~Jackie~
It’s time to ditch delivery and start making your own homemade pizza. Pizza has a reputation of being a greasy and cheap Friday night dinner, but I am determined to break this conception one delicious homemade pizza combination at a time. I always talk about how Steve is the most un-picky person I have ever met, and this is true, but he still has his favorite foods and pizza ranks at #1. More specifically, BBQ Chicken Pizza. He physically needs to eat this pizza at home or from a restaurant at least once a week to stay alive. I’m not sure what I find more attractive; the hot cheesy pizzas coming out of the oven, or my fiance after he has eaten an entire one by himself…
The ingredients in this recipe can easily be swapped for whatever you have on hand as long as you have the basics; crust, BBQ sauce, chicken, cheese, and veggies. I love to buy the pre-baked thin crust from Whole Foods; it’s great for weeknights when I don’t have the time to make a homemade crust (but I always recommend making homemade when you have time!). To make the pizza, begin by sauteing the vegetables for about 10 minutes or so just to soften. This helps speed up the cooking process in the oven so you don’t end up with raw peppers or onions. I usually use leftover shredded chicken from when I make our Chipotle Peach Crockpot BBQ Chicken. This chicken is always tender and leftovers are so delicious. However, if you don’t have any leftover shredded chicken you can easily bake or grill two chicken breasts and shred them prior to making the pizza. Top the pizza with the chicken, veggies, cheese, and pineapple for sweetness. I have even tried this pizza with gouda cheese instead of cheddar….DELISH.
I like my cheese to be bubbly, my crust to be crispy, and my pizza to be scrumptious, so the best way to obtain this is to cook the pizza for about 12-15 minutes and finish it off with a quick broil. I like to finish the pizza with fresh cilantro, extra bbq sauce, and of course hot sauce, but it is so delicious right out of the oven you really don’t need to add anything. I always make two pizzas also because the leftovers are delicious for lunch or dinner the next day (that is if there are any leftovers). Prepare yourselves, this sweet and spicy pizza is going to become one of your new favorites!
- 2 pizza crusts (pre-baked) or homemade crust
- 2/3 cup spicy barbeque sauce (i use Stubs)
- 3 cups bbq chicken, shredded (see recipe for chipotle peach crockpot bbq chicken)
- 1 red pepper, sliced
- 1/2 red onion, sliced
- 1/2 jalapeno, finely diced
- 1/2 can pineapple chunks, halved
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
- Prepare pizza dough (if making homemade) and pre-bake.
- Prepare bbq chicken (if not using leftovers). Grill or bake two large chicken breasts with barbeque sauce, cool and shred.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Heat a skillet on medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and saute red pepper, red onion, and jalapeno until soft, about 10 minutes.
- Prepare pizza: top each crust with 1/3 cup bbq sauce, 1 1/2 cups of chicken, half the veggies, half the pineapple, and finish with the two types of shredded cheese.
- Bake pizza's for 12-15 minutes until cheese is melted and crust is firm. (If baking two pizzas at the same time, switch racks half way through).
- Top with cilantro and hot sauce as desired.
