my idea of home.: 30 Minute BBQ Chicken Pizza

I am about to share with you my secret weapon meal. It is fast, it is easy, and it is so SO good. It's a "secret weapon" because everyone thinks I put a lot of time into it. It's perfect for last minute guests and the recipe is usually requested by the end of the evening. Needless to say, we LOVE it.

I first tried it when my Step-Mom whipped one up for us. I couldn't get enough!! I have since added a few touches of my own. The most important part of this recipe is the Parmesan cheese. It adds so much to the flavor. So to her, I am very grateful!

The dough recipe is what makes this so fast. It's a 5 min dough found here on Allrecipes.com. (written out below).

Dough:

1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast, OR 1 tbsp. active dry yeast

1 teaspoon white sugar

1 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)

2 1/2 cups bread flour, or all purpose flour works too

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon salt

1 tbsp. cornmeal (optional)

Topping:

1 tbsp. butter or olive oil

1/2 onion

1/2 tsp minced garlic or dash of garlic powder

1 can chicken or 2 chicken breasts cooked and shredded

1/2 to 1 cup BBQ Sauce of your choice. (I use Sweet Baby Ray's)

1 cup cheese, shredded

1 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded (you may also use grated, but 1 cup may be too much. Just sprinkle it on evenly. )

Directions:

1.Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). In a medium bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes. It should look like this:

2.In a separate bowl, add the flour, salt, and oil. Add the yeast mixture and beat until a ball forms. Let rest for 5 minutes.

3. Cook onion in butter until translucent. Add garlic and cook for 1 min. Add chicken and toss around for 3 to 4 min or until it starts to lightly brown. Add BBQ sauce. Put in as much as you want to make sure the chicken is completely covered in it.

4.Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and pat or roll into a round. Transfer crust to a lightly greased pizza pan or square cookie sheet dusted with cornmeal (optional).

(To save time, I actually take the dough straight from the bowl and roll out right into the pan. It's not as beautiful, but once the toppings are on, no one will ever know)

5. Pour BBQ chicken mixture over pizza dough, then sprinkle with both kinds of cheese.

My picture below is in need of explanation that you may find comical. I have three girls with rather particular taste buds. One prefers the red marinara sauce (I recommend Costco's Kirkland brand sauce. SO good). Another prefers no sauce at all- just cheese. And the last eats the BBQ with us. Basically, I cater to their picky eating habits with this meal and make a 3 flavor pizza. It takes only 2 seconds more of my time, just to have a peaceful meal. Now that's worth it!!

The Sauce-less portion, or should I just say, "bread sticks", gets quite dry, so I brush on a little melted butter over the dough before I put on the cheese.