Buffalo Chicken Baguette Pizzas

You'll want to make pizza every night of the week with this spicy Buffalo Chicken Pizza made on baguettes.  Imagine a pizza done in under 20 minutes!

Buffalo Chicken Baguette Pizzas

If you are a lover of spicy chicken wings then you'll die for these simple to prepare Buffalo Chicken Baguette Pizzas.  Pizzas are quick and easy to make when you are using a prepared crust such as a french baguette.  They make the perfect base for all your toppings.  Today we are making a crowd pleasing pizza that everyone will die for.  

Crispy on the outside and tender on the inside baguettes are topped with shredded chicken that are smothered with buffalo sauce.  Add a little ranch dressing, some mozzarella, and some blue cheese to the mix and you have one heck of a pizza.  These are perfect for the up coming game day celebration, lunch or dinner.  You can also cut these into wedges and serve as appetizers.  Any way you slice them these pizzas will wow your taste buds and having you saying "more please", in less than 20 minutes!

What Ingredients do I need?

• french baguette
• shredded chicken
• buffalo wing sauce (we like Frank's Red Hot Buffalo sauce)
• ranch dressing
• mozzarella cheese
• blue cheese crumbles
• cilantro
• scallions

Substitutions and Variations

• Use shredded beef and BBQ sauce for a BBQ Beef Pizza
• Use a rotisserie chicken or use chicken thighs
• A french bread loaf will work instead of a baguette
• Use Monterey Jack cheese instead of mozzarella
• Use blue cheese dressing instead of ranch

Kitchen Tips and Notes

• Use a serrated knife to easily cut your baguette without squishing the bread
• Watch your bread closely when broiling it, the oven toasts very quickly.
• If you baguette does not stand up on it's own cut off a piece on the bottom to make it level.
• Position the baguettes together on the sheet pan to avoid rolling around.
• Using a silicone brush make spreading the dressing an easier job.

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Buffalo Chicken Baguette Pizzas

yeild:  2 pizza loaves

1 french baguette (about 24 inches)

2 cups shredded chicken (rotisserie or pre-cooked roasted)

2/3 cup buffalo wing sauce (ex: Frank's Red Hot Buffalo Wing Sauce)

2-3 Tablespoons Ranch Dressing

1/3 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup blue cheese crumbles

Toppings:  chopped scallions, and chopped cilantro

Prepare the bread - Turn the oven on Broil and allow it to heat up.  Split 1 baguette in half lengthwise and arrange on a baking sheet with the cut sides up.  Broil until light golden brown, about 2-3 minutes.  Reduce oven to bake at 375 degrees.

In a small bowl combine the chicken and buffalo sauce, mixing until coated.  Set aside.  Spread the ranch dressing over the cut side of both toasted breads and sprinkle evenly with the mozzarella.  Top with the chicken mixture and then sprinkle with blue cheese.

Bake on a sheet pan until cheese has melted and bread is crisp, about 3-5 minutes.  Top with scallions and cilantro.  Cut and serve hot.

Weeknight Balsamic Steak Salad

Yum

Are you ready for summer cooking?

How about a quick and easy weeknight meal that's delicious and satisfying?

I'm all about easy and quick during the summer so that we can spend more time outside enjoying the long evenings.  This recipe fits the bill with easy and quick, plus the bold flavors make this a crave-worthy recipe!

WEEKNIGHT BALSAMIC STEAK SALAD

This recipe can be made in 20 minutes with a little prep.  You should marinate the meat the night before and leave it in the refrigerator to soak up the yummy flavors until you are ready to cook.  Once that is done this meal comes together quickly.  All that's left is to grill the steak and put together the salad.  You will have one mouthwatering dish on the table in no time!

The marinade is full of complexity that leaves the steak juicy, tender, and dripping with wonderful flavor.  The salad is clean and simple with layers of tomatoes and avocado that compliment the steak.  The real punch comes from the blue cheese.  It's mind blowing how well these flavors compliment each other and this really makes the dish special so don't skip the cheese!  Some reserved marinade stands in as the dressing so the flavor profile is continued. 

We really love this salad, and I promise it's really easy to make on a weeknight.  Enjoy your new dinner recipe and enjoy the summer evenings!






Weeknight Balsamic Steak Salad

serves 2

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon of lemon zest
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
1- 1 1/2 lb beef flank steak
1 package (9 ounces) ready-to-serve salad greens

8 cherry tomatoes, halved 

1 Persian cucumber, halved and sliced

1/2 medium ripe avocado, peeled and thinly sliced
Crumbled blue cheese

For the marinade/dressing: In a bowl add the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, thyme and salt & pepper. Whisk to combine. Take half of the mixture and place it in a resealable plastic bag. Reserve the rest in a jar to use as the dressing.

Add steak to the back and toss to coat. Place in the refrigerator overnight, until ready to cook.

Heat an outdoor grill to medium high heat. Remove the steak from the bag allowing the marinade to drain. Grill steak, covered, turning once, until desired doneness (135 degrees for medium-rare, 160 degrees for medium. Remove steak from grill and allow to rest 5-8 minutes before cutting.

