Adventures in Eating: 12″ BBQ Chicken Pizzas

Before we had children, my husband and I thought nothing of hopping into the car and heading out to the latest “In” dining spot. We’d sit like critics for the local newspaper and scrutinize everything from the quality of the china to the selec­tions on the wine list. As one might ex­pect, we quite often left our latest eatery disappointed. It seemed we frequently paid too much for something that we could easily have made at home.

Now that we have children, my hus­band and I are much more choosy about where to dine, because those times are few and far between! “Mommy” and “Daddy” have now become experts on the latest “thirty-something” spots….which are best described as inexpensive, deli­cious, and noisy places to bring a family!

Our favorite place to go for pizza is “The California Pizza Kitchen.” They have every type of pizza imaginable, and it’s quick, it’s easy, and they have high chairs. Our son is actually entertained as the chefs prepare the pizzas before his eyes. Our daughter on the other hand, be­ing only eight months old, is very happy chewing on the menu and screaming at all the other babies around her. Our fa­vorite menu item is the barbequed chick­en pizza. I have created a variation of this recipe and I actually like it better! (do I sound like my aunt Rosemarie?). The recipe calls for making your own crust, but you could easily substitute a large Boboli if time is of the essence.

(2) 12″ BBO’d Chicken Pizzas

1 pkg. active dry yeast 1 cup warm water
2 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
2 medium chicken breasts cut into 1/2″ slivers
1 onion, chopped
3 cups tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
2 tsp. seasoned salt
1 tsp. pepper
2/3 cup bottled barbecue sauce
16 oz.’s mozzarella cheese, grated
2 cups parmesan cheese, grated

Dissolve yeast in warm water, mix in sugar, salt, and olive oil and let stand for five minutes. Add flour to make a fairly stiff dough. Knead on a flour board until, soft and smooth about ten minutes. Put dough in a greased bowl and cover. Let rise for 1 hour or until doubled. Punch down dough and divide into 2 balls. Roll each to fit a 12 inch round pizza pan. Spread each with 1/3 cup barbecue sauce.

Saute chicken with onions, tomatoes, cilantro and seasonings; until brown and almost cooked through. Divide chicken mixture among pizzas and top with cheeses. Bake pizzas in a 450 F degree oven for 15-20 minutes, or until crust is golden brown and cheese is bubbling.

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