"experience is what you get when you didn't get what you wanted." -randy pausch

Saturday, August 31, 2013

CHICKEN BACON TOMATO ALFREDO PIZZA {don't let the 2 cubes of butter scare you away}

it was mostly because i wanted to eat bacon.
partly because we are in the midst of garden fresh tomatoes daily.
and ok really, it was because i had heavy cream in my fridge.
and cream cheese.
ok, ok, ok,
it was mostly about the bacon:)
i LOVE bacon.
it's like the universe was screaming at me to make this.
and how can you tell the universe no when it talks to you?
i give you,

CHICKEN BACON TOMATO ALFREDO PIZZA
--this recipe is for ONE pizza--i doubled it and made 2.--
{if you don't want to make your own dough, 
you can always buy dough from some grocery store bakeries, 
OR stop by your favorite pizza joint to buy raw dough from there. 
call before just to make sure they do that, but most do.}

THE DOUGH:
4 tsp yeast
2 cups warm water
4 tsp sugar
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp salt
**for my whole wheat pizza dough recipe click here.**

1. yeast and sugar into the warm water. 
sit it your microwave for 10 minutes while the yeast rises. DO NOT COOK.
2. flour, salt, olive oil into your mixer. add water, 
yeast, and sugar mixture once yeast has turned 
yellow and bubbly {after about 10 minutes}.
3. mix with dough hook in your mixer 
or knead on counter top for about 5 minutes. 
i added about 3/4 cup water to it while it mixed.
click here and scroll down about halfway for tips 
about what your dough should look like.
4. put half of your dough into a greased bowl, 
cover and sit in the microwave for 45 min-1 hour. DO NOT COOK. 
{put the other half of the dough into a greased 
ziploc freezer bag and freeze if you are only making ONE pizza. 
you can thaw on your counter 
another day and let it rise as it thaws 
to make another pizza, 
but without all of the work of making your dough.}

-THE SAUCE-
1 cup heavy cream
{same thing as heavy whipping cream}
1 stick butter
{so if you double the recipe for 2 pizzas, you'll be using TWO CUBES OF BUTTER. 
don't let them scare you away. i promise, you won't regret it, nom nom nom!}
2 tbls cream cheese
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 cloves garlic, chopped OR 1 tsp garlic powder

1. in a medium sauce pan over meduim heat, 
stir together the cream, butter, and cream cheese until fully melted 
{the cream cheese took what felt like forever to melt, 
and it was lumpy/chunky until i had whisked everything in together at the end}.
2. stir in the Parmesan cheese, chopped garlic/garlic powder, 
and cook for 5-10 min on low heat until the sauce thickens.

-TOPPINGS-
{these toppings are for ONE pizza, i doubled this and made 2 pizzas}
1 chicken breast, boiled, and cubed
1/2 packaged of bacon, cooked to your liking, chopped
purple onion, chopped
1-2 tomatoes, chopped
garlic salt
1/2 cube of butter-ROOM TEMP!
{for butter garlic crust spread}

DIRECTIONS:
1. make your dough. let it rise.
2. boil your chicken, chop it, set it aside.
3. fry your bacon, cool on a paper towel, chop, set aside.
3. after your dough has risen, roll it out on the counter with lots of flour.
4. spray your pizza pan{s} with PAM and plate your dough.
i like a stuffed crust.
click here to see how i do that.
it will be awesome either way, i just LOOOOOVE a stuffed crust.
4. pour on sauce all over, lay your cheese around the edge 
if you're doing the stuffed crust, fold the sides in.
**if you're doing a regular pizza crust, then just lay your dough out and put your sauce down.**
5. sprinkle cheese, chicken, bacon, tomato, and onion all over evenly.
6. once all of your toppings are on, spread your room temperature butter on the crust all the way around,
then sprinkle with garlic salt. basically, you're turning your crust into garlic bread, and if you chose to stuff your crust, then you are turning your crust into cheesy garlic bread.
it's everything you've ever wanted in a pizza crust.
i promise:)
7. bake at 425* for 15-18 minutes.
sometimes i bake at 450*, but i make sure to REALLY keep an eye on it as it gets closer to 15 minutes so it doesn't over cook the crust. start with 425* the first time you cook it to see how your oven does. if you like a crispier crust, i would recommend 450*, but KEEP your eye on it;)
8. cool for 5-10 minutes after you take it out of the oven.

it's the most time consuming pizza i make,
BUT
IT'S THE 
MOST DELICIOUS PIZZA 
I'VE EVER MADE.
IN
MY
LIFE:)
worth every minute!

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