Healthy Cauliflower Recipes: Pizza, Rice & More

Every vegetable has its moment in the spotlight, and right now, that shining star is cauliflower. Though chefs and health-conscious cooks have been using it as a carb substitute for years now, it's popularity has spread to the masses (and grocery stores). Cauliflower is a blank canvas that be chopped, pulsed, purée, roasted and grilled, and is an easy substitute for many recipes that call for rice or potatoes.

Most people are choosing cauliflower because it's lower in carbohydrates than other ingredients, but you don't have to be on a diet to enjoy these mouthwatering recipes. From pizza crust to tater tots, get ready to fall in love with cauliflower.

Craving a slice? Swap your traditional dough for a cauliflower crust. The best part is there's cheese mixed in, so you get a double dose of cheesy goodness. This alternative is becoming so popular brands like Trader Joe's are jumping on the bandwagon and releasing their own frozen versions. 

A few quick pulses in the food processor transforms this vegetable into a low-calorie rice substitute. You can even use it to make cauliflower fried rice by sautéing it with soy sauce, sesame oil, onions, peas, carrots and eggs.

Replace your starchy side with a lighter dish made with cauliflower. The secret is to cook the cauliflower until tender and mash or purée the veg until it has a light and fluffy consistency.

Relive your childhood with cheesy cauliflower tater tots. These delicious bites are rolled in bread crumbs and baked to a golden brown. Make them as an appetizer for your next game-day party. 

This recipe will have you doing a double take, because it's just as creamy and silky as the kind made with chickpeas. Serve it as a dip or spread it on sandwiches and burgers. 

OK, so this isn't your traditional Alfredo sauce made with heavy cream and Parmesan cheese, but the puréed cauliflower provides that creamy texture we all know and love. 

Skip the beef and make these spicy cauliflower burgers. Cauliflower comes together with quinoa, bread crumbs, cheese and eggs to make a patty so delicious, you won't even miss the meat.

Switch up your morning breakfast hash by making it with chopped cauliflower instead of potatoes. Top the hash with a fried egg, and you've got yourself a killer breakfast.