grilled bbq chicken pizza

I can't tell you how excited I am about this post.  I feel like I'm "one of the boys" now!

Daniel and John can't get enough of barbecue pizza.  Once in a while, we'll hit Cici's on a busy Saturday, and with a plethora of great pizza options before us, I can never wrap my head around why the guys find it necessary to put in a special order for barbecue.  BBQ on PIZZA?!?!  How dare they.

Then I made my own.  And grilled it.

My. Goodness.

I don't know how else to describe this other than extremely delicious.  In fact, it was so good that I'm a little worried it's not possible for it to be that good again.  After eating a couple of pieces the first night, I was shocked at how well I liked it.  Truth be told, I had only given the recipe a whirl for the boys to enjoy.  Not me.  Now I'm chomping at the bits to do it again.  The leftovers, by the way, are to die for.

I do believe grilling it is what puts this one over the top.  If you think about it, the grill always pairs nicely with anything barbecued, so it makes sense.

You have to hear me when I say, this needs to be on your weekend lineup.  Imagine it.  A gorgeous Saturday.  Odd jobs around the house have been completed.  Sun is setting.  Spots around the patio are set.  And this.  A tasty pie of chewy, yeasty crust.  Hickory smoked sauce. Peppery, melted cheese.  And a sprinkle of fresh cilantro.  

Order's up!

Grilled Barbecue Chicken Pizza

makes one large pie

Ingredients:

• 1 serving pizza dough
• cornmeal
• 3/4 cup favorite BBQ sauce
• 8 oz. cooked chicken, cubed or shredded
• 1/4 cup red onion, diced
• 8 slices pepper jack cheese
• 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• dash of salt
• olive oil
• fresh cilantro

~ Heat grill to medium and oil grates, positioning coals/heating to one side of grill.

~ Prepare pizza dough according to these directions through "let rest 10 minutes".

~ Sprinkle pizza pan with cornmeal (or cut piece of parchment to fit pan) and place dough 

    on top, pressing dough to edges of pan.

~ Lightly oil the surface of the pie and flip, oil-side down, onto grill.

~ Cook about 1-2 minutes (or until bubbling), checking underside to ensure no burning.

~ While cooking, lightly oil the top.

~ Flip over and spread sauce over surface, leaving a one-inch edge.

~ Top with chicken, onion, pepper jack cheese and mozzarella.  Sprinkle with Kosher salt.

~ Close lid and let cook until cheese is fully melted, checking frequently to ensure no 

    burning.  If you find the crust is finished but cheese is not yet melted, pull the 

    pizza to the side with no heat.

~ Sprinkle with fresh cilantro.