{BBQ Chicken Pizza}

I love this pizza! I feel like I order this kind whenever I go out to pizza places, so I'm glad I can make it in my home whenever I please :)

Favorite Pizza Dough

Sauce:

1 Tbsp. minced garlic

1 small can tomato paste

1 medium can tomato sauce

1 tomato, finely chopped

2 tsp. basil

2 tsp. oregano

salt and pepper, to taste

2 Tbsp fresh chopped cilantro

1 cup BBQ sauce (whatever your favorite kind is)

Brown garlic in a little olive oil in the bottom of a sauce pan.  Add everything else, 

except the BBQ sauce, and simmer for 20 minutes.  

Then remove from heat and stir in the BBQ sauce.

Toppings:

about a handful of fresh chopped cilantro
2 to 3 cups of mixed cheddar and mozzarella cheese
2 chicken breasts grilled in BBQ Sauce, then sliced
1 can pineapple tidbits - drained

Roll your pizza dough onto a pizza pan or pizza stone. 

Follow the directions to make the sauce and spread evenly over the pizza dough. 

Then top with cheese and pineapple. Bake in the oven at 400 degrees for 18 min.  

After cooking, top with grilled chicken slices and fresh chopped cilantro.

Recipe Source: Favorite Family Recipes

{Eggplant Parmesan pizza}

I loved this pizza! Anything with garlic, sign me up. After the pizza came out of the oven I sprinkled the top with a little kosher salt. It was prefect.

 favorite pizza crust

1 whole eggplant

kosher salt, for sprinkling

1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes

2 cloves garlic, minced

8oz fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced thin

1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

extra virgin olive oil for drizzling

Preheat oven broiler.

Slice the eggplant thinly. Sprinkle both sides with kosher salt and place into a strainer in the sink. Allow to sit for 20 to 30 minutes. Rinse eggplant lightly in cold water, then pat the slices dry between layers of paper towels.

Slice grape tomatoes in half lengthwise and toss into a bowl with minced garlic.

Slice mozzarella very thinly.

Cut eggplant slices into fourths, and toss with olive oil. Arrange on a baking sheet and place 8 inches under the broiler.
Broil for 3 minutes, then toss around and broil another 3 minutes. Remove pan from oven and add tomato/garlic mixture. Broil for 2 to 3 minutes, then remove and set aside. (May do this 1 hour in advance.)

Preheat oven to 500 degrees.

Drizzle olive oil on a large baking sheet and use fingers to coat thoroughly. Remove the pizza dough from the bowl. Stretch pizza dough into a large rectangle, pressing with fingers to finish forming. Dough will be very thin.

Lightly drizzle a little olive oil on the dough and use fingers to spread. Lay mozzarella slices over the surface of the dough. Spread vegetables all over the surface of the cheese. Top with Parmesan cheese.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until crust is golden brown and the cheese is bubbly. Remove from pan and slice with a pizza cutter. Serve immediately!

Recipe Source: The Pioneer Women

{Chicken Ranch Pizza}

Homemade pizza is one of our favorite things to have for dinner. There are so many ways to make it delicious! This pizza was fantastic especially with the homemade ranch. We all loved it!

1 batch of your favorite pizza dough 3/4 cup homemade Ranch dressing (Recipe) 2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese ½-1 grilled chicken breast, chopped into bite-sized pieces (I seasoned mine with a little cajun seasoning before baking) 1 tomato, seeded and diced 1/2 cup bacon, cooked and crumbled 2-3 green onions, chopped 2 garlic gloves crushed Mix ranch dressing and crushed garlic together then spread evenly on the pizza dough. Sprinkle a little cheese over the ranch dressing then add chicken and bacon. Sprinkle more of the cheese over that, add the tomatoes and green onions, then add the remaining cheese. Put in the oven at 400 degrees for about 12-15 minutes (or until crust is a nice golden-brown).  Adapted from: FFR

{Pesto and Veggie Pizza}

I took a trip to the Farmer's Market today and couldn't wait to come home and make a delicious meal with the basil, tomatoes, zucchini and spinach I got. I decided to just throw them all together on a pizza. I got the idea from my friend Kristin's blog, that I absolutely love. It was very fresh and yummy!















Pizza dough (Love this one)
1/2 cup pesto
1 small Zucchini, sliced thin
1 large tomato, sliced thin
couple handfuls of baby spinach
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/3 cup feta

sprinkle of kosher salt for taste

Roll out the dough and place on a greased baking sheet. Spread on the pesto.Top with 1 1/2 cups of mozzarella. Layer with all the vegetables, sprinkle on the feta and then top it all off with the other 1/2 cup of mozzarella. Bake at 475 for 10-12 minutes.

{Shaved Asparagus Pizza}

I have seen this recipe several places and it sounded so interesting and good. I bought a ton of Asparagus at Costco because I love it, but I need to figure out what to do with all of it. I made this and it was really good. The garlic herb cheese makes it great I think. I would even add a little bit more of it next time :)













Pizza dough
Olive oil, for brushing
8 oz. asparagus spears
4 oz. fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
3 oz. spreadable garlic herb cheese, I used Boursin
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions:
Preheat the oven 475 degrees. Roll out the pizza dough (I made mine on a cookie sheet, because I don't have a round pizza pan). Lightly brush the surface of the dough with olive oil.

Cut the tough woody stems off the ends of the asparagus spears. Use a vegetable peeler to shave the spears into ribbons. You likely will not need all of the asparagus, but use more ribbons than you think you need because it will cook down in the oven.

Place the sliced mozzarella over the pizza dough in an even layer. Pile the asparagus shavings over the top of the mozzarella. Dot the surface of the pizza with the garlic herb cheese. Season with kosher salt and pepper.

Transfer the pizza to the preheated oven and bake until the cheese is melted and bubbling and the crust is lightly browned, about 12-15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly before slicing and serving.

*Adapted from Annie's Eats

{Fruit Pizza}

I love berry season! I can't get enough of them. I have stocked up on strawberries so far this year, my kids love them and you can eat them with so many things. This weekend we decided to use some to make fruit pizza that I adapted from The Sisters Cafe website. It was delicious!



















Crust:
1 cup sugar
1 stick butter, softened
2 eggs
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda

Frosting:
11 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Sliced fruit for topping-strawberries, kiwi, banana, mandarin oranges, peaches, berries, etc.

Cream sugar, butter and eggs together. In a separate bowl, mix together flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Slowly add to sugar/butter mixture and mix to form soft dough. Spread on a greased jelly roll pan. (I just used a regular cookie sheet, and worked the dough with my floured hands to evenly spread dough-worked great) Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Set aside and cool.

Mix together icing ingredients and spread on cooled crust. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Just before serving, cut into bars. Place desired cut fruit on each square and serve!

{Artichoke, Bacon, Sun-Dried Tomato Pizza}

This pizza was really good, I just kinda put things on it that I had on hand to make it quick and easy. That is what I love about pizza, so many options!














I used THIS pizza dough
1/4 cup of pesto
2 cups shredded mozzarella
3-4 canned artichoke hearts, chopped
4 oz sun-dried tomatoes
1 cup chopped cooked bacon
about a handful of baby spinach

Roll out dough and drizzle with olive oil. Spread the pesto all the way to the edge of the crust. Top with cheese and all the other ingredients and bake at 475 degrees for about 12 minutes.

{My Favorite Pizza Dough}

We love homemade pizza around here. I like to make a lot of dough at once and just store it in my freezer for a quick and yummy meal. This has become my new favorite dough. I put all the ingredients in my mixer and it turns out perfect every time. I never have to add more flour or water, it just comes together. This batch will make 1 pizza crust or 2 individual crusts.















3/4 cup warm water
1 envelope active dry yeast
2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons olive oil


Pour 3/4 cup warm water into small bowl; stir in yeast. Let stand until yeast dissolves, about 5 minutes. Mix 2 cups flour, sugar, and salt in bowl of a stand mixer. Add yeast mixture and 3 tablespoons oil; mix until dough forms a sticky ball. A add the dough hook and Knead in a mixer for about 3 minutes or until the dough forms a soft ball. Or you could do it by hand on a lightly floured surface. Transfer to prepared bowl, add a drizzle of olive oil and turn dough in bowl to coat with oil. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let dough rise in warm draft-free area until doubled in volume, about 1 hour. PUNCH down dough. Can be made 1 day ahead. Store in airtight container in refrigerator. Roll out dough according to recipe instructions.

{Tomato Basil Pizza}

I have been on a Vegetarian kick for a few weeks, not really intensionally, but I really am finding a lot of yummy meatless recipes that just seem lighter to me. I could handle this!













1 Recipe Of Your Favorite Pizza Dough (I used this)
1 jar Prepared Pesto, or make your own
Kosher Salt To Taste
Fresh Mozzarella
Roma Tomatoes
Fresh Parmesan Cheese

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees.

Press the pizza dough into a sheet pan or pizza stone

Smear the pesto over the pizza dough and sprinkle some kosher salt over it.
Slice the mozzarella thin enough to cover the pizza thoroughly. Next, lay thin slices of Roma tomatoes over the mozzarella.
Grate some fresh Parmesan cheese over the entire pizza.
Bake the pizza according to the crust directions. I usually bake mine for about 13-15 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly and a little brown on top.

{Arugula, Ricotta and Smoked Mozzarella Pizza}

This pizza was so amazing that I just have to put it on here. I made this last night with the pizza dough recipe I have on here. We all LOVED it. This is a giada de laurentiis special, and I have never been disappointed when trying one of her recipes. SO GOOD! ( you HAVE to use the Smoked Mozzarella, it just wouldn't be the same without it)















Cornmeal, for dusting
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded smoked mozzarella cheese ( A little pricey but TOTALLY worth it)
1 packed cup arugula
Flour, for dusting
1 ball pizza dough
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
2 Roma tomatoes, sliced into 1/4-inch thick slices

Put an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F. Sprinkle a heavy baking sheet (without sides) with cornmeal. Set aside.

In a food processor, blend the ricotta, garlic, salt, and pepper until smooth. Add the smoked mozzarella and arugula. Pulse until just combined but still chunky. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough into a 14-inch diameter circle, about 1/4 to 1/16-inch thick. Transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Spread the ricotta mixture on top leaving a 1-inch border. Arrange the tomato slices on top. Drizzle with olive oil and bake until the crust is golden, about 15 to 16 minutes. Remove from the oven, cut into wedges and serve.

{Pizza Dough}

I love homemade pizza! Especially with a really good homemade crust :)















1 1/2 cups warm water, plus extra as needed
1 (1/4-ounce) packet active dry yeast
5 cups flour, plus extra as needed
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
Olive oil, for drizzling

Put the water in a small bowl. Add the yeast and stir until dissolved.

In a large bowl, whisk the flour and salt together. Add the yeast mixture and stir until a soft dough forms. If the dough is too dry, add a little extra water, 1 tablespoon at a time. If the dough is too sticky, add extra flour, 1 tablespoon at a time. Transfer the dough to a floured work surface. Knead the dough until it becomes smooth. Drizzle the inside of a clean bowl with olive oil. Put the dough in the bowl and cover loosely with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel. Set the bowl in a warm place, until the dough has doubled in size, about 2 hours.

Using a fist, deflate the dough in the center and cut it into 3 equal-sized pieces. Form the dough pieces into 3 balls and put into 3 oiled bowls. Cover each bowl loosely with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel and let rest for 1 hour. Remove the dough and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate for up to 1 day.

{California Pizza Kitchen's Thai Chicken Pizza}

This is my FAVORITE pizza from CPK. And this recipe is a knock-off of that. But I almost think this recipe is better than the real thing. It is seriously amazing! It looks kinda complicated, but it really isn't. You can make your own pizza dough, but we always just buy fresh scone dough at our local grocery market and roll that out and bake it for about 7 minutes then pull it out and top it with everything and stick it back in. Its really yummy and saves a lot of time.
















Spicy peanut sauce:
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup hoisin sauce
1 Tbs honey
2 tsp red wine vinegar
2 tsp minced fresh ginger
2 Tbs sesame oil
2 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp dried chili pepper flakes
1 Tsp oyster sauce
2 Tsp water

Chicken:
1 Tbs olive oil
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Toppings:
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
4 scallions, slivered
1/2 cup white bean sprouts
1/4 cup shredded carrots
1/4 cup chopped, roasted peanuts
2 Tbs chopped, fresh cilantro

To make the sauce, combine all the ingredients in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Bring the sauce to a boil and boil for 1 minute. Divide into 2 portions for use on chicken and pizza, set aside

To make the chicken, cook the chicken in olive oil over medium-high heat on both sides until done. Let cool. Cut into bite size cubes, or shred in a bowl. Pour 1/4 cup sauce over chicken and mix to coat.

To make the pizza, Use a large spoon to spread 1/4 cup of sauce over the pizza dough. Cover the sauce with 3/4 cups cheese.
Distribute the chicken over the cheese followed by the green onions, bean sprouts and carrots. Sprinkle the 1/4 cup cheese over those toppings and top with chopped peanuts.
Transfer the pizza to the oven and bake at 425 degrees for about 18 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly and the crust is cooked through. Remove the pizza from the oven and sprinkle with the fresh cilantro