Lunches

March 18, 2023

Cheesy Butternut Squash Cauliflower Steak Pizzas

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Pizzas will always have a big home in my heart. I will always be truly grateful to the Italians for producing a meal filled with such delicious Mediterranean flavours and colour - sometimes there is nothing better than a truly god pizza right? And whilst I always enjoy the moments of savouring the perfect dough and every mouthwatering bite, sometimes you've got to make the meal slightly healthier, not so time consuming to make and just lighter on the stomach. (Or at least I have to!!) Which is why I've come up with the cauliflower steak pizzas - you can still be just as creative as you would with a normal pizza, but your final result is lighter, more flavourful and has an extra portion of vegetables in it. What's not to love, right?

close up of a cauliflower steak pizza with butternut squash and veggie bacon
Cheesy Butternut Squash Cauliflower Steak Pizzas

Full of Colour

What I also love about using these cauliflower steaks as pizza bases is the range of textures and new colours in the dish. Your pizza now is a different shape every time, the base melts in your mouth but is still crispy around the edges, and it's also just as versatile and buildable. I've tried many different toppings on these pizzas (trust me there is more to show you) and so many different combinations work. But what's even more important, and just as fascinating, is the number of positive reasons why we should be eating cauliflower more often...here's just a few to give you some examples:

  1. Cauliflowers are high in fibre, which will be great at feeding the healthy bacteria in our gut and helping to reduce inflammation.
  2. They're also high in Vitamin-C which is needed to boost our immune health, reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer and also has anti-inflammatory effects.
  3. Cauliflower is also a source of Choline, an essential nutrient that we need for mood, memory and recall and assisting with brain development. It's also a key building block of acetylcholine, a chemical messenger that is involved in signalling the central nervous system.

And trust me, these are just a few facts I've found about why we should be eating more cauliflower, but what a great three to start with, right? Let's delve in!

butternut squash cauliflower pizzas on metal tray
Cheesy Butternut Squash Cauliflower Steak Pizzas, served with Caramelised Onion Chutney

Cheesy Butternut Squash Cauliflower Steak Pizzas

Salty, sweet and healthy...all in a pizza? Too good to be true? Not until you've tried these Cheesy Butternut Squash Cauliflower Steak Pizzas!

Prep:

5

min

cook:

50

min

total:

60

min

Print It

Ingredients

  • 1 cauliflower, leaves and stem removed
  • Half of a red onion, finely chopped
  • 2 cloves fresh garlic
  • 400g tinned tomatoes, chopped
  • 2 tsp dried basil
  • 2 tsp dried oregano
  • Fresh thyme
  • 1/4 butternut squash
  • 3 rashers Veggie Bacon, cubed
  • 25g cheddar cheese, grated
  • 25g parmesan cheese, grated
  • 2 tbsp caramelised onion chutney
  • Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • Salt
  • Pepper

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 200°C / 400°F / Gas Mark 6.
  2. With a sharp knife, cut off the skin of the butternut squash and then cut into cubes. Place these cubes on a baking tray and sprinkle over one teaspoon of dried oregano and 4-5 sprigs of fresh thyme, along with some salt and pepper and a good drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Place the baking tray in the oven and roast for roughly 30-40 minutes, until the squash has softened and slightly caramelised.
  3. Cut the cauliflower head evenly into four slices, resembling what is known as 'cauliflower steak slices'. Place these on another baking tray, drizzle over some olive oil and salt and pepper and sprinkle over one teaspoon of dried basil. Place these in the oven to roast for roughly 10-15 minutes.
  4. In a small saucepan, fry the chopped red onion in some olive oil until they have softened and then add in the chopped garlic, cooking for a further two minutes. Add in the chopped tinned tomatoes, 1 teaspoon of dried basil and dried oregano, a few sprigs of fresh thyme and some salt and pepper and cook for roughly 5-10 minutes until the sauce has slightly thickened. Blitz into a smooth sauce and leave to the side.
  5. In a frying pan, cook the veggie bacon according to packet instructions and leave to the side.
  6. When the cauliflower steaks have properly cooked, spoon over the tomato sauce (use a tablespoon to distribute the sauce evenly) and sprinkle over the grated cheeses. Add the cubes of butternut squash, veggie bacon and finish with some sprigs of fresh thyme and a couple of tablespoons of caramelised onion chutney. Place these back in the oven for 5-10 minutes until the cheese has melted slightly and turned golden brown.

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Creamy Chilli Kale & Eggs on Toast
Vegan Pepperoni Cabbage Pizza Slices
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Hey, I'm Josie!

Thank you for visiting, I'm so glad you're here! I'd love for you to have a look around and find something you want to make, and please let me know what you think!

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Monday, August 9, 2021
Vivien Christie
this version of veggie nachos is so tasty, we have it every time we entertain family and friends. It's a staple recipe, and so easy to make, you must try it!
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