When my kids were little, we loved a local pizza place for multiple reasons. It was buffet style pizza that not only didn’t break the bank to feed a family of four, and the pizza was pretty tasty.
Unfortunately, we have moved too far from our old pizza place to enjoy their amazing pizzas, but we often recreate many of their flavors in the comfort of our home, like this BBQ Chicken Pizza. It’s a great way to use leftover chicken and the bottle of BBQ sauce in the fridge that always seems to be hanging around. My favorite BBQ sauces aren’t very expensive, Kraft Honey flavored works well for this recipe and is usually about $1.00. Buy whichever BBQ sauce is a family favorite or use one that you already have.
If I had to choose one meal to eat for the rest of my life it would definitely be pizza but only if the crust is just right. While my family loves hand tossed and pan pizza, I’m more of a thin crust kinda girl. I have found that by making my own pizza dough we can each enjoy our different types of pizzas. One pizza for me that’s a little thinner and the other for them that turns our thicker.
When we lived close to a Wegman’s grocery store I often bought their frozen pizza dough. They had white and wheat varieties and both were great. I could split one ball of dough to make two thinner crust medium sized pizzas. It’s worth a look to see what pre-made pizza dough your local grocery store may carry.
If you don’t want to make your own dough, and your local grocery store doesn’t sell pre-made pizza dough check out the refrigerated section for the Pillsbury pizza dough in a can. It’s a great alternative for a delicious weeknight meal. I’ve never tried the Boboli pizza rounds that can be found in the same aisle as pizza kits and pre-made pizza sauce, but those are also an option on a busy night. If you use either the Pillsbury or Boboli pizza dough follow the manufacturer’s directions for baking temperature and time. Also, although I grate my own cheese, on nights that we were busy I used bagged pre-shredded cheese and it works well with this recipe, so use whatever is best for you!
Heat your oven to 450-500 degrees Fahrenheit. On a large pizza pan or cookie sheet place a piece of parchment paper for easy cleanup (aluminum foil works too but if you don’t add cornmeal then you may need to spray the foil with cooking spray so that the pizza doesn’t stick). Sprinkle the parchment paper with cornmeal if you have it and if you like a little crunch on the bottom of your crust. Use one pizza dough prepared from recipe found on this site or your favorite store bought dough. My pizza dough can be split into three pizzas. I usually make two and freeze the other in a zippered freezer bag. Stretch your pizza dough out pretty thin (1/4 – 1/2 inch or about 14 inches round). Place the dough on the parchment paper and then use a fork to poke holes all over it to keep air from puffing the dough up. Place the plain dough into the oven and bake for 5-7 minutes. Remove the pizza from the oven and spread a thin layer of your favorite bbq sauce all over it leaving a 1/2 inch edge for the crust. Top with shredded chicken, cilantro pieces (optional) or dried cilantro (optional), shredded colby jack cheese or a pizza blend cheese, and then sliced purple onions. Return the pizza to the oven and bake for about 10-12 more minutes or until the crust is lightly golden brown and everything is warmed through and the cheese is melted. Warning don’t over top your pizza or your dough will have a hard time cooking completely and will taste gummy and your toppings will slide off. When the pizza is fresh from the oven sprinkle with more fresh chopped parsley if you would like to garnish the pizza.
