Differently Delicious BBQ Chicken Pizza

When I was doing my final clinical rotation for graduate school, I worked as a school based occupational therapy student in Madison County, VA.  My supervisor, Amy, was the kindest, friendliest, and most supportive supervisor out there.  I am forever indebted to her for her genuine spirit and her knowledge.  She is just a lovely person, all around.  

During lunch, the other therapists and teachers and I would share recipes.  Amy brought in this recipe, and my world was changed.  I had to make it immediately!  So, I made it that upcoming weekend for my brother and his then-girlfriend-now-wife.  I remember having them over to my one-bedroom apartment, hosting a dinner for them, and thinking I was pretty darn cool.  Now that I think about it, that year in Charlottesville was when I really started to love being in the kitchen and creating food for myself and others.  I would watch The Food Network and then attempt to make dishes, night after night, for my solo dinners, which typically turned into disasterous messes.  This one, on the other hand, was not disasterous.  It was brilliant.  

I literally dream about this pizza.  Some mornings, I will wake up and want to heat up leftovers for breakfast because slices have been dancing through my head while sleeping.  It is simple to put together and is a complete flavor explosion.

Differently Delicious BBQ Chicken Pizza
Recipe:  Amy
*I lost the post-it that I scribbled the measurements on, so I have listed approximate measurements.  The good thing is that it does not really matter how much or how little you add of each ingredient - just adjust to your taste!

Ingredients:

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (pre-cooked and chopped into bite-sized pieces)
1 pizza crust (store-bought or homemade)
About 1/2 cup of each:  black beans (rinsed and drained) and fresh or frozen corn kernels
half of a white or red onion, sliced thin or diced (your preference)
your favorite BBQ sauce (enough to spread a thin layer on the dough . . do not over-sauce it!)
2-3 garlic cloves, chopped
a overflowing cup or 2 of sharp cheddar cheese
small palmful fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
extra virgin olive oil
S & P

The Process:
After you have cooked your chicken in the oven and allowed it to cool a bit, cut it into bite-sized chunks, and set these aside.  This is when a crisp, delicious beer poured into a glass really sets the tone for the evening. :)

Next, ladle spoonfuls of the BBQ sauce on the crust to form a comfy, spicy bed for the rest of the ingredients.  Sprinkle the chopped garlic on top.  Add the beans and corn evenly.  Place the chicken on the pizza.  Add the cheese.  Add some S & P.  Drizzle a touch of olive oil on top of the pizza (this adds a beautiful, golden crispness). 

Bake the pizza according to package directions, which is usually less than 20 minutes.  Once it has finished cooking, add the chopped cilantro on top.  Adding it after cooking brightens up all the flavors of this pizza.  Adding it before cooking would destroy the fresh flavor of the herb, so do not miss this step!

Slice a piece or two, pour another luscious beer, and get ready to bookmark this recipe.  You will crave it, time and time again. 

You will probably even dream about it.

Bon Appétit!