BBQ Chicken Pizza with Cilantro Lime Drizzle

    I started making pizza at home back when my husband and I were a couple of newlyweds living in the very expensive paradise of Hawaii. Ordering pizza on our Army salary was not a luxury we could often afford. Even now, 9 1/2 years later, we prefer our homemade pizza over delivery. Before our little one hit his "terrible" phasew, (which prevents me from spending much time in the kitchen) I took the time to make my own dough. At some point he will out grow this phase and I will again have the time to make delicious dough, but for now I am content with store bought. http://www.allrecipes.com/  is a great resource for recipes for pizza dough, in case you've got more time on your hands than I. This recipe is a great way to use up left over chicken, but also worth grilling up a piece or two, just so you can eat it atop a delicious pizza. 

Pizza

1 ball of pizza dough (I get mine at Winco Foods)

1 1/4 c. of your favorite BBQ Sauce (more or less depending on how much you sauce you prefer)

2 c. diced or shredded cooked chicken

1 1/2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

1 c. shredded Gouda

1/2 c. each diced red bell pepper, green bell pepper, and red onion

1/4 c. diced green onion

Cilantro Drizzle

1/2 c. olive oil

1/2 c. lime juice
4 Tbsp. honey

1 Tbsp. diced jalapeno pepper (more if you prefer extra spice)

1/2 c. cilantro

2 cloves garlic

a pinch of salt

For the pizza:

*Tip: Remove pizza dough from your refrigerator a couple of hours before you begin so that dough is more pliable.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Start with a floured surface. Use the backs of your fists to press dough into an approximate 14" circle.

Transfer dough to a prepared pizza pan (If you would like you can also dust the pan with a little bit of cornmeal which will give you a crispier crust).

If you haven't already done so, dice your peppers and onions and set aside while dough rests.

Mix BBQ sauce and chicken in a small bowl and then dump it right into the middle of your crust. Use the back of a spoon to spread the mixture evenly over the surface of the dough, leaving a 1/2 inch border around the outside.

Top the chicken mixture with half of the cheese, layer with mixture of peppers and onions and then top with remaining cheese. Place pizza into preheated oven for 12-14 minutes. Cheese will be bubbly and crust will be golden. Yum!   

For the drizzle: Rinse cilantro and coarsely chop. Smash garlic and remove peel. Place jalapeno, cilantro, and garlic in a  food processor (or blender) and pulse. Add lime juice and honey and process.  Slowly stream olive oil into the mixture until it is fully incorporated. Season with salt to taste.

Drizzle cilantro mixture onto pizza and enjoy! Tonight we reserved some extra diced peppers and onions and tossed them with greens, leftover cheese, and crushed tortilla chips. The Cilantro Drizzle also makes an excellent salad dressing!