Game Day BBQ Chicken Pizza — Fight On!

Alright y’all….this is a last minute post so please excuse the quality of the photos and any typos.

But it’s the SEASON OPENER today for my boys and kick-off is in less than 5 hours–a GOOD LUCK post was a must!

GO USC TROJANS!!!!!!!

Growing up, football always had a “shadow” presence in my childhood. We lived in Minnesota–land of the mighty Minnesota Vikings. So when football season came along in the fall, Sundays and Monday-nights were off limits for the TV.

Dad held permanent residence in front of the sole family tube during the season.

And as funny as it is now for me to think it, I didn’t really enjoy the game at that time. All I knew was that I had an unquestionable loyalty to the Vikes.

Then I found myself as a cheerleader all throughout high school (2-year varsity cheer captain–thank you very much! Go BRAHMAS!!) and spent every Friday night cheering for a CIA Champ Football Team. By then, my own appreciation and understanding for the sport had taken shape which only catapulted and grew a MILLION times when I went to school at the University of Southern California during the Coach Pete Carroll/Carson Palmer years.

It was extraordinary…

It’s been over a decade since I’ve been at USC but my loyalties have never waned. In fact, it’s such a serious thing for me during the season that I will rarely watch a game in public at a sports bar (unless I’m at the game) because this 5’2″ gal gets so heated, I become a sailor!

Well, my potty mouth becomes a sailor.

To cheer on my boys as they face Arkansas State tonight, I made a quick pizza using ingredients that take on the spirit of College Football tailgating– BBQ Chicken Pizza!!

I know, BBQ Chicken Pizza is so “1990’s”–but after all this time, it’s still dang good!

And with that, I’ve got to get back to my usual game day rituals.

Here’s to an incredible College Football season– GO TROJANS!!!!!!

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Game Day BBQ Chicken Pizza
Serves 2

Ingredients:

6 ounces fresh pizza dough, rested and at room temperature
all purpose flour
¾ cup barbeque sauce, divided
1 tablespoon minced garlic
½ teaspoon red chili pepper flakes, divided
1 cup sliced red onions
1/3 pound thinly sliced fresh mozzarella cheese
¼ cup diced scallions, divided
1 cup diced cooked chicken
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
½ tablespoon corn meal
¼ cup chopped cilantro leaves

Preheat oven to 500 degrees F.

Take the pizza dough and flatten it with your hands on a floured surface. Use a floured rolling pin to gently roll the crust to about ¼ of an inch thickness. Transfer the rolled out dough to a pizza paddle or lightly floured cutting board.

Spread ½ cup of the barbeque sauce over the dough. Next, top the sauce with the minced garlic and ¼ teaspoon red chili pepper flakes. Cover the pizza with the red onions, mozzarella cheese, 2/3 of the scallions, chicken, and tomatoes. Drizzle the remaining barbeque sauce over the top of the pizza.

Sprinkle the corn meal over a baking sheet. Carefully slide the pizza onto the baking sheet and transfer to the oven. Bake the pizza for 15-20 minutes until the crust becomes golden brown and the cheese is bubbly.

Remove the pizza from the oven. Sprinkle the remaining red chili pepper flakes, scallions and cilantro over the top. Slice the pizza and serve warm.