BBQ Chicken Cauliflower Pizza

To go along with my Cauliflower Pizza Crust post, here is the first version of pizza that I made.

I sliced my pizzas into 4 rectangles each, so I think this could be a really nice appetizer or party food. You could top them all differently or all the same and it would be so easy to throw together.

BBQ Chicken Cauliflower Pizza
Cauliflower Crust
2 BBQ Chicken Breasts - see below
2 Tbsp BBQ Sauce
Mozzarella Cheese
Basil
1/2 Green Pepper, sliced thin
1/4 Red onion, sliced thin
Salt
Pepper
Garlic Powder

Preheat oven to 450 degrees (it should already be set from your crust)

Sprinkle Salt and pepper onto the baked crust. Then place a small amount of mozzarella on the crust (just enough to hold everything in place)

Top with Basil, Chicken, Onion and Pepper and put some BBQ sauce on as well (about 1 tbsp per pizza if you're making 2). Then top with more cheese and a dash of garlic powder.

Bake about 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

*For the Chicken breasts, I pounded them thin and seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and a little crushed red pepper (not flakes, crushed). I baked at 375 for about 15 minutes, then turned it down to 350 degrees and brushed BBQ sauce onto both sides and cooked for another 4 minutes. then I sliced them into strips and tossed with a tiny bit more sauce.

Basil Cauliflower Pizza Crust

Trying new foods can be fun and scary at the same time. And sometimes it just feels dangerous.

I don't think that I ever got a chance to share my twice baked cauliflower. I had been skeptical about this substitution food that has been swirling around pinterest like crazy, but decided to try it. I am really not a cauliflower fan, but everyone proclaimed that it didn't taste like cauliflower, although it didn't taste like potatoes either. So I didn't really know what to expect. I didn't want to surprise Adam with this dish that looked like mashed potatoes but didn't taste like it, so I warned him beforehand that we were going on a flavor adventure. Anyway, we both ended up really enjoying it. With bacon and cheese how could you not??

So, I decided to give this cauliflower pizza crust a try. I have to say, it was really good. It tastes like a flat bread and baked up really quickly. I will definitely use this again in the future. I made two small crusts instead of 4, like the original recipe calls for.

Keep in mind that cauliflower is used to make recipes low carb and not necessarily low fat or low cal.

Basil Cauliflower Pizza Crust (from Fat Girl Trapped in a Skinny Body)
2 eggs
2 cups mozzarella cheese
2 cups riced cauliflower (grate the cauliflower on a cheese grater)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup fresh julienned basil

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees and spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray.

Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl. Divide into 1, 2, or 4 portions and lay out on your baking sheet.

Bake for 15 minutes.

Remove and top however you'd like, then place in the oven until the cheese melts.

Jerk Chicken (Pizza)

Thank goodness I started to feel better from this nasty ear infection yesterday(after a second round to urgent care and some new meds), because this pizza was quite a task. I made the marinade in the morning and had the chiocken sit in it for about 7 hours. I am jotting down the recipe for the jerk chicken as well as the pizza ingredients. Personally I thought that the jerk sauce was much too ketchupy, so I only used a small amount of it and would suggest lowering the amount of that you put into it. Also, I used 2 chicken breasts as opposed to 6 lbs of bone in chicken, so I halved the marinade recipe. Either way, this pizza came out awesome and I was really very happy with it - we will make it again! Its much easier if you chop everything ahead of time so when it comes to loading up your pie you just have to toss it on, and is fun for kids too!

Jerk Chicken Pizza

Pizza Dough (I used publix 5 multigrain but you could use homemade)

2 Chicken Breasts, marinaded in Jerk Seasoning for 4 hours up to overnight (see below)

1.5 tbsp Jerk Sauce (see below)

5 rings of Pineapple, cut into smaller pieces

1 Tomato, sliced and quartered

1/2 Green Pepper, Chopped

1/4 Red Onion, chopped

6 Baby Bella Mushrooms, sliced

6 Slices Gouda Cheese, chopped

8 oz Mozzarella cheese, shredded

2 Cloves Garlic, minced

1/2 tbsp butter

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Kosher Salt

Pepper

Onion Salt

Preheat Oven to 375 degrees. Heat grill to medium.

Roll out your pizza dough and stretch out. Drizzle with olive ouil and spread until lightly coated. Place on grill until cooked through, flipping half way through to make sure both sides are done.

You can either throw your chicken on the grill with the pizza, or cook ahead of time on a grill pan which is what I did. Sear both sides for 2 minutes each on high heat, then reduce to medium and cook, flipping occassionally until juices run clear, about 10 minutes. Brush with jerk sauce, on both sides. Let rest for about 8 minutes and then slice thinly.

Place mushrooms and butter in a pan on medium heat. Cook for 10 minutes, or until mushrooms are cooked through.

Once your pizza is done on the grill, drizzle with olive oil and spread garlic evenly. Add about 1 tsp salt and shake some onion powder on. Place half of the gouda and a handfull of mozzarella on as your first layer. Then add chicken, tomato, onion and bell pepper. Top with remaining cheese. Add pineapple and mushrooms. Drizzle with a bit more olive oil (make sure to get the crust), 1/5 tsp more salt and some freshly ground pepper.

Bake for 8-16 minutes.

Jamaican Jerk Chicken (From The Way the Cookie Crumbles, originally Epicurious)

Note: I used 2 chicken breasts, pounded thin. I halved the Jerk Marinade but kept the sauce the same. I stored that in the freezer for future use. I would suggest halving the katechup, or at least reducing by 1/4th. Below is the original recipe. See above for cooking the 2 chicken breasts. You could always make double the chicken and use leftover for the pizza, sandwiches, etc.

3 tablespoons dark rum

2 tablespoons water
½ cup malt vinegar
10 green onions, chopped
4 garlic cloves, peeled, chopped
2 tablespoons dried thyme
2 Scotch bonnet chiles or habanero chiles with seeds, chopped
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 teaspoons ground allspice
4 teaspoons ground ginger
4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
2 teaspoons dark brown sugar
1 cup ketchup
3 tablespoons soy sauce
about 6 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken parts
½ cup fresh lime juice

1. Boil rum and 2 tablespoons water in a small saucepan for 3 minutes.

2. Transfer the rum mixture to a blender; add the vinegar, green onions, garlic, thyme, chiles, oil, spices, salt, pepper, and sugar; blend until almost smooth. Transfer 2 tablespoons of the jerk seasoning to a small bowl; mix in the ketchup and soy sauce to make the sauce. (Jerk seasoning and sauce can be made 1 day ahead; cover separately and refrigerate.)

3. Arrange the chicken in a large roasting pan or baking dish. Pour the lime juice over the chicken; turn to coat. Spoon the jerk seasoning over the chicken and rub it into the chicken. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, turning occasionally. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Keep refrigerated.)

4. Prepare a two-level grill (more coals on one side than the other). Remove the chicken from the jerk seasoning marinade; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place the chicken, skin side down, on the hot side of the grill; grill for about 2 minutes, until seared. Move the chicken to the cooler side of the grill and continue to cook, turning occasionally, for about 15 minutes, until the breasts measure 160 degrees on an instant read thermometer and the legs and thighs read 165 degrees. Serve with the jerk sauce.