Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Low-Cal BBQ Chicken Pizza

I love atypical pizzas.   I like something more interesting than tomato sauce and cheese.  I also really like finding ways to make pizza healthier.  I like to add lots of veggies and lean meat.  The fiber and protein help fill you up on fewer calories.  I still have something on the side of the pizza, whether its a salad or  fruit, to create a well-balanced meal.

Low-Cal BBQ Chicken Pizza

What you'll need:
- 1 whole wheat pizza dough (store bought or homemade)
- 1/4 cup tomato-based BBQ sauce
- 1/4 cup apple cider BBQ sauce
- 1 skinless chicken breast
- 1/3 cup chopped green bell pepper
- 1/3 cup sliced red onion
- 1/3 cup shredded sharp cheddar (or Colby Jack)
- 1 tbsp dried parsley
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp paprika

What to do:
- Preheat the oven to 400*F (or follow package directions for store bought dough). Heat a small or medium sauce pan filled 3/4 full of water.  Bring to a boil, add chicken, lower heat to a low simmer.  Cook 8 -10 minutes, depending on the thickness of the chicken breast, until chicken temperature reaches 160*F.  Remove chicken and let sit.

- Roll the pizza dough out into a large circle or rectangle (I personally find rectangles easier).  The dough should be thin (~1/8" thick) but without holes.  Fold over the outside edges to create a crust.

-  Spread tomato-based BBQ sauce around the pizza dough.  Top with cut veggies, parsley, oregano, and paprika.

- When chicken has cooled, tear apart into thin, short strips.  Combined with apple cider BBQ sauce.  Spread chicken over veggies on the pizza.  Top with cheese.  Spread flour or corn meal over a  baking tray or pizza stone and bake for 8 - 12 minutes until cheese is bubbling and crust is golden brown.  Alternatively, you can cook the pizza on the grill- see directions below.  Recipe makes 3 - 4 servings.

Cooking pizza on the grill
The most important thing is that the pizza does not stick to the grill.  So it is good to pre-bake the pizza dough for a couple minutes.  Heat the oven to 400*F.  Put rolled out dough on parchment paper, then put on a baking tray.  Bake in the oven for 4 - 6 minutes, remove and cool.  On the grill, heat 2 burners on high, heat 1 or 2 burners(depending on the size of your grill) on medium-low heat.  When grill reaches ~400*F, put pizza on the 2 high heat burners, then lower heat to medium-low. You want to make sure the grill stays hot, but the crust does not burn.  Cook 4 minutes, lower the pizza burners to low heat, and increase the empty burners to medium-high.  Cook another 4 minutes and remove from grill.

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