Greek Chicken Pizza with Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto
Greek Chicken Pizza with Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto
I call this our “Tale of Two Pizzas” since we’ve got conflicting taste preferences at our house. I wanted to make our Greek Chicken Pizza which my husband and I absolutely love, but sixteen-year old Abigail, prefers a simple yet classic cheese and pepperoni. I’m not sharing that recipe because quite frankly, it’s not really a recipe at all. Spread pizza sauce over crust, top with cheese and pepperoni, then bake. That’s not really a recipe in my book. So battling pizza toppings often show up on pizza night.
The real show stopper is the Greek Chicken Pizza. We love the full bodied flavors of the sun-dried tomato pesto I spread over the crust. I top with fresh feta cheese, chopped red bell peppers, red onion, diced chicken and fresh oregano. This is baked to perfection then right before serving I toss spinach/arugula mix on top. Fresh, flavorful and a fun way to celebrate Friday night or any other reason that might be worth celebrating, like just being together as a family.
The Easy Whole Wheat Crust is such a no brainer that making homemade pizza is pretty much the norm at our house these days. I shared this crust a while back with the BBQ Chicken and Bacon Pizza. It combines whole wheat flour with all-purpose flour in a 1:1 ratio. Warm water with oil and honey are added to the flour mixture and I let my dough hook do its thing for three to four minutes, then let the dough sit for about ten minutes. Punch it down and roll it out. I’ve been using a pizza stone to bake our pizzas which creates a more evenly baked product. Love the pizza stone which you place in the oven before heating to 475 degrees. That’s a hot oven, but man does it do a great job of creating a soft, chewy crust we all love.
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- Greek Chicken Pizza with Sun Dried Tomato Pesto
- 1 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, sliced thinly (I bought mine julienne)
- 1/2 cup shredded fresh Parmesan or Romano cheese
- 3 Tbsp toasted pine nuts
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup plus 1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour, divided
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 Tbsp or package rapid-rise yeast
- 3/4 tsp sea salt
- 1 cup warm water
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 Tbsp honey
- Cooking Spray
- 1 cup diced cooked chicken breasts
- 1 cup feta cheese
- 1 cup chopped cherry tomatoes
- 1 medium red bell pepper, diced
- 1/2 medium red onion, sliced
- 1/2 cup chopped kalamata olives (optional)
- 1 Tbsp chopped fresh oregano
- 2 cups fresh baby spinach/arugula mix
- For the Pesto: Combine tomatoes, cheese, garlic and pine nuts in a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Cover and pulse until thoroughly combined. Drizzle olive oil through the chute and pulse a few more times to get a spreadable consistency. Set aside
- For the Easy Whole Wheat Crust: Combine 1 cup of each flours, yeast and salt in a large mixing bowl of a standing mixer, fitted with dough hook. Add water, oil and honey; mix for 3-4 minutes, scraping down sides, if needed, until a soft dough forms. It will be somewhat sticky. Remove dough hook and cover with a moist cloth and place in a warm spot for 10 minutes to rise.
- Place a large (20-inch square) piece of parchment paper on a pizza paddle or rimless baking sheet and coat lightly with cooking spray.
- Punch dough down. Cover your work area with the remaining 1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour and turn out the dough onto the flour. Knead a few times to incorporate the flour so it is not sticky. (More flour may be added, but avoid too much to avoid a stiff dough.) Form into small round using your hands or a rolling pin. Transfer to parchment paper and finish rolling out to about a 14 to 16-inch round.
- Spread pesto onto pizza dough. (Any leftover pesto stores for several weeks in a covered container in the refrigerator.) Evenly arrange chicken, feta, tomatoes, bell pepper, red onion, olives and oregano over pesto.
- Open the oven and carefully slide parchment paper off of paddle or baking sheet onto hot pizza stone, if using or place the baking sheet in oven on middle rack. (The heated pizza stone will bake your pizza more evenly.)
- Bake at 475 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until cheese is melted and crust is golden brown. Remove from oven and top with spinach/arugula mix. Let sit a few minutes before slicing.
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