Better Than Delivery BBQ Chicken Pizza

I admit, there's nothing like a good ol' pepperoni pizza. Unless you've ever had a barbecue chicken pizza. I love the smoky goodness of creamy gouda and barbecue sauce, and the lightness of grilled chicken and red onion.

I prefer my pizzas on a nice, thick crust. However, bread making just does not run in my family. (Right MOM?) I usually make any pizzas we eat at home. That way, I can control the amount of sauce and cheese and other toppings. It never fails, that if we order pizza out, we either get too much sauce or two little cheese. We like a little sauce and A LOT of cheese and meat!

If you're really ambitious, you can make your own crust from scratch. There are also yeast-based mixes (ie Jiffy Pizza Crust mix) that you just add hot water to, let rise, then knead and stretch. That is what I used last night. It just didn't rise as much as I'd have liked. Pillsbury pop-can crusts are also ok, but don't get rise much either. They're great if you like a thin, crispy crust. Of course, you can also use a Boboli, or other such pre-made, crust. They're super easy, thick and bready. The biggest disadvantage is that I put my cheese on the bottom, right on top of the crust. That way, when the crust cooks, the cheese melts into it, and adds a whole new dimension of flavor. With a pre-made crust, you don't get that melding of flavors because the crust is already cooked.

The chicken is best two different ways. I like to take a shortcut from the grocery store deli, and grab a rotisserie chicken. We never eat a chicken the way it's meant to be eaten; I usually tear it apart as soon as it's cool enough to handle, and use it for either pizza or enchiladas. You can also season some boneless skinless chicken breasts with Montreal steak season (I use it for everything in case you haven't noticed) and throw them on the grill until they're done, then cut them up (which is what I used for the pizza pictured below).

BBQ Chicken Pizza
Pizza crust (whatever you prefer to use)
Sliced smoked gouda cheese
Barbecue sauce (your favorite brand, we love Sweet Baby Rays original)
1 lb. chopped grilled chicken
1/4 large diced red onion
1/4 c. finely chopped parsely or cilantro
1/2 shredded provolone cheese, if desired
Top crust in exactly the order listed above, covering the crust with the slices of gouda. You can top the whole pizza with provolone if you want even more cheese. Bake according to crust directions.