A couple of years ago a favorite food establishment in our hometown closed down. I cried a lot during that time because their BBQ Chicken Pizza had become a stand-alone food group for my husband and me. We loved it. Since that time we've tried many different BBQ Chicken Pizzas in Colorado and even a few in Massachusetts where we live now, but none came close to our favorite.
The other day I decided to try my hand at making a BBQ Chicken Pizza knock-off to the Schlotzsky's version we loved so much. I knocked it out of the park. Seriously. I've never gotten so close to copying a recipe, so I was thrilled. Since I made it I realized that on the Schlotzky's website they basically give you the recipe by listing all the ingredients. Check this out! I'm proud of myself for remembering all those ingredients on my own, but then again I'd eaten it about a billion times so it was clear in my memory and taste buds.
Here's my version. It's so easy to make. I even bought a ready made pizza crust, but I would suggest you buy one with a little added flavor like I did. Also, the jalapeno peppers I suggest give it just the right amount of kick, but it's manageable. These "tamed jalapeno peppers" are a cross between a jalapeno pepper and green pepper. They are the perfect thing when you want the texture and taste of a jalapeno, without the knock-your-socks-off spiciness. For those who like more heat, add fresh jalapenos. I'm suggesting brands so you know what I used to get the flavor that we loved.
BBQ Chicken Pizza with Jalapenos
12 inch pizza
Ingredients:
12" Rustic Pizza Crust, Old World Flatbread, Sea Salt and Basil Ciabatta
2 chicken breasts
1/2 red onion
Prego Pizza Sauce
Sweet Baby Ray's Sweet 'n Spicy BBQ Sauce
3 oz. mozzarella cheese
6 oz. cheddar cheese (medium sharpness)
Mezzetta Deli-Sliced Tamed Jalapeno Peppers
Optional:
Bacon
Black olives
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Slice chicken against the grain of the meat to make thin slices. Sprinkle chicken with salt, pepper, and garlic salt. Cut red onion into thin slices. Add a little oil to a frying pan and cook chicken. A couple of minutes before the chicken is cooked add the red onions and cook all till done. Remove from heat.
Spread a thin layer of Prego pizza sauce on the pizza crust. Place the cooked chicken and onions on the crust. Add cheeses -- a thin layer of mozzarella, followed by a slightly thicker layer of the cheddar. Add jalapenos on top of cheese. (This enables people to pick them off if they don't care for jalapenos. Even if they don't like to eat them, the jalapenos leave a little flavor when removed!)
Put BBQ sauce into a squeeze container like this one...
Reduce the heat to 425 degrees in your oven and place the pizza on the center rack. Bake pizza for 10 - 12 minutes.
There you have it!
