Cauliflower Bread Sticks

I have to admit, I have been waiting for months to try this and finally made the time to do it.   It was really yummy.  I think next time I would add some garlic, as it makes everything better :-)  I really was pleasantly surprised by the chewy texture.  It is close to a bread chewiness which I have sorely missed.   I shared these with a few people and everyone seemed to like them.

Cheesy Cauliflower “Bread” Sticks

INGREDIENTS

• 4 cups cauliflower "rice" (see below)
• 1 egg, slightly beaten
• 2 cups Mozzarella cheese, shredded, divided (I used the Kraft 6 cheese Italian blend, it was great)
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
• Marinara sauce for dipping

DIRECTIONS

1. Begin by turning 1 head of cauliflower into "rice." To do this, wash and clean the cauliflower and cut it into chunks (remove the core- is that what you call it?). There are several ways to "rice" cauliflower. You can use a food processor and pulse it until it's a "rice" consistency, or you can use a box grater. Alternatively, you could use a knife to finally chop the cauliflower until it looks like rice. An average head of cauliflower should yield about 4 cups of cauliflower "rice."
2. Microwave the cauliflower in a microwave safe bowl for 8 minutes.  Allow to cool completely.
3. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
4. Use a fine mesh strainer to drain the cauliflower. Place the cauliflower "rice" in a clean dish towel and squeeze as hard as you can to remove any excess water. It may look like all the water is removed, but definitely don't skip this step as there is hidden excess water.
5. Once the cauliflower rice is drained really well, dump it into a large bowl. To the cauliflower rice, add 1 cup mozzarella cheese, 1 egg slightly beaten, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon dried basil, and 1/4 teaspoon salt.
6. Stir the mixture well.
7. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and spray it lightly with cooking spray. Spoon the cauliflower mixture onto the pan and use your hands to form it into a 8 1/2 x 11 inch rectangle (eyeball it- think piece of paper size)
8. Place in the oven for 35-40 minutes, or even longer until the crust is golden brown and firm.
9. Remove the crust from the oven and allow it to cool for about 10 minutes. Then top the crust with remaining 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, and 1/2 teaspoon Italian Seasoning.
10. Return the pan to the oven and bake for another 7-10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.
11. Cut into "breadsticks" and serve with warm marinara sauce for dipping.