BBQ Chicken Pizza

I came up with this recipe after we tried – and loved - a specialty pizza at a local gourmet pizza restaurant. I know the ingredients might sound a little strange, but trust me, this is really good. The original pizza had sliced jalapeno peppers. I make things a little easier by using pepper jack cheese, but you can certainly use regular cheese and add the jalapenos yourself. If you don’t like spicy, this is just as good with other cheeses and roasted red pepper instead of jalapeno. I have used provolone, Mexican blend, cheddar, gouda and combinations of various kinds. They are all good. I have also used the same ingredients to make quesadillas.

BBQ Chicken Pizza
1 pizza crust (homemade, Boboli, refrigerated tube, etc.)
¾ cup BBQ sauce, divided (best with a sweet sauce, such as honey BBQ)
1 ½ cup shredded cooked chicken breast
¼ cup chopped red onion
¼ cup sliced jalapeno peppers or roasted red peppers
1 8 oz can pineapple tidbits, drained (I like tidbits because they are smaller than chunks, but larger than crushed. You can use chunks also, but you might want to cut them in half.)
2 cups shredded cheese (pepper jack, cheddar, Mexican blend, gouda, provolone, or combination – see note above)

Preheat oven to 450. If using a refrigerated pizza crust in a tube or homemade crust, pat crust into pizza pan or onto a pizza stone. Prebake crust for about 5 minutes or until it just starts to brown.

Toss shredded chicken breast with 2 tablespoons or so of BBQ sauce. Spread remaining sauce onto pizza crust. Top with chicken, onions, peppers and pineapple, distributing ingredients evenly over crust. Top with shredded cheese. Bake at 450 until cheese is melted and golden brown.

Back to Reality

I don't know about you, but I'm finally tired of the holiday goodies. I got all my cookies and candies made. I took goody boxes to work for my coworkers today and made a few trays for neighbors and friends. I think I need more friends - I have tons of stuff left. Of course, we'll eat some of it, but we certainly don't need it all. I think I got carried away. If you made homemade treats for your family and friends this year, I hope you had fun and if you tried any of my recipes, I hope you enjoyed them.

When I started this month I planned to post goody recipes up until Christmas, but I decided to stop. First, I think everyone should be done with any homemade stuff by now. Also, I was starting to run out of favorite recipes. Today I decided to post a recipe for a very quick and easy dinner. You probably have everything you need for this in your freezer and pantry. This will make a quick and easy dinner for one of those hectic days.

Mama's Brainless Chicken Casserole
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cooked and cubed
1 pound chopped, cooked broccoli (or other vegetable)
2 cans condensed cream of chicken and/or cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup sour cream
2 cups cooked pasta
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Mix all ingredients except cheese in a lightly greased casserole dish. Top with cheese. Bake at 350 until hot and bubbly.

Can't get much easier than that!

Got Leftovers?

Happy Thanksgiving!! I love Christmas just like everybody else, but I think Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. You don't have to figure out what presents to get or spend a lot of money. You don't have to spend all night wrapping and putting together those "some assembly required" things. Thanksgiving is just family and good food. Relaxed. No pressure.

One of my favorite things about Thanksgiving is the leftovers, but I understand some people aren't sure what to do with them. I mean you can only eat so many turkey sandwiches, right? We are having ham instead of turkey this year. I will use some of the leftovers for sandwiches. I'll also make a breakfast casserole on Saturday or Sunday morning. And of course I will use the bone and scrappy pieces for ham and beans.

Even though we aren't having turkey, I know a lot of people are, so here are a couple of my favorite recipes to use that leftover turkey. Make sure to save some of the meat and the bones for yummy turkey noodle soup. Both of these recipes are also good with chicken.

Turkey Tetrazinni
1 12 oz package frozen egg noodles, cooked
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 1/4 cups milk
1/2 cup water
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
2 cups cubed cooked turkey
1 1/2 cups frozen peas, thawed
2 tablespoons chopped pimiento
1 1/2 cups seasoned bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 375. Grease a casserole dish. Combine soup, milk, water and cheddar cheese in a 3 quart saucepan. Cook and stir over medium heat until cheese is melted and sauce is smooth. Stir in cooked noodles, turkey, peas and pimiento. Spoon into a greased casserole dish. Combine bread crumbs and parmesan cheese; sprinkle over casserole. Bake uncovered at 375 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

Turkey Cantonese Casserole
2 1/2 cups cubed cooked turkey
2 cups thinly sliced celery
1 red bell pepper, coarsely chopped
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 small can sliced water chestnuts
1 small can sliced mushrooms
1/3 cup chopped pimiento
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1/2 cup cashew pieces
1 1/2 cups chow mein noodles

In a 2 quart casserole, combine all ingredients, except cashews and chow mein noodles. Cover and microwave on medium power for 11 minutes, stirring once. Stir in cashew pieces and chow mein noodles. Let stand covered for 2 minutes.

Let's Wing It!

We love chicken wings at our house. Along with the classic Buffalo wings, we also like lots of other sauces. I'm always looking for something a little different. I just wanted to share one I made earlier this week for dinner. My son, who is almost five and doesn't seem to like very many things I cook, proclaimed them to be "awesome."

Honey Garlic Chicken Wings
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons sesame oil
3 tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons ground ginger (or 2 tablespoons chopped fresh)
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
4 cloves minced garlic
20 whole chicken wings, cut apart and tips discarded

Combine all ingredients, except wings; mix well. Place wings in a large zip-loc bag. Pour about half the marinade over the wings. Marinate wings for at least one hour and up to 24 hours. Reserve remaining marinade to baste the wings during cooking.

Heat oven to 375. Remove wings from marinade and discard marinade left in the bag. Arrange wings in a single layer on a foil lined baking sheet (trust me - the foil is very important). Brush wings with some of the reserved marinade. Bake for 15 minutes. Turn wings and baste with a little more marinade. Bake another 15 minutes. Increase oven temperature to 450. Baste one more time and bake for about 15 more minutes or until wings are brown and slightly crispy.

You can heat any remaining marinade until slightly thickened and use as a dipping sauce. I served the wings with egg rolls and roasted asparagus. They'd also be good with fried rice, lo-mein noodles or some other Asian-style side dish.

Enjoy!