BBQ Chicken Pizza Pinwheels
Pizza has almost become it's own religion, hasn't it? Everywhere you look, there are pizza t-shirts, pizza key chains, pizza pop-up shops, pizza shoes... Okay I'll admit I've definitely been eyeing the pizza shoes... Believe you me, I am not at all opposed to this new generational love of pizza. It's the perfect meal, in my opinion (and if you believe Congress, it's now a considered a vegetable in schools across the nation... but that's a whole other rant entirely).
One of my absolute favorite kinds of pizza, is hands down the BBQ Chicken Pizza. Sweet bbq marinara, delicious and tender bbq chicken, cilantro, onion.... I'm dying just thinking about it! This fairly new addition to the pizza family was first introduced by none other than California Pizza Kitchen, and it quickly became a success. It's no wonder!
In an effort to enjoy BBQ Chicken Pizza in hors d'oeuvre fashion, I decided to literally roll it all up and serve. This is seriously an easy finger food that is perfect for hosting parties, serving up at play dates... or if you're me, for binge watching Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (IT'S BACK, YA CRAZIES!!! YAY!).
These look super hard, right? They look delicate, right? Come on, guys. If you know NOTHING about me by now, you should know that I am a huge proponent of the simple cooking experience. I love to throw a little technique into each post, but you know I'm not going to have you do something crazy. Making this dish is as simple as laying out a pastry sheet, spreading sauce and toppings, rolling, cutting and baking. This is the "tube sugar cookie dough" of pizzas. But does it taste like a tube cookie? HEAVENS, no.
Flaky, buttery pastry dough, rolled up with tangy bbq marinara, layered with pepperjack cheese, red onions, cilantro, and tender bbq glazed chicken? Oh man. Excuse me while I collect myself.
So what are you making for your next get together? These BBQ Chicken Pizza Pinwheels. What should you bring to your next potluck? These BBQ Chicken Pizza Pinwheels. Do you know what you need to make for your movie night in? Say it with me now, "These BBQ Chicken Pizza Pinwheels". Bingo.
BBQ Chicken Pizza Pinwheels
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 13 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Servings: Makes about 30 pinwheels
Ingredients:
- 1 large chicken breast
- 2 puff pastry sheets, thawed
- 1 cup Simple Marinara Sauce
- 1/4 cup BBQ sauce plus 1/2 cup set aside
- 1/4 red onion, chopped and sauteed
- 2 Tablespoon chopped cilantro
- 8 slices pepper jack cheese
- 1/2 cup shredded colby jack cheese
- 1 egg
- 1 Tablespoon water
- Optional: BBQ sauce for drizzling
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bring a pot of water to boil, and boil chicken until cooked through, about 20 minutes. While chicken is cooking, mix marinara and 1/4 cup BBQ sauce. Lay out thawed puff pasty sheets.
2. Cut cooked chicken into small cubes. Mix with remaining 1/2 cup of BBQ sauce and set aside. Spread a few spoonfuls of the marinara sauce mixture over the puff pastry, and reserve the rest of the sauce for dipping.
3. Divide the cooked onions and chopped cilantro evenly and sprinkle on each puff pastry sheet. Place 4 slices of pepper jack cheese, half the chicken, then half the colby jack cheese on one sheet; repeat on the other.
4. Carefully roll the sheets lengthwise; this does get a bit messy. Once rolled, carefully cut the rolls into about 15 slices. They may lose their round shape but that can be fixed, so don't stress too much, but try to keep as much shape as possible by using your free hand to cup the roll. Once they are cut, you can reshape as needed (I find it easiest to unroll just the last part then re-wrap it a bit). Mix the egg and water in a small bowl until fully incorporated.
5. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper, and lightly spray with cooking spray. Place pinwheels onto sheets, leaving about an inch/inch and a half between each pinwheel. Using a brush or a fork, gently brush the pinwheels with the egg wash (be sure to get the sides!).
6. Bake in the oven for 12-15 minutes, depending on your oven. Remove from oven and serve immediately with lots of BBQ Marinara Sauce set aside from earlier (you can also drizzle extra BBQ sauce over the top of the pinwheels if desired).
7. ENJOY and post with #perfectleehungry.
