Chicken Pizza with Beet Salad

What’s a girl to do when she wants PIZZA, but is trying to avoid carbs and wheat? Chicken pizza of course! This is a great way to get all the flavors you love from your favorite pizza toppings without a lot of extra heaviness from the dough. It’s not really even a recipe…it’s more a technique and it’s really easy. The base is the same for whatever toppings you choose….a pounded out boneless and skinless chicken breast that you pan saute and then top with your favorite pizza toppings and voila – low carb pizza. Here’s what I included but feel free to use what you like.

• Your favorite store bought (or homemade if you have it around) pizza sauce
• melty cheese – I had provolone and motz around plus some romano
• 1 chicken breast per pizza/person – pounded flat to increase the surface area and to cook evenly
• Seasonings such as: salt, pepper, granulated garlic, Italian Seasoning, crushed red pepper, etc.
• Any other toppings you like – I included some pepperoni and banana peppers

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This is more of a method than a recipe so feel free to change it up to whatever you want, and there aren’t really any measurements. Season up your chicken with salt, pepper, Italian seasoning and granulated garlic, etc. Start with 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil in an oven proof skillet over medium high heat – yes this is a one pan dinner! Saute your chicken until lightly browned and turn to cook the other side. Remember it’s going in the oven for a few minutes too and we don’t want it dried out. Depending on how thin you pounded your chicken this could be 4-7 minutes per side. Once they are cooked, drain any excess oil from the pan and return the chicken. Now you are ready for toppings.

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I start with sauce, again to try to keep my chicken from drying out. Next, pepperoni, cheese, more pepperoni then a couple of banana peppers on top, My husband topped his own and there are a few more layers in there. Cook in the oven at 375 degrees for about 8-10 minutes until the cheese is melted and your toppings cooked, again that depends on what you put on there and how thick your chicken is. Just make sure everything you put on top is already cooked so you don’t have to worry about overcooking the chicken.

Once it’s browned to your liking, take it out of the oven and serve it up. I paired this one with a beet and goat cheese salad. Salad ingredients following on the bottom. Once you try this it will be a favorite at your house too. Enjoy!

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• Mixed salad greens – whatever you like – I used red romaine and some regular romaine
• cooked beets – either store bough or wash, brush with olive oil and salt/pepper and wrap in foil, Cook at 375 until tender (30-45 mins depending on their size). Check by inserting a knife to make sure they are soft. Cool, peel and slice.
• crumbled goat cheese
• walnuts or pine nuts
• store bought or homemade balsamic dressing (Whisk together 1/4 olive oil, 2 tbs. balsamic vinegar, 1 tsp Dijon mustard, salt, pepper to taste) Adjust the amounts to your liking,

Wash and dry your greens if needed, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Stack up beets and pour on dressing. Top with goat cheese and walnuts – yum!