Paleo Pizza Crust

 I love pizza! But, all of the carbs in the traditional crust do not agree with my body! I have been incorporating more Paleo type meals into my families meal plan and it really hasn't been to difficult. I have been eating a protein packed diet with mainly veggies,and minimal fruits except post workout for the last six months. This recipe is delicious! We added cheese to the pizza because my kids were eating it too and they insisted but, it was just as good without the cheese on it!

And while I appreciate a couple slices of cheesy pizza heaven… it has a tendency to make me feel a little bit… well, gross afterward. That grease, and that gluten in the crust gets me every time. So, I’ve heard tons about this cauliflower crust craze, and thought it was time to give it a shot.

Actually, I should admit that I’ve made a cauliflower crust pizza before, but it was less than perfect. My crust came out super soggy, and wouldn’t hold together. Tasted great, but wasn’t much like pizza at all, lol!

THIS TIME though… this time, I discovered THE SECRET to perfect cauliflower crust!
Here’s what you’re going to need:

1. 1 full head of cauliflower {about 4 cups of cauliflower florets}
2. Your favorite salt-free seasoning mix {I used Mrs. Dash, but if you’re following the 21 Day Fix meal plan, you can use those seasoning mixes} I also added some Himalayan Salt and ground black pepper.
3. 1/3 cup of shredded mozzarella
4. 1 egg, beaten
5. Parchment paper

Then for your toppings, it’s really up to you. To create a Caprese Pizza like I made, you’ll need:

1. Fresh mozzarella {I found a “round” from Trader Joe’s that was pre-sliced}
2. Fresh basil leaves
3. Fresh tomatoes, sliced

I wish I had taken pictures of the entire process, but I’m going to explain it all as best I can!

First, preheat your oven to 400 degrees. While your oven is preheating, you can prep your crust! The head of cauliflower I used produced almost exactly 4 cups of florets. Place all of your florets into a blender or food processor, and pulse until you’ve achieved a rice-like consistency. Then, in a medium pot, bring about 1 inch of water to a boil. Then put your cauliflower rice into the pot and boil for about 5 minutes. Drain your cauliflower rice in a colander and let it cool!

Now here comes the SECRET!

Once your cauliflower rice has cooled, lay a thin dish towel out on your counter, and dump the rice onto the towel You’re going to twist it up like cheese cloth, and SQUEEEEEEEEZE! You will be surprised how much water those littler suckers hold in! Squeeze until you don’t get much liquid anymore, and then dump all of your drained rice into a large bowl! You’ll then add your beaten egg, your 1/3 cup of shredded cheese, and your seasonings {I just seasoned to taste, to offset the sweetness of the cooked cauliflower taste}.

Once you’ve mixed that up really well, you’ll dump your mixture out onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Then you’ll get your hands a little dirty by molding your “dough” into whatever shape you prefer! I have a rectangular baking sheet, so I made my crust into a rectangle, and kept it about 1/3 of an inch thick. Once you’ve got a good shape, stick it in the oven, and bake at 400 for 30-35 minutes, depending on how hot your oven gets!

Once you’ve got a delicious looking crust, now you can place all of your toppings on however you’d like! Get creative, and have fun! Once you’ve got your toppings loaded, put it right back in the oven for 5-10 minutes depending on what toppings you’ve got {if you’re using only veggies, you won’t need to go a full 10 minutes, but if you’re using some pre-cooked meat, I’d go a little longer}.

ENJOY, friends!