Cauliflower Pizza Crust

Cauliflower Crust from Eat.Drink.Smile.

Some ideas seem too good to be true. And I hate to say it, but I think this Cauliflower Crust recipe is one of those. When I initially saw this recipe on Eat. Drink. Smile. and read some of the reviews, I thought this would be a great, low-carb alternative to pizza crust. But after making this recipe, I had second thoughts. None of the reviews I read mentioned the 30 minute process of preparing the riced cauliflower. And none of the reviews emphasized making a 9 inch crust and nothing bigger. (I tried making a crust bigger than the 9 inch round that was suggested-big mushy mistake!) When I made this crust the second and third time (you'll have that much leftover riced cauliflower), I made the 9 inch round crusts and they turned out slightly better, but still did not crisp up like a regular thin crust pizza. While these healthy pizzas tasted fine, they did not satisfy my pizza craving. Next time I'll stick with my regular, full of carbs pizza crust. But based on some of the reviews I read, others are obsessed with this recipe. If you decide to try this recipe, let me know what you think and if you achieve better results.

Cauliflower Pizza Crust
(Serves 2)

1 cup cooked, riced cauliflower
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 clove garlic, minced

Pizza sauce, cheese, and toppings

To rice cauliflower:

Take one head of fresh cauliflower and remove leaves and steams. Chop remaining florets into chunks; add to food processor and pulse until it looks like grain, careful not to over-do it. (Depending on the size of your food processor, you'll probably need to do this in three or four batches.) Place riced cauliflower in microwave safe bowl and microwave for 8 minutes. This cooks the cauliflower; there is no need to add additional water because the cauliflower contains enough moisture. One head of cauliflower makes about 3 cups riced cauliflower. Store remaining riced cauliflower in refrigerator for up to one week.

To make pizza crust:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spray cookie sheet with nonstick cooking spray.

In a bowl, mix together riced cauliflower, mozzarella cheese, egg, Italian seasoning, and garlic. Transfer mixture to prepared cookie sheet and pat out a 9-inch round. (Do NOT double the recipe in order to make a bigger crust. The middle will not cook properly and will be mushy. I learned this the hard way.)

Bake for 15 minutes, or until edges begin to brown.

Remove crust from oven. Add pizza sauce, cheese, and desired toppings. Return pizza to oven and broil for 3-4 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Serve immediately.

Nutritional Information (for crust only):
Serves 2
Per serving:
Calories: 220
Fat: 12.5g
Fiber: 2.5g

Pros:
-Healthier, low carb way to enjoy pizza
-Similar to thin crust pizza
-Light and not too filing

Cons:
-Ricing cauliflower is a process and a half
-Cauliflower did not produce the crispy crust I was hoping for
-Unless you plan on making multiple crusts/pizzas, you'll have lots of leftover riced cauliflower

Overall Rating: 2 out of 5