Secrets from the Cookie Princess: Buffalo Chicken Pizza

It's Friday so that means we're probably having pizza for dinner tonight. Maybe even this pizza. We probably have more pizza in the fall and winter because it's easy to put together after work and it makes great football food. This is one of our favorites that I've been making for years. I'm a big fan of buffalo wings and all things buffalo flavored (like this snack!) and this pizza is the perfect interpretation of those flavors. A sauce that's a cross between pizza sauce and wing sauce, perfectly seasoned chunks of chicken, a blend of mozzarella or Monterrey Jack and blue cheeses and a smattering of scallions to finish it off, this pizza has all the elements. I even serve it with celery and carrot sticks with ranch dressing for dipping to get the full on effect to turn a bar food appetizer into a full on meal.

I found this recipe in Rachael Ray's 2, 4, 6, 8: Great Meals for Couples or Crowds. The dish starts off with grilled chicken, which sometimes I'll make when I'm ready to make this pizza, but one of the tricks I've found is that I'll tuck away some grilled chicken in the freezer to pull out for meals like these. It cuts down the time on an already quick meal. I used my own pizza dough for the crust and since I didn't have any Monterrey Jack cheese this time around, I subbed with shredded mozzarella for a still delicious result. We have no complaints on this pizza--it's got lots of flavor and is a pretty hearty pizza. If you've got wing fans in your house and want an alternative for game day, this pizza will be a huge win.

Buffalo Chicken Pizza

Ingredients

3/4 pound chicken breast or breast tenders and 2 teaspoons grill seasoning OR 8-10 ounces precooked chicken breast, diced
1 pizza dough, homemade or storebought
cornmeal for dusting,
2 Tablespoons butter
1/2 cup tomato sauce
2-3 Tablespoons hot sauce
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 cup shredded mozzarella or Monterrey Jack cheese
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
3 scallions, thinly sliced

If using fresh chicken, season chicken with grill seasoning and grill over high heat until cooked through. While chicken cooks, stretch dough and prepare the sauce. Stretch pizza dough over pan, dusting area with cornmeal to keep from sticking. Pierce all over with a fork and blind bake at 425 degrees F for 10 minutes while preparing the sauce.

Melt butter in a small sauce pan over medium-low heat, then add tomato sauce, hot sauce and Worcestershire sauce, stirring to combine.

Remove chicken from grill and allow to cool slightly before dicing. Add diced chicken to sauce and stir to coat. Allow to sauce to cook a few minutes longer, then remove from heat.