Pesto Chicken Artichoke Pizza

Pizza seems to be my easy evening go-to meal during the summer.  I keep pre-made pizza crusts on-hand, and, let's face it, you can put pretty much anything on a pizza crust, top it with some cheese and, voila, you've got dinner

This week I went a little bit more "gourmet" in pizza style, replacing the traditional red sauce with homemade pesto, and mozzarella with smoked gouda.

A couple of notes when you make your shopping list: 1) I make my own Pesto, but store-bought is ok, too.  If you want to make your own, I follow this recipe.  2) For the chicken it can be leftover grilled chicken breast or even leftover KFC (sans skin).  The chicken doesn't really add tons of flavor, just some protein and texture.  3) Sun dried tomatoes were not on my original pizza, but the second time I made it I had some on-hand from the Cucumber Feta Rolls and decided to utilize them.  You could also add some crumbled cooked bacon instead of the tomatoes (which is AMAZING, by the way - when isn't bacon amazing?).  4) Always buy smoked gouda.  The flavor added by the smoking process is what makes this cheese so fantastically amazing.

Here's what you'll need:

1 Individual Size Thin and Crispy Pizza Crust
2 Tbsp Pesto
1/4 Cup Chopped Cooked Chicken
1/4 Cup Chopped Artichoke Hearts (canned)
1 Tbsp Chopped Sun Dried Tomatoes
1-2 Tbsp Fresh Chopped Basil
Shredded Smoked Gouda Cheese

 Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F.  If using a pizza stone, let the stone pre-heat with the oven (stone will need at least 10 minutes to heat fully).  While oven is pre-heating, chop chicken, artichokes, sun dried tomatoes and basil.  (Not sure how to cut basil?  Check out my instructions in the Sausage Bruschetta Pizza Recipe.)  Shred cheese.

Cover pizza crust with pesto.  Top with chicken, artichokes, sun dried tomatoes, basil and cheese.  Bake for 10-12 minutes.




Remove from the oven and slice into quarters with pizza cutter, serve, and enjoy! 

IN A NUTSHELL:

1 Individual Size Thin and Crispy Pizza Crust
2 Tbsp Pesto
1/4 Cup Chopped Cooked chicken
1/4 Cup Chopped Artichoke Hearts
1 Tbsp Chopped Sun Dried Tomatoes
1-2 Tbsp Fresh Chopped Basil
Shredded Smoked Gouda Cheese. 

Pre-heat oven to 400.  Chop pizza toppings.  Shred Cheese.  Assemble pizza.  Bake 10-12 minutes directly on rack or on pre-heated pizza stone.  Remove, cut, and WOW your taste-buds. 

As with any pizza, if you want to make a larger pizza, just use a larger crust and more of each topping! 

If you're feeling super-domestic and want to make homemade crust, my friend Tesa has a fantastic recipe on her blog.