Meanwhile, divide the salad greens among 2 plates. Top with tomatoes, avocado, cucumber, and cheese crumbles. Slice steak against the grain in thin slices and top the salad with the steak. Drizzle with reserved dressing and serve. 

Fall Salad: Crispy Chicken, Apple, and Spinach Salad

Everyone is talking about fall...

All over "blogland" I'm seeing posts for fall flavors.  Well I have to tell you, in Southern California it is. not. fall. by. any. means.  I want it to be...but when it's been 100+ degrees outside for a couple of weeks now I wouldn't say it isn't fall. Also, I'm not craving the hearty stews just yet.  But some relief was in sight.  The weather changed yesterday...about 15 degrees cooler. Phew!

So in honor of the "upcoming" fall, which will hit us mid to late in October, I've created a wonderful salad.  Still light, but has the flavors of fall.

That flavor being apples!  I love them, and if I can get them in a salad all the better!  On top of that we have some nice toasty walnuts, blue cheese, and a crispy chicken breast.

You will need to pan fry a chicken breast for this one. It really works with this salad, making it nice and crunchy, even a little warm.   If you don't want to take the time you can use leftover chicken chunks.  It will have a slightly different texture to the salad but it's all good!  

Hope you enjoy this...I'm trying to think of fall as I eat it!

I also wanted to share some wonderful pics I took of the 9/11 memorial that was set up down at Pepperdine University by Malibu California.  So wonderful it took our breathe away.  See for yourself.  There is a flag for every person, representing their country, so you may see some wonder flags from around the globe.

Enjoy!

Crispy Chicken, Apple, and Spinach Salad

serves 4

4 boneless skinless chicken cutlets (thin sliced)
1/4 c flour 1 large egg, beaten 2/3 c Italian seasoned breadcrumbs 4 T canola oil
1 bunch of baby spinach, washed
1 apple, skin on, cored and sliced thin
1/3 c toasted walnuts
1/2 c bottled poppy seed dressing
1/3 c dried cranberries
1/3 c blue cheese crumbles

Place flour in a flat dish, as well as the beaten egg and breadcrumbs in separate dishes.  Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.  

Dredge the chicken cutlets in the flour.  Dip them in the egg, and then dredge them in the breadcrumbs. Place chicken in hot skillet and cook on each side 4 minutes or until done and golden brown.  Remove from pan and allow to rest for about 5 minutes.  Cut chicken into slices crosswise diagonally.

Divide spinach among 4 dinner plates.  Top with apple slices.  In a small bowl add walnuts, dressing, cranberries and cheese.  Mix together.  Top salads with chicken and drizzle with salad dressing.  Serve.

Red Leaf Salad with Blackberries and Blue Cheese

Sometimes the simplest salads are the best salads.

There is a whole new array of salads out there that feature fruit.  Fruit can lend a new texture and a little sweetness to a salad.  Using seasonal fruit allows you to change up your salad no matter the season.  The other bonus with fruit is that is can be added to your salad whole, raw, chopped, grilled, or pureed!

MGG never really liked fruit in his salad.  He typically sticks to the garden variety vegetables.  Me? I started out by putting raisins on my garden salad.  A little sweetness on top.  I loved it!  Now I've expanded to all kinds of fruits, and so has he.  The best part is he actually likes them!  Being the rabbit he is (he loves salads) it wasn't too hard of a sell to start getting him used to the fruity sweet taste.  A few cranberries here, a pear here, and before you know it he's craving them.

I particularly like to balance the sweetness or tartness of the fruit with a nice cheese.  And I really enjoy a regular ole vinaigrette rather than a fruit based one.  So this salad is just that.  Tart plump blackberries served on a bed of red leaf lettuce.  It is dressed with a balsamic homemade dressing and topped with some crumbled blue cheese to give it that edge.  YUMMY!

This is the perfect side salad, as it goes well with chicken and beef dishes.  You could also turn this into a wonderful main dish salad by adding some caramelized red onions and some sliced steak.  Hint Hint, this would be a wonderful Thanksgiving salad, simple to make and full of flavor!

So try this wonderfully "simple" salad.  The flavors are outstanding!

Red Leaf Salad with Blackberries and Blue Cheese

Serves 4-6

3 T extra virgin olive oil

2 T balsamic vinegar

Salt & pepper

6 c torn red leaf lettuce

½ lb blue cheese, crumbled

1 c fresh blackberries

In a small bowl whisk together the oil, vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste.

Place lettuce in a bowl.  Add the dressing and toss to coat evenly.  Add crumbled blue cheese.  Divide among serving plates, or platter and top with blackberries.  Serve.

Chicken Saltimbocca

 

I've been trying to eat healthier.  More veggies, less carbs.  Which I've been good at for the most part.  But also I've started paying attention to overall calories.

With the help of a great app called MyFitnessPal, counting all of this is much easier.  Cause honestly, who wants to count anyway.  Since the app does it all for you it really opens your eyes to your daily intake, and helps you make better choices.

Some days I'm good and some days I'm not so good.

Today was a good day! 

I started searching through my library of cookbooks and hit a goldmine I had forgotten I had.  A wonderful special publication called "Eatinglight, 400 calories or less".  Perfecto!  So I opened that puppy up and started to search for the perfect dinner to make. 

This is what I came up with.  Chicken Saltimbocca, served along some mixed greens dressed with a wine and lemon warm sauce.  A delishhh Italian dish, that was varied to make it lighter.  295 calories per serving good!  And only 10 grams of fat and 3 grams of carbs!  Can you say WOOHOO!

So off to the kitchen MGG and I went and whipped up this dish super quick.  It was done in about 30 minutes. We added a couple of sliced cucumbers and tomatoes to our greens for good measure.  Can't have too many veggies!  So what did we think?  Easy, quick, delicious , and best of all tasty!  

Try this version.  I know you will enjoy every bite.

Chicken Saltimbocca

Adapted from Good Housekeeping, Eatinglight 400 calories or less

Serves 4

4 slices thinly sliced prosciutto

2 oz Blue Cheese, crumbled

4 medium boneless, skinless chicken breasts

2 t olive oil

½ c dry white wine

1 T fresh lemon juice

1 bag of mixed baby greens

On large work surface or cutting board lay prosciutto slices in a row.  Evenly divide Blue Cheese and place in center of prosciutto slices.  Place 1 chicken breast across the mound of Blue Cheese.   Wrap the chicken breast with the prosciutto.  Make sure to press firmly to enclose the cheese, ensuring the cheese does not leak out during cooking. 

In a large skillet over medium high heat add oil and heat.   Add the chicken, cheese side down, and cook 6 to 7 minutes.  Turn the chicken over an cook an additional 6 to 7 minutes or until cooked through and golden brown.  Transfer to a plate covering with foil to keep warm. 

To the skillet, add the wine and lemon juice off the flame.  Place back on the burner and boil over medium high heat 2 minutes until reduced by half.  Stir to loosen any browned bits in the bottom of the skillet. 

Place greens in large bowl and toss with wine mixture.  Arrange the greens on 4 dinner plates and top with chicken.  Serve and enjoy!


shared with:  Weekend Potluck
Clever Chicks Blog Hop

Pear and Blue Cheese Salad

Don't you love salads?

Another salad I always adored is from Trader Joe's.  They have a Pear and Gorgonzola salad that is killer.   So I set out to recreate that salad, and I must say...it's rather easy, and certainly tasty.

Take advantage of the fresh pears in season right now.  So light and crisp!

This blends some great flavors together with pear, blue cheese (instead of the Gorgonzola) for a little more punch, dried cherries (tangy), and walnuts (for a depth of flavor).  Spectacular fall flavors!

This is a great salad to accompany any dinner, or for a light lunch.  I hope you like it.

Check out my Harvest Salad as well, for some more great fall flavors.

Doesn't this look refreshing? 

Want some?

Don't forget a piece of nice crusty bread!

Pear and Blue Cheese Salad

Serves 4

4 c Green leaf lettuce, torn

½ c dried cherries
2 pears, peeled and sliced
1/3 c walnuts, toasted
1/3 c blue cheese crumbled
Olive oil vinaigrette (I used Newman’s)

Directions:

Wash and dry your lettuce, tearing into bite sized pieces.  In a skillet over low heat add your walnuts, and toast for 3 min. 

 

In a large bowl add your lettuce, dried cherries, pears, walnuts, and blue cheese.

Toss with a light amount of salad dressing.  Serve.

Croque Monsieur

I've had a week trying to get over a nasty cold and in 80 degree weather in CA it's not so fun...So sometimes a good hot sandwich just hits the spot.

This is one of my favorite sandwiches.  Like a hot ham and cheese, but kicked up a notch.  Croque Monsieur is the french version and it's mighty tasty!

Here's how to make it.

Mix a tablespoon of Dijon mustard and a tablespoon of mayo in a small bowl.

Take two slices of your favorite bread, (I used a nice Italian loaf) and spread the mustard mixture on to both slices.

Next, layer several slices of deli ham on one of the slices of bread.

Add a good amount of shredded swiss cheese on top of the ham.  (I like cheese...)

Place the other slice of bread on the cheese, mustard mixture down against the cheese.]

Beat the egg with the milk and place in a shallow dish.

Place the sandwich in the egg mixture and press down. 

Turn the mixture over and dip it in the egg mixture as well.

In a skillet heated over medium heat add the sandwich and cook on each side about 3-4 minutes until brown.

You can use a lid to cover and this will help melt the cheese.

Enjoy...yummy!

Croque Monsieur

Yield:  1 serving

Ingredients:

1 T Dijon mustard
1 T Mayonnaise
2 slices Italian bread
2-3 slices deli sliced ham
1/4 cup shredded Swiss cheese
1 egg beaten
a Splash 2% milk

Directions:

Combine mustard and mayonnaise in a small bowl.

Spread over both slices of bread.  Layer ham on 1 slice of bread and top with cheese.  