BBQ Chicken Pizza

Well, today I thought I'd share one of my family's favorite recipes: BBQ Chicken Pizza. It's just so yummy. Sweet, tangy, saucy, a little bit spicy, and all-around delicious! I love it because, once again, it is just so versatile! You can really make it your own by playing around with veggie combinations, different sauces, etc.. We usually use Sweet Baby Ray's sauce because it is really yummy and smoky sweet, but I can envision a number of delicious scenarios all based on the sauce. I've tried this recipe with cabbage and sweet potatoes too . . . TO DIE FOR. Literally, one of the best pizzas I've ever eaten. And don't forget, you have multiple cheese options! I often use cheddar because I seem to have that on hand more, but I've also used pepperjack (with the cabbage . . . phenomenal!), swiss, and good old mozzarella. Other ideas/combos, anyone?

I use Bobby Flay's pizza crust recipe, here. I've been using it for a while now and it never fails. He says to use bread flour, but I usually just use all purpose, which makes a nice, soft, chewy crust.

I know this post is short and sweet, but I'm working it in between nap-time and feeding a hungry newborn, so, no complaining! So without further adieu . . . . (what does that mean, anyway . . . ?)

BBQ Chicken Pizza

2 prepared pizza crusts (recipe above)

2 cups (approx.) your choice of BBQ sauce. Here I used Sweet Baby Ray's.

2 cups grated cheese, again, your choice. Here I used Cheddar. 

Various veggies, chopped. Here I used 1 large sliced red onion, several handfuls of baby spinach, and I usually use chopped roma tomatoes. 

2-3 cooked and diced chicken breasts

Dried basil and oregano

Salt and Pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Place prepared dough onto greased cookie sheets/pizza pans. 

Spread the bbq sauce over the crust thickly. You don't want it all to soak in, so use a good amount. I use a pastry brush for this. Next add the spinach evenly over the pizza, and then the chicken and onion and tomatoes (or whatever other veggies you have). Top with grated cheese. I usually add one more little swirl of bbq sauce over the top of that, but more for looks than anything. Finally, sprinkle a little salt, pepper, basil, and oregano over the very top. 

Pop into the oven and bake for about 20 minutes, until the crust is a nice golden brown and the cheese is melted. Enjoy! 

Printable Recipe

(Sorry for the terrible picture . . . )

Creamy Vegetable Chowder

So, here's a good recipe for a cold day. This is one of my husband's favorites. It's just a good, hearty veggie chowder that my sister and I came up with one chilly day when we were messing around in the kitchen. I suppose it could be made without the milk too, and it would be just a hearty veggie soup. Experiment, anyone?

Creamy Vegetable Chowder

(Serves approx 6-8)

4 cups water

3 stalks of celery, chopped

2-3 carrots, peeled and chopped

 4 potatoes, chopped (I like to leave the skins on, to make it a little heartier. And I usually judge about 1 potato per person, or two smaller ones)

2 cans of corn (or about 12 oz of frozen corn)

1 large onion, chopped

1/8 cup lemon juice

2 cups milk

1/4 cup white flour

1 tsp crushed red pepper

salt and pepper, to taste

Chop all of the veggies into small pieces. (I was missing the onions this particular time. Not the same.)

Cook the water, celery, carrots, potatoes, onions, and corn in the crock pot on high heat until vegetables are soft, about 3-4 hours. Turn the heat to low.

In a small bowl, whisk the flour into the milk. Slowly pour this mixture into the soup, whisking until fully incorporated. Do not let it boil. Add the lemon juice*, red pepper, and salt and pepper to taste. Let cook for another 10-15 minutes, until the flour's starchy flavor is cooked out. (This means you have to keep sampling your soup . . . darn.) The soup will be slightly spicy. 

*I add the lemon because i gives the vegetables a nice "pop."

I like to serve this with homemade rolls. I will try to post my recipe for those soon! Enjoy!