Cauliflower Crust Pizza with Butternut Squash & Brussels Sprouts

If you told me 10 years ago I would not only eat, but enjoy pizza crust that was actually cauliflower, I would have told you “yeah right.”

I have a distinct memory from when I was younger when my mom tried to “trick me” by swapping mashed cauliflower for mashed potatoes. After just one taste of these “faux-tatoes” I knew something was up. I looked at my mom, who could not keep a straight face, and asked her what she was trying to feed me. Fighting back laughter she tried to play off the fact that she had made mashed potatoes. I wouldn’t have it for a second. I called her bluff and pushed it away. There was no way I was eating that. Later in the meal, she finally gave in and told me it was cauliflower. I knew it!

Fast forward 10 years, I am making pizza out of cauliflower. It’s truly mind blowing! (Right, mom?)

I don’t want this story to discourage any parents from trying to ensure their kids are eating enough vegetables. I respect my mom for trying to hide vegetables in my food, but she just did it all wrong. If you want to try “cauliflower mashed potatoes” swap half of your mashed potatoes with cauliflower and combine the two thoroughly. A cauliflower mashed potato combo will more closely mimic the taste and texture of mashed potatoes, which will increase your chances of successfully hiding them from your kids.

Another way to add more vegetables to your diet is by making this cauliflower crust pizza. Although the crust doesn’t taste like pizza dough, it doesn’t taste like cauliflower either. I really love the flavor and texture of this crust.

I’ve made this recipe a few times, but I am usually deterred because of the time (and cleaning) involved in ricing the cauliflower. Not any more! I have discovered frozen riced cauliflower at Trader Joes. Frozen vegetables actually have the same nutrient profile as fresh vegetables. As a result, there is no way I am going to stress about using fresh cauliflower when I can save time using this frozen version.

The only thing about this pizza is that it might involve a fork and a knife. I know that some pizza lovers will scoff at the idea of using a fork and knife for pizza, but trust me on this one, it’s worth it.