I found the recipe for Supreme Pizza Cauliflower Casserole on Peace Love and Low Carb.com several months ago. Needless to say that my husband, The Bink is a Turtle Lovin' Pizza Eaten maniac through and through! I try to eat very clean even though The Bink is a connoisseur of breads and breadlike products. I look for recipes that will satisfy both of us. The Supreme Pizza Cauliflower Casserole recipe was an outrageous hit when I put it on the table. The recipe feeds 6 potentially, but it fed 3 with no left overs the first time I made it. At only 250 caleries a serving, what an awesome substitution for take out Pizza. The flavor alone is a convincer.
After realizing that it was such a hit, I set out to recreate my Bink's favorite Pizza. The Maui Wowie Chicken Pizza from Mellow Mushroom! This Pizza comes on pretzel pizza dough, with jerk chicken, ham/canadian bacon, banana peppers, bacon, pesto... The flavors explode on your tongue when you take the first bite of this pizza. So, I knew I had my work cut out on trying to recreate this masterpiece.
INGREDIENTS:
Large Head Cauliflower – Trimmed into Small Florets
½ Cup plus 2 Tbs. Parmesan Cheese – Grated, Divided
1 Tbs. plus 1 tsp. Italian Seasoning – Divided
3 Cloves Garlic – Minced
4 Tbs. Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper – To Taste
¾ Cup Mozzarella Cheese – Shredded, Divided
½ Cup Pesto Sauce – Divided
2 oz. Canadian Bacon – Sliced
2 oz. Bacon – Crumbled
1 oz. Banana Pepper Rings
4 oz. Jerk Chicken - cooked and crumbled/shredded * (I used skinless chicken tenders)
3 oz. Pineapple Chunks - Drained
DIRECTIONS:
In a medium sized bowl mix Jerk Seasoning (eyeball according to your tastes; 2 teaspoons) with 1 tablespoon Olive Oil. I let sit in fridge overnight or during the day while at work. Minimum 1 hour. Grill or bake according to your prefered method. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 400°
1. In a large mixing bowl, combine cauliflower, ½ cup Parmesan cheese, 1 Tbs. Italian seasoning, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper. Toss until ingredients are well combined and cauliflower is coated. Line in a single layer, on a rimmed baking sheet and bake on the top rack for 30 minutes. 2. Transfer cauliflower back to mixing bowl. To the mixing bowl add ¼ cup pesto sauce and ¼ cup mozzarella cheese. Toss until ingredients are well combined and cauliflower is coated.
Coat your casserole dish with Olive Oil or cooking spray. Transfer cauliflower mixture to the casserole dish. Layer on remaining pesto sauce and mozzarella cheese. Take cooled cooked jerk chicken and shred or chop to bite sized pieces. Top with Canadian bacon, Jerk Chicken, banana peppers, bacon and pineapples. Sprinkle remaining 2 Tbs. Parmesan cheese and 1 tsp. Italian seasoning over top.
Reduce oven temperature to 350° and bake 30 minutes.
This was an even bigger sensation when I delivered it to the table, it is featured regularly on our menu plan. The Bink declares that He's never eatting it from the Shroom again. Doubt I'll hold him to that, but score one for me!!!