Cheese Stuffed Crust Pizza

Stuffed crust goodness.

There’s nothing quite like Pizza Hut Stuffed Crust Pizza.

Sure, as low-carbers we’ve successfully been able to find ways around wishing for pizza, but the elusive cheese-in-the-crust was a pipe dream (like wrestling in the ECW) until now.

This recipe is a take from the cauliflower recipe. (Zucchini is a perfect choice for folks who don’t appreciate the slightly pungent flavors of cauliflower florets.)

Unlike the original cauliflower (or zucchini) pizza crusts, an added dimension of Paremsan cheese, sprinkled on the pan serves two purposes:

1. It adds flavor;
2. When the crust is rolled to cover the addition of string cheese around the edges, the crust crisps up during the second baking, adding a slightly breadier quality to the crust.
This recipe is induction friendly and gluten-free.

Cauliflower Cheese Stuffed Crust Pizza

1 cup cooked, riced cauliflower*
1 egg
1 cup mozzarella cheese
1/2 tsp fennel
1 tsp oregano
2 tsp parsley
Parmesan cheese
3-4 packets of string cheese (individual)
pizza or Alfredo sauce**
toppings (make sure meats are cooked)
mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.

Spray a cookie sheet with non-stick spray. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

In a medium bowl, combine cauliflower, egg and mozzarella. Press out evenly on the pan. Sprinkle evenly with fennel, oregano and parsley.

Bake at 450 degrees for 12-15 minutes (15-20 minutes if you double the recipe). Remove from oven while pizza is golden but without turning edges dark.

Remove the pan from the oven. Allow to cool slightly (say, 15 minutes. This is important; you don’t want to melt the cheese). Run a metal spatula around the outside edge of the crust to loosen it from the pan.
Working with string cheese, peel each into 3-4 strips. Take each strip and place them around the perimeter of the crust, making sure all strips are touching (for a thicker edge, use half to an entire piece of cheese per section). Carefully, roll the edge of the crust over to cover the cheese, and press down into the top of the crust. Continue working around the pan until the entire pizza’s edges have been folded and pressed over the cheese.

Place pizza in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to cool completely.

After removing the crust from the refrigerator, and prior to baking, add sauce, toppings and cheese.

Place under a broiler (grill for the Europeans) at high heat just until cheese is melted **. Remove the pizza from the oven and slice through the center only, halving the pizza (you’ll see why in a moment).
At this point the cheese in the crust will not be melted.

Reheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Bake pizza for 10 more minutes. Check to see if crust cheese is gooey by lifting up slightly near the cut line with a spatula. Bake until cheese in crust is melted and goo effect is achieved through the spatula lift test (should take no longer than 15 minutes). With practice, you won’t need to cut the pizza anymore.

Serve warm. Can be reheated perfectly, and the cheese re-melts.

Serves: 8
Nutritional Information for 4-pieces string cheese around edge: 207 calories, 13 grams fat, 3 net carbs, 1.5 grams fiber, 18.5 grams protein.

Nutritional Information for 8-pieces string cheese around edge: 279 calories, 17 grams fat, 4 net carbs, 1.5 grams fiber, 24 grams protein.

Notes:

** The pizza sauce I use is Great Value Pizza sauce from Wal-Mart. At only 4 net carbs per quarter cup, you get a lot of punch for little carbohydrate pow.

For more pictures and tweaks, check this post!