All this unseasonably warm weather has got me jigging with excitement!
I’m going to ignore the fact that it probably means our planet is slowly but surely getting further out of whack. I’m going to selfishly enjoy it for a few February days….
Grilled Grape Crostini with Honeyed Whipped Feta
Well, now that it’s officially summer, I want to eat ALL THE GRILLED THINGS.
I’ve been using the grill on an almost-daily basis these past couple weeks, and I gotta say, I really missed it. Burgers, hot dogs, chicken, steaks, loads of veggies, and my absolute favorite grilled item of all time: BREAD. Yup, it’s back, friends….
Pickle-Brined (Oven) Fried Chicken with Spicy Sesame Honey
I am so excited to tell you guys about today’s recipe. It is bonkers. In a good way.
Fried chicken. It’s one of America’s most American foods. People go nuts for it. People get downright impassioned about it, too…always debating who has the best version or recipe. Me? Well, I’m actually not a huge fan….
“Hot & Honey” Buffalo Chicken Pizza
Hi! How was your weekend? What did you do?
Aside from wallowing in there’s-still-snow-on-the-ground-and-it’s-spring sorrow, I dealt with a sick husband and obsessed over trying to contain his germs as to not infect myself and my 6-month-old baby. It wasn’t as bad as it sounds. Yes, my grown-ass husband turns into a helpless child when sick (don’t they all?), but he was a good patient this time around.
We watched many a March Madness game, ate homemade mac-and-cheese (a sick hubby request), and snuggled up as much as possible without spreading the sickness. It’s fun to spend a weekend at home doing NOTHING every now and then…especially since Kieran is at SUCH a fun age right now. All I want to do is sit and watch him. Man, no one tells you that the whole parenting thing just keeps getting better and better. As much as I want time to STOP RIGHT NOW, and as much as I miss his teeny tiny 8-lb newborn body, I am loving every new thing that this kid does. It’s like…my heart explodes and I am filled with so much pride and excitement…just because he grabs onto a toy and purposefully brings it to his mouth. Big stuff, people (Yeah, I’m one of those parents now. Imagine how I’ll be when he starts WALKING or TALKING. Goodness).
Anyway. One of the sick hubby requests was homemade pizza. I told him he had to pick between mac-and-cheese and pizza…because I’m mean (and busy with a baby!). He went with the mac-and-cheese. Can’t blame him. This pizza, however, was a close second.
Have you ever had “hot & honey” buffalo wings? They are sooOOOOoooo good. All the stuff I love about buffalo sauce but with the added sweetness and syrupy goodness of honey. OMGYUM. I love them.
I also love buffalo chicken everything. But we know this already. Putting it on pizza is not something ground breaking, and it may not even sound that exciting…but promise me you’ll try it with the “hot & honey” sauce!? Please. It is heavenly.
If you aren’t nursing a sick hubby back to health and taking care of an infant all while trying to keep up with personal hygiene and household chores, go ahead and make homemade dough. Go you. Ever since I had the baby, I have been taking full advantage of my grocery store’s pre-made dough. Totally worth it. Not apologizing for it, either. Do what works for you.
Top your choice of dough with loads of cheese, hot & honey sauce, and shredded chicken and pop it in the oven. Bake until crispy and gooey and then top with fresh herbs and scallions. DO NOT SKIP THIS PART. I swear, it makes the whole pizza. Do it, do it, do it! Slice and serve as soon as you can tolerate the heat of said sauce and cheese. I may have burnt my mouth on this…a couple times.
WORTH IT.
“Hot & Honey” Buffalo Chicken Pizza
For the Chicken:
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 tablespoons butter, divided
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup buffalo sauce
½ cup honey
3 tablespoons brown sugar
Salt and pepper
For the Pizza:
1-lb ball pizza dough
Flour, for rolling out the dough
Cornmeal, for pizza peel
The remaining honeyed buffalo sauce
The shredded buffalo chicken
2½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Fresh scallions, chopped
Fresh cilantro or parsley, chopped
For the Chicken:
Heat the oil and 1 tablespoons of the butter in a skillet. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. When the pan is hot, add the chicken and cook for 5 minutes per side, until golden and cooked through. Remove from heat and once cool enough to handle, shred or chop the chicken.
Meanwhile, whisk together the remaining butter, buffalo sauce, honey, and sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer and cook over low heat until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Toss the shredded chicken with half of the sauce. Reserve the remaining sauce for the pizza.
For the Pizza:
Preheat the oven to 475°F and place a pizza stone (if using) on the middle rack. Roll the dough out to desired thickness and transfer to a pizza peel lined with cornmeal. If not using a pizza stone, liberally oil a baking sheet and place the rolled out dough on the sheet.
Evenly spread the remaining honey-buffalo sauce over the dough and then evenly distribute the chicken over top. Top with the cheese.
Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until the pizza dough is crispy and golden and the cheese is bubbly and browning in spots. Allow to cool slightly, garnish with fresh scallions and herbs, slice, and serve.
Hi There. I'm Molly. I'm a food-obsessed, self-taught cook and I can't wait to share my passion for all things culinary with you. My love for egg yolks is just the tip of the iceberg!