BBQ Chicken Pizza

BBQ CHICKEN PIZZA

Ingredients:

3 chicken breast cutlets

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/8 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

Cooking spray

Pizza dough (see recipe that follows)

2 tablespoons cornmeal

1/2- 2/3 cup prepared BBQ sauce of your choice

1/2 sliced red onion

1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese

1/4 cup sliced black olives

1 cup fresh baby spinach, torn into smaller pieces

1 teaspoon parsley

8 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:

Place pizza stone or heavy baking sheet in oven and preheat to 450 degrees. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. In a separate small bowl, combine brown sugar, paprika, garlic powder and cumin and stir well to combine. Set 2 teaspoons of mixture aside, and rub the rest of the mixture on both sides of the chicken.

Heat a skillet on medium-high heat and coat with cooking spray. Add chicken to pan and cook 3 minutes on each side or until no longer pink in the center. Let stand a few minutes, then slice thinly into strips.

Roll prepared dough (see below) into a 14×9 inch rectangle on a lightly floured surface. Pierce a few times with a fork to prevent it from bubbling in the oven. Lightly coat with cooking spray. Remove pan from oven and sprinkle lightly with cornmeal. Place dough on pan and bake at 450 degrees for 9 minutes. Remove from oven (dough will probably not yet be browned but should no longer be stretchy!) and spread with BBQ sauce and remaining spice mixture. Make sure to leave about a ½ inch border around the edges.

Top pizza with chicken, onions, blue cheese, spinach, olives, parsley, and mozzarella. Return to oven for 10 minutes, or until cheese is brown and bubbly.

Enjoy!

HOMEMADE PIZZA DOUGH

(makes enough for 3 medium pizzas)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup warm water

1 envelope (or 2 ¼ teaspoons) instant dry yeast

1 ¼ cups water at room temperature

2 tabslepoons extra-virgin olive oil

4 cups white bread flour, plus additional flour for dusting work area

1 ½ teaspoons salt

Olive oil or nonstick cooking spray

Directions:

Measure warm water into a measuring cup and sprinkle yeast on top. Let stand until yeast is dissolved, about five minutes. Add the room temperature water and oil. Stir to combine.

In a stand mixture, mix flour and salt with paddle attachment and combine on low speed. Slowly add in the yeast mixture on low until a ball forms. Dough will be sticky. Stop mixing and attach dough hook. Knead dough for about five minutes, or until the dough is smooth and stretchy. Remove from the bowl and form into a ball with your hands. Place ball into a deep oiled bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Allow to rise in a warm place (sometimes I preheat the oven to 200, turn off the oven, and let the dough rise there!) until it has doubled in size. This should take 1-2 hours. Deflate the dough by punching it once or twice with your fist. Divide it into the number of pizzas that you want to make! It can be easily frozen for later use as well!