Chicken Caesar Salad Pizza

We eat a lot of pizza. It is that easy, go-to dinner when we are running late. It can be picked up at the local pizzeria, prepared with a premade crust such as Boboli, or come from the frozen foods section of the grocery store (only when desperate though).

I grew up on Barone's Pizza. The pizza of choice was a not too thin crust pizza loaded with sausage, mushrooms and cheese. A trip into Chicago always included a stop at Uno's for the best deep dish pizza around. When we moved to New Jersey, I was introduced to East Coast pizza. It is a huge, thin crust pizza which most people order with only cheese. This type of pizza seemed a little strange to me because it was lacking in the girth I was used to with my Chicago pizzas. I have learned to like Jersey pizza. I am not sure if there will ever be a love affair between us.

More times than I can count, I have made thin crust pizza and deep dish pizza. As we are in the midst of our 4th consecutive day of 90 degree temperatures, I decided to try a Chicken Caesar Salad Pizza which would not be as heavy as the typical cheesy pizza.


I started with my favorite pizza dough recipe, but you could use a premade crust too. Topped with Caesar dressing, Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses, grilled chicken and romaine lettuce, this pizza was a welcome change from most pizzas we eat.


On this night, I was the only diner at our dinner table. After a doctor's appointment for My Oldest and her 4 hour driver's education lesson, various friends of my kids visiting throughout the day, a thunderstorm, a meeting with a new client, a drive across town to drop off My Middle One at a sleepover, and sending No Thank You Boy and The Husband off to football practice, I relish the quiet time. I enjoyed the crisp salad topping the hot, cheesy pizza. And the accompanying glass of chardonnay wasn't too bad either.

I will be adding this pizza recipe to my files.




Chicken Caesar Salad Pizza

pizza dough* for 1 crust or a premade crust such as Boboli

*this recipe makes about 6 crusts

3 - 4 tablespoons cup Caesar salad dressing, divided
1/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, divided
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
about 1 cup cooked chicken strips, preferably grilled
1 heaping cup of shredded romaine lettuce
freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

In using fresh pizza dough, roll it out to a 12-inch circle. Place on a baking sheet or pizza stone. Bake for 8 - 10 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven. If using a premade crust, just place it on a baking sheet. There is no need to bake it.

Brush crush with about 2 tablespoons of the dressing and top with 1/4 cup of the Parmesan cheese and the mozzarella cheese. Top with the chicken and return the crust to the oven. Bake for about 5 - 8 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Remove from the oven and place on a cutting board.

In a bowl, toss the lettuce with about 1 tablespoon of the dressing and the 2 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese. Top pizza with the salad and cut into wedges. Top with freshly ground pepper if desired. Serve immediately.

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