Chicken-Crusted Southwestern Pizza Rolls
Chicken-Crusted Southwestern Pizza Rolls
Who doesn’t love pizza? It’s a quick, all-in-one meal that’s loaded with all of our favorite things like sausage, meats, veggies, cheeses. In fact I know a lot of folks who love pizza toppings more than the crust so they just scrape them all off and leave the crust behind. It’s the low carb thing to do if you’re trying to cut down on the empty carbs I call “useless”. There are plenty of recipes featuring pizza toppings only. Try my Pizza Stuffed Mushroom Appetizer for example. So why not create a “whole” pizza using just pizza toppings? I’ve used ground chicken in another tasty pizza recipe, Chicken-Crusted Asian Veggie Pizza which happens to be on my all-time favorite list.
This very healthy pizza inspired by Southwestern flavors may become your family favorite. It’s super easy to assemble, uses all of your favorite Mexican ingredients which you keep on hand anyway and is pretty unique. You can use a fork or pick them up for a casual finger food the whole family will love. They make a great appetizer too!
I start with ground chicken and season it with a half packet of taco seasoning. Fajita seasoning would work here as well. Then spread the chicken onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes in a 425 degree oven. Red peppers, onions and garlic are sauteed with more taco seasoning. Then for the assembly I spread the vegetables along with black beans, cheese, canned Mexican tomatoes and cilantro evenly over the baked chicken crust. Then I roll it up, slice it and place the rolls into a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Bake briefly to heat through and serve.
It’s a unique way to eat pizza. Instead of rolling it up you can leave it flat and bake for a few minutes and cut into squares. Top with a little dap of light sour cream and/or avocado for a fun, tasty dinner idea that is loaded with healthy nutrients like protein, niacin, thiamin, vitamin B12, C and A, lycopene (cancer prevention) and organosulphurs (cancer and inflammation prevention).
One Year Ago: Egg, Ham and Swiss Cheese Muffin Cups
- Chicken-Crusted Southwestern Pizza Rolls
- 1 package reduced-sodium taco seasoning, divided
- 1 lb ground chicken
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 cup diced onion (about 1/2 small onion)
- 1/2 cup diced red bell pepper (about 1 bell pepper)
- 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 (10 ounce) can Ro-Tel Diced Tomatoes and Green Chiles, drained
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Coat a 9 X 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
- Combine 1/2 packet of the taco seasoning and chicken in medium bowl; mix to combine. Spread chicken mixture onto the prepared baking sheet, spreading thin and forming a rectangle, about 14-inch in diameter. Bake for 10 minutes or until cooked all the way through.
- In the meantime, heat olive oil in a large skillet placed over high heat. Add the onion, bell pepper and remaining taco seasoning. Cook, stirring occasionally, until veggies are slightly charred. Turn heat to low, add garlic and stir to combine until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Remove from heat.
- Spread veggies, black beans, tomatoes, cheddar cheese and cilantro over baked chicken crust. Press down to flatten. Starting with the long end, roll the chicken crust very tightly, pulling the crust towards you as you roll. Cut into 12 1-inch rolls and place in prepared baking dish. Bake at 425 degrees F for another 5-10 minutes or until vegetables are slightly browned and cheese is melted. Allow to cool slightly.
You might also enjoy:
Chicken-Crusted Asian Veggie Pizza
Cauliflower-Crusted Hawaiian Pizza
Pizza Stuffed Mushroom Appetizer
