Who Wants Some Cauliflower Bread?

There are a bajillion recipes online, and a ton are shared on Facebook. I happened to catch sight of a recipe for Cheesy Cauliflower "Bread" Sticks while scrolling through and decided I was intrigued. I prefer mashed cauliflower over mashed potatoes any day, so why not bread? Truth be told, I am not a huge bread fan. I like bread mostly because it conveniently holds things together and you can pick up your food without your hands becoming a sticky mess. I much prefer whatever it is that is resting on the bread. Now my husband on the other hand is a big bread fan.  Although he would like to clarify that he likes good bread - not just any bread.  Even though we both come from somewhat different perspectives on bread, we both agreed that cauliflower "bread" sticks are super yummy and probably better than most actual bread sticks that we've tried.  

CHEESY CAULIFLOWER "BREAD" STICKS

INGREDIENTS

• 1 head of cauliflower, riced
• 1 egg, slightly beaten
• 2 cups Mozzarella cheese, shredded, divided
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
• Marinara sauce for dipping

DIRECTIONS

1. Begin by turning 1 head of cauliflower into “rice.” Wash and clean the cauliflower and cut it into chunks. You can use a food processor and pulse it until it’s a “rice” consistency, or you can use a box grater. Alternatively, you could use a knife to finally chop the cauliflower until it looks like rice. An average head of cauliflower should yield about 4 cups of cauliflower “rice.”

   

   I don't have a food processor, so I grated the cauliflower.

   

   Pretty much exactly four cups!

2. In a large saucepan, heat one inch of water until it boils. Add in the cauliflower rice, cover with a lid, and allow it to steam for 4-5 minutes.
   
3. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
4. Use a fine mesh strainer to drain the cauliflower. Allow it to cool for a few minutes, then place the cauliflower “rice” in a clean dish towel and squeeze as hard as you can to remove any excess water. It may look like all the water is removed, but definitely don’t skip this step as there is hidden excess water. NOTE: Make sure to let it cool a little or you will burn your hands!  :-P
5. Once the cauliflower rice is drained really well, dump it into a large bowl. To the cauliflower rice, add 1 cup mozzarella cheese, 1 egg slightly beaten, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon dried basil, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Stir the mixture well.
   
   
6. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and spray it lightly with cooking spray. Spoon the cauliflower mixture onto the pan and use your hands to form it into a roughly 8 1/2 x 11 inch rectangle.

   

   Aluminum foil will work, too.

7. Place in the oven for 35-40 minutes, or even longer until the crust is golden brown and firm.
8. Remove the crust from the oven and allow it to cool for about 10 minutes. Then top the crust with remaining 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, and 1/2 teaspoon Italian Seasoning.
9. Return the pan to the oven and bake for another 7-10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.
   
10. Cut into “breadsticks” and serve with warm marinara sauce for dipping.
    

This was seriously fantastic. It takes a long time to bake because you need the cauliflower to crisp up enough so it doesn't just fall apart.  Worth it though! And low-carb, gluten free, and dare I say, nutritious?!