It’s “cauliflower pizza,” but not in the way you think. Instead of making a complicated crust out of cauliflower, we’re using it as a topping for this Roasted Garlic Pizza recipe.

The easiest way to eat a vegetarian meal? PIZZA! Roasted Cauliflower and Garlic Pizza. | foxeslovelemons.com

Roasted Garlic Pizza

I know I’ve mentioned it before, but my husband and I try to eat at least a couple of vegetarian dinners each week. One of the easiest and best ways I’ve found to make this happen is with PIZZA.

I mean seriously, everybody loves pizza, and given the right toppings, nobody will miss the meat at all.

Also, any veggie pizza is automatically 500% less greasy than a pie with pepperoni on it, so you won’t be doing the old blot-this-awkwardly-with-a-napkin-before-I-eat-it trick.

Why You’ll Love this Cauliflower Pizza with Garlic

  • The savory sweetness of roasted cauliflower pairs perfectly with the rich, aromatic roasted garlic, creating a flavor profile that is both satisfying and unexpected.
  • Incorporating cauliflower as a topping adds a nutritious boost to pizza night.

Garlic Pizza Ingredients

  • cauliflower – the star of this pizza, but we’re not making it into crust, we’re using it as a pizza topping.
  • olive oil – for roasting the garlic
  • salt and pepper – for seasoning the cauliflower so it’s as tasty as it can be.
  • garlic – we’ll be roasting an entire head of garlic for this pizza!
  • pizza dough – buy a 1 pound ball of store-bought dough or use my recipe for homemade pizza dough.
  • cream cheese – this acts as the creamy and flavorful base sauce for the top of the pizza.
  • Roma tomatoes – these add juiciness to the pizza.
  • Parmesan cheese – provides a salty and nutty flavor, and contributes to the cheesy goodness of this roasted garlic pizza.
  • chives – add a subtle onion flavor and pop of color as a finishing touch.
The easiest way to eat a vegetarian meal? PIZZA! Roasted Cauliflower and Garlic Pizza. | foxeslovelemons.com
The easiest way to eat a vegetarian meal? PIZZA! Roasted Cauliflower and Garlic Pizza. | foxeslovelemons.com

How to Make Homemade Garlic Pizza

  1. ROAST CAULI + GARLIC. Place the cauliflower on a baking pan and toss with oil, salt and pepper. On the same pan, place the bulb of garlic, drizzled with oil and wrapped in foil.
  2. PULL CAULI, FINISH GARLIC. After about 50 minutes, the cauliflower will be very brown and done. Transfer it to a bowl, but then return the garlic to to the oven for about 10 more minutes until it is dark brown and very soft.
  3. CRUST. Place a pizza stone in the oven to preheat, then stretch your pizza dough in a large circle. Spray the stone with nonstick cooking spray then place the dough round on the stone and bake 6 minutes.
  4. SQUEEZE. While the crust bakes, squeeze the garlic from its cloves and mash it into the cream cheese with a fork.
  5. TOP. Remove the crust from the oven and spread it with the cream cheese mixture. Then, top it with the cauliflower, tomatoes, cheese and chives. Bake 8 minutes longer or until the crust is cooked through.

How to Make Pizza with Roasted Garlic ahead of time (optional)

Many elements of this pizza can be made ahead of time, making assembly quicker when it’s time to eat:

  • The cauliflower and the garlic can be roasted up to 3 days in advance. Squeeze the garlic from it’s cloves while it’s still warm and refrigerate in a covered container.
  • The garlic cream cheese can be made a day in advance.
The easiest way to eat a vegetarian meal? PIZZA! Roasted Cauliflower and Garlic Pizza. | foxeslovelemons.com

Garlic Pizza Recipe Substitutions

  • You can use shredded mozzarella in place of the Parmesan, or experiment with any type of cheese that you like.
  • Instead of chives, feel free to use another type of herb like basil or oregano.
  • Add a sprinkle of red pepper flakes to spice things up.

Garlic Pizza Home Chef Tips

  • If you have a pizza stone, you’ll want to preheat your oven with the empty pizza stone IN it, so the stone gets nice and hot and you get the crispiest crust.
  • Allow the pizza to rest for a minute or two after baking to allow the flavors to meld before slicing and serving.
  • The searing of the ribs in Step 2 is the most important step to build flavor, so take your time and get a nice, deep golden brown on the meat.
  • Don’t rush the pressure release of the Instant Pot. Allowing a natural pressure release to happen for 10 minutes after cooking prevents toughening of the meat.
The easiest way to eat a vegetarian meal? PIZZA! Roasted Cauliflower and Garlic Pizza. | foxeslovelemons.com

How to Store Homemade Garlic Pizza

Leftover Instant Pot beef short ribs should be cooled to room temperature, then transferred to an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

How to reheat Instant Pot Short Ribs

Reheat leftover short ribs in a 300 degree oven until warmed through. You can also reheat them in the microwave. Cover with a damp paper towel to retain moisture, and heat at 50% power for 1 minute intervals until heated through.

Cauliflower Pizza with Roasted Garlic FAQs

How do you cut garlic for pizza?

While thinly sliced garlic is great as a pizza topping, in this case, we are roasting a whole head of garlic and then mashing the roasted cloves into cream cheese to make a “sauce.”

Why is my short ribs tough in the Instant Pot?

Short ribs can become tough if they are not cooked for long enough or at the right pressure, or if the pressure is released too quickly. Follow the recipe instructions carefully, being sure to allow the Instant Pot to naturally release pressure for 10 minutes to achieve tender short ribs.

Should you trim fat off Short Ribs before cooking?

While some fat and flavor can add moisture to the short ribs during cooking, excessive fat may result in greasy meat. If you see any very large, visible pieces of fat that are easily trimmed, feel free to trim them off before cooking.

Why didn’t my Short Ribs fall off the bone?

Achieving fall-off-the-bone tender short ribs requires proper cooking time and technique. If your short ribs didn’t reach desired tenderness, they may need to be cooked longer at a higher pressure. Follow the recipe below carefully for the best results.

The easiest way to eat a vegetarian meal? PIZZA! Roasted Cauliflower and Garlic Pizza. | foxeslovelemons.com

Cauliflower Pizza with Garlic

Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 12 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 32 minutes

It’s “cauliflower pizza,” but not in the way you think. Instead of making a complicated crust out of cauliflower, we’re using it as a topping for this Roasted Garlic Pizza recipe.

Ingredients

  • 1 head cauliflower, florets separated and thinly sliced
  • Olive oil
  • Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste
  • 1 head garlic, top of bulb trimmed off until tops of cloves are exposed
  • 1 ball (1 pound) of homemade pizza dough, or store-bought
  • Nonstick cooking spray
  • 1/2 cup cream cheese
  • 2 Roma tomatoes, sliced into 1/4-inch thick slices
  • 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
  • 1-1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place cauliflower on rimmed baking pan. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place garlic on piece of foil; drizzle with a small amount of oil and tightly wrap foil around bulb. Place garlic on same pan as cauliflower.
  2. Roast cauliflower until very brown, about 50 minutes, stirring occasionally. Transfer cauliflower to bowl, then return pan with garlic to oven. Roast garlic until it is dark golden brown and very soft, about 10 minutes longer. Let garlic stand for 5 minutes or until cool enough to touch.
  3. Place pizza stone in oven (leave at 400 degrees F).
  4. Toss and stretch pizza dough into a 14-inch circle. Once oven is preheated, carefully remove pizza stone from oven and spray with cooking spray. Carefully place dough on stone. Transfer to oven and bake 6 minutes.
  5. Meanwhile, squeeze garlic from it’s cloves into a small bowl. Add cream cheese and mash together with a fork.
  6. Remove crust from oven. Spread with cream cheese mixture, then top with cauliflower, tomatoes, cheese and chives. Bake 8 minutes longer, or until crust is cooked through and toppings are hot.

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