliflower with cheese and eggs

Cut the cauliflower into big chunks (one head at a time) and blend in the food processor. It will come out looking sort of like dry grits. Microwave for 7 or 8 minutes, until softened. At this point, a lot of the things I read say to put the mush into a dishtowel and wring the water out. That sounded annoying, so I did not do it. 

Beat the 2 eggs and pour into the cauliflower pulp, along with 2 cups of mozzarella and salt, mix well. Spray a sheet of parchment paper with oil, and place on a baking sheet. Working in chunks, either with your hands or a rubber spatula, spread the cauliflower out to about a 10-inch circle that is about 1/4 inch thick. Don’t make it any thicker or it will be too mushy.

Precooked

Cooked - edges are browned

 When I do this the next time, I will cook it on higher heat to begin with. What I did was cook the crusts for 10 minutes on 350, flipped them (this was not easy) and cooked them for a total of about 20 more minutes on 400. If I was going to do it again, I would cook them on 400 for 20 minutes, and try putting them on a cookie rack (still on the parchment paper) for the second 10 minutes to see if it cooked the other side a little more. I stopped baking them when the edges got dark – I probably could have left them in even longer to see if they toughened up more, but I was hungry.

Spread sauce on the cooked crust; I like a lot of sauce but too much will make it mushy. Add cheese and toppings. As far as I can tell, there is no such thing as too much cheese. If using veggies, cut them up pretty small, otherwise it will be too heavy.

Bake until cheese is melted – about 10 minutes on 350. Eat one million pieces!