Spicy Buffalo Cauliflower Pockets
The next recipe for October Is Tailgating Snacks Month is my recipe for Spicy Buffalo Cauliflower Pockets, and it was inspired from a couple different places. I found a Buffalo Chicken Roll recipe from Better Homes and Gardens in their December 2012 issue. (But, I can’t find the recipe listed on their website.)
Of course, I wanted to make the rolls vegetarian, so I decided to use cauliflower, a nod to my bloggy friends, the Full Belly Sisters, and their Cauliflower Bites.
Serve these pockets as a main course, or slice them and serve the slices as an appetizer. Either way, your vegetarian friends will love you for serving a Buffalo-style option that they can nosh on. Serve with blue cheese dressing or ranch for that creaminess that’s pretty traditional with Buffalo Chicken Wings. You can also serve with additional celery stalks for people to nibble on.
Serve them sliced as appetizers
Frank’s Hot Sauce is the pretty traditional hot sauce to use for Buffalo-style snacks. Personally, I prefer Sriracha, so that’s what I use in everything. Tabasco would work, or just use your favorite. You can vary the amount of heat by adding more or less hot sauce as you see fit.
I actually had a little filling leftover after stuffing the pockets. I ate it with a spoon. Yum!
And, as for the pizza dough, I went with a store-bought option on this one for ease and convenience. I’ve seen good quality ones available at the grocery store, Trader Joe’s, Sprouts, pretty much anywhere now. You can even get whole wheat or gluten-free ones.
Recently, I won a great prize package from Recipes For My Boys that included coupons for free frozen Rhodes bread. So, that’s what I used. (I mean, I do LOVE free stuff!) Of course, you can always go with a homemade pizza dough as well.
Spicy Buffalo Cauliflower Pockets
Spicy Buffalo Cauliflower Pockets
Ingredients
- ½ small head cauliflower cut into small florets, about 2 cups
- 1 teaspoon olive oil or light tasting oil of your choice
- 2 medium carrots thinly sliced
- 1 stalk celery thinly sliced
- 2 ounces blue cheese crumbled
- ¼ cup BBQ sauce plus 3 tablespoons for brushing
- 2 teaspoons hot sauce
- 1 1- lb package pizza dough
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a cookie baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat. Set aside.
- Place cauliflower in a bowl or pyrex measuring cup, add a small amount of water about ¼ cup, and cover bowl with a plate or wax paper. Steam cauliflower in microwave on full power for 1-2 minutes until cauliflower is just tender. Leave covered and set aside.
- Set aside a small amount of carrot and celery slices and a small amount of the blue cheese crumbles for garnishing.
- In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Once oil is hot, add carrots and celery, and cook for 6 minutes until tender-crisp.
- Drain cauliflower, and place in a large bowl, add cooked carrots and celery and stir to combine. Stir in ¼ cup BBQ sauce and hot sauce.
- Using a rolling pin, roll pizza dough out to a 16x6-inch rectangle. Cut rectangle into 4 smaller rectangles 4x6-inches each. Divide cauliflower mixture among each rectangle, leaving a 1-inch space along each side. Sprinkle each with blue cheese. Bring long sides of dough up over filling, stretching dough as needed. Pinch dough to seal seam, and place seam side down on prepared baking sheet.
- Bake, uncovered, 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and brush each rectangle with remaining BBQ sauce. Place back in oven, and bake an additional 5 minutes. To serve, sprinkle with reserved carrots, celery, and blue cheese.
Notes
That looks gorgeous! My son loves cauliflower and all things spicy. I think he would love this meal.
What a great way to get veggies into a dish! Yum!
What a great idea! I’ll have to try it for my non-meat day! I love spicy!
I would not even miss the meat in this one! I LOVE anything buffalo! This is such a great recipe!
that looks amazing. definitely going to try this
Your pictures are always enticing and colorful. You make some amazing dishes.
What a great sounding twist. I have to give it a try.
What gorgeous pictures! It makes me really want to try it!
Mmm, I was really happy to see this linked up at #FoodieFridays this week! I never would have thought of doing this and it looks so delicious! I’m a huge fan of anything Buffalo!
I bet these would be a big hit for any Superbowl party, they look so good.