I cannot even tell you how many times stopping at the grocery store and picking up a rotisserie chicken has saved my life on busy weeknights when I have very little time to whip up dinner for my family. Instead of hitting up a drive-thru, spending $5.99 for a deliciously seasoned and fresh rotisserie chicken just makes more sense. The ideas are endless, obviously... last week, I decided to make BBQ chicken pizza. I was craving cilantro but wasn't in the mood for any of the obviously 'south-of-the-border dishes that would include cilantro. :)
Ingredients:
Store-bought Pizza Crust
Your Favorite Barbecue Sauce
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1/4 Cup Chopped Cilantro
1/4 Cup Chopped Green Onions
2 Cups Mozzarella Cheese {or your favorite blend}
2 Cups Chopped Cooked Chicken
{This thin crust pizza crust by Pillsbury is so good! It comes out perfect every single time. I've even used it to make tarts and it worked like a charm.}
{I started by pulling the meat from the rotisserie chicken off the bone and chopping it into bite-size pieces. Perfectly seasoned and cooked chicken. Such a perfect recipe starter.}
{I decided to use an oven-safe stone tray to make my pizza on and went with a free-form rectangular shape, to give it a fancy, rustic feel. :) I greased the tray with olive oil to aid in the crispiness.}
{POP! open your pizza dough. You should see me when I have to open these things... scares me every time...you would think I am detonating a bomb. LOL!}
{Spread out your dough and lift slightly around the edges, creating a crust.}
{Lightly drizzle the dough with olive oil then your barbecue sauce. Our favorite is Sweet Baby Ray's. So good and doesn't need any doctoring up. It's perfectly sweet and spicy.}
{Roughly chop your cilantro and green onions. You can obviously omit the cilantro if you are not a fan, but of course I think it's a key ingredient. :) I have also subbed the green onion with thinly sliced red onion and it was delicious!}
{Sprinkle the cilantro and onion on the bbq sauced crust.}
{Top with the chopped chicken.}
{Drizzle a little more bbq sauce over the chicken for additional flavor. Yum!}
{Mozzarella cheese is of course the traditional cheese for pizza but I used this "4 Cheese Pizza" blend from my grocery store and it was so good! The 4 cheeses are: Mozzarella, Provolone, Parmesan and Romano.}
{After the cheese is sprinkled, top it with a few cilantro leaves for garnish.}
{Bake it in a 400 degree oven for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown, crispy and delicious.}
{I served the BBQ chicken pizza with a salad of field greens, red pepper, Roma tomatoes and a balsamic vinaigrette. And wine for me, of course. :)
Making pizza at home always makes the kiddies feel so special. And it couldn't be easier.
Do you make pizza at home? What's your favorite one to make?
xoxo, thanks for reading! ♥