BBQ Chicken Pizza (California Pizza Kitchen style)

So, this is Food Network's "Almost Famous" BBQ Chicken Pizza which is supposed to be a copy of California Pizza Kitchen's. I have never had the famous one, but I HAVE had this one (duh!) and it's now famous - in my house. Boo yah!!! California Pizza Kitchen ain't got nothin' on me.

 BBQ Chicken Pizza

 

Adapted from The Food Network 

 

Ingredients
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
1/2 pound prepared pizza dough, at room temperature  (or be super lazy like me and use a pre-baked crust)
1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons dark barbecue sauce
1 8 -ounce skinless, boneless chicken breast
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2/3 cup grated smoked gouda cheese (about 3 ounces) https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=2051478984990148819#editor/target=post;postID=6875450708808562922
2/3 cup grated part-skim mozzarella cheese (about 3 ounces)
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced into rings
Fresh cilantro, for topping

 

Directions
  

(If you have a pre-made crust, preheat the oven to 425 and skip the first 3 paragraphs) 

Brush a large bowl with olive oil. Shape the pizza dough into a ball, add it to the bowl and turn to coat with the oil. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm place, 30 to 40 minutes.

Position racks in the upper third and middle of the oven. Place a pizza stone or inverted baking sheet on the top rack and preheat the oven to 425 degrees F for at least 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, lay out a sheet of parchment paper and brush with olive oil. Transfer the ball of dough to the parchment and roll it out into a 10-inch round, stretching it with your hands as needed. Lightly brush the dough with olive oil, cover with another piece of parchment and set aside to let rise slightly, about 30 minutes.

While the dough rises, mix 2 tablespoons barbecue sauce and 1 teaspoon olive oil in a small bowl. Put the chicken in a baking dish, season with salt and pepper and brush with the barbecue sauce mixture. Bake on the middle oven rack until cooked through, about 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool, then cut into 1/2-inch cubes.

Uncover the dough and spread with the remaining 1/3 cup barbecue sauce, leaving a 3/4-inch border. Top with the chicken, gouda, mozzarella and red onion. Slide the pizza (on the parchment) onto a pizza peel or another inverted baking sheet, then slide onto the hot stone or baking sheet; bake until the cheese melts and the crust is golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Sprinkle with cilantro.

Blue Cheese Stuffed Buffalo Meatballs

I made these with ground turkey and they were good, but I think they'd be AMAZEballs
with ground chicken!

 

Blue Cheese-Stuffed Buffalo Meatballs

Adapted from Inspired By Charm

Makes about 28 to 32 meatballs.

2 lbs ground chicken
1/2 small red onion, grated
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 egg whites
1 cup panko bread crumbs
2 packets powdered Ranch Dip mix
8 ounce block blue cheese cheese, cut into 1/2” cubes
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cups buffalo wing sauce (by BBQ sauce and hot sauce in grocery store)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. With a fork, stir together chicken, onion, garlic, egg whites, bread crumbs, and ranch dip mix in a large bowl. Mix until just combined.

2. Press a cube of blue cheese into the center of each ball then form the mixture around cheese to seal. Roll into a ball.

3. Place meatballs on a non-stick sprayed cooling rack set on top of a baking sheet and then bake for 16-18 minutes or until cooked through.

4. Meanwhile, melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Then add buffalo wing sauce and stir to combine. Add cooked meatballs to skillet using a spoon to coat them with sauce. Place a lid on the skillet and turn heat to low to keep the meatballs warm. Alternatively. you can finish the meatballs in a slow cooker on high for about 20 minutes or until warm.