My very first post.
Being the perfectionist that I am, I procrastinated for quite some time trying to think up what the BEST first post would be. Should it be basic? Main dish or side? Breakfast or dinner? After much thought and debate, this recipe turned out to be completely unplanned.
Have you ever craved pizza and wanted not just a slice but a whole pizza?
I know I'm not alone.
I'm here to tell you with this BBQ Chicken pizza, you can do just that! Before this, I had never attempted to make a cauliflower crust. I'll admit, I was a bit skeptical as to whether you could actually make a crust from cauliflower that acted like a real pizza crust. After a few attempts, I am very pleased with the final outcome of this crust. On top of being delicious, it is also low fat, low carb and gluten free!
The process of making the crust starts just like you would for making cauliflower rice, if you are familiar with that. You take it a step further once you have the rice by steaming the cauliflower and the squeezing all of the liquid out.
The end result is a ball of cauliflower "flour" to which you add your egg white, cheese, spices, and coconut flour. I found the coconut flour to really hold this crust together. On my first attempt at making this, I still felt there was a bit too much moisture and needed a binder. The coconut flour seemed to do the trick! Once mixed, you flatten and bake until golden brown.
Tah-dah!
I use the BBQ sauce to act as the tomato sauce. Then topping with fresh mozzarella, which is always the best choice.
Next comes the chicken with another drizzle of BBQ sauce and sliced red onion.
Pop that back into the oven to bake for another 10 minutes - we want the cheese to get good and melted. Once everything is nice and bubbly remove from the oven and top with fresh cilantro.
It is a good thing you can eat this whole pizza guilt free...you aren't going to want to share.
BBQ Chicken Pizza with Cauliflower Crust
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20-25 minutes
Ingredients
For the cauliflower crust
- 1small to medium head of cauliflower, yielding about 3.5 cups flowerets (350g)
- 1/3 cup shredded fat-free or low-fat monterey jack cheese (1.5 oz)
- 1 egg white
- 1 tbsp coconut flour
- 1 tsp italian seasoning (equal parts dried oregano, basil, thyme and rosemary)
- 1/4 tsp salt
For the pizza toppings
- 2 tbsp BBQ Sauce (I used Stubb's Sweet Heat)
- 1.5 oz fresh mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup cubed baked or grilled chicken breast (2.5 oz)
- 1/4 cup sliced red onion
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
Directions
First, start with the the cauliflower crust
- Preheat oven to 450°.
- Chop cauliflower into small flowerets, discarding of leavings and stem. Place cauliflower into food processor and pulse until you get a "cauliflower rice" constancy.
- Transfer cauliflower to a microwave-safe dish and microwave on high for 3 minutes. This steams the cauliflower.
- Once cooked, transfer cauliflower again to a tea towel lined bowl. Allow to cool for at least 5 minutes. When cool enough to handle, gather up the towel and squeeze the cauliflower into a ball -- and continue to squeeze! I can't stress enough how important it is to squeeze ALL the liquid out of the cauliflower. You should have about 1/2 cup of liquid when you are done. The end result is a ball of cauliflower "flour".
- In a mixing bowl combine cauliflower, shredded monterey jack cheese, egg white, coconut flour, seasonings and salt. Mix with hands until ingredients are well incorporated.
- On a parchment lined baking sheet flatten out dough, shaping into a thin round disk, about 1/4" thick.
- Bake in a 450° oven for 10-15 minutes or until it begins to turn golden.
Assemble the pizza
- Once baked, spread 1 tbsp of the BBQ sauce onto the crust. Reserve the remainder.
- Add the mozzarella cheese followed by the chicken. Drizzle remaining 1 tbsp of BBQ sauce over top. Add onion.
- Bake again in a 450° oven for 10 minutes or until cheese has melted and onions have cooked.
- Remove pizza from oven and finish off with a sprinkle of fresh cilantro.
I hope you enjoy!
I'd love to hear what recipes you would like for me to create - please leave a comment!