Homemade Pizza with Cauliflower Crust

Okay, honestly this recipe was one of those that turned out way better than I expected.  I have been wanting to try a cauliflower crust for a long time but after hearing so many recipe fail stories and imagining my families complaints about cauliflower I had put it off.  So this week I decided to finally try it and it was amazing!

I adapted this recipe from a cauliflower bread sticks recipe I found online. When my husband first saw it come out of the oven he said "that really looks like pizza!" so I'm calling that a win.  The crust isn't quite like bread (it's more moist) but it held together enough to pick it up and eat it.  We used forks and it was great that way too.  My older girls could tell a difference but my younger two just called it pizza and ate it like it was normal. Topped with your favorite toppings it is very satisfying and filling!  The garlic and cheese give it a nice flavor.  My family knew it wasn't bread but couldn't figure out what it was made of, so I think that means it wasn't overly cauliflower-y.

The only downside was that cauliflower doesn't smell quite as amazing as pizza dough while it's cooking but once you get all the garlic and toppings in there it smells enough like pizza to cover :) Give it a try...

Homemade Pizza with Cauliflower Crust
1 large head of cauliflower (enough to make 4 cups finely processed cauliflower "rice")
4 eggs
1 T. italian seasoning
2 1/2 tsp. minced garlic
3 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese (divided)
1 cup pizza sauce (I use Classico or homemade)
1/4 cup grated parmesan
your favorite toppings

Topping ideas:
chicken
ham
pepperoni
pineapple
green bell pepper
mushrooms
black olive
tomatoes
onion

Prepare one large baking sheet with sides (or two 9x13 pans) by lining the bottom with parchment paper or non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.

Chop up cauliflower and place in a food processor.  Process until it resembles course bread crumbs or rice".  The finer it's processed the better.  Place in a microwaveable container and cover with a lid.  Cook in microwave at normal power for 10-12 minutes.

In a large bowl mix softened cauliflower, eggs, italian seasoning, minced garlic and 2 cups mozzarella.  Stir until well combined.  Spread out on prepared cookie sheet.You can also split it between two 9x13 pans for a thinner crust.  It's okay if the mixture doesn't quite touch the sides of the pan they will still cook.

Bake crust (without toppings) at 425 degrees for 30 minutes or until golden brown.  You want it to be as crispy as you can without burning the bottom.  Don't be afraid to give it a few extra minutes to get nice and crispy.

Top with pizza sauce, remaining cheese and toppings.  Sprinkle with parmesan and bake for 10-15 more minutes or until cheese is melted and toppings are cooked.  Enjoy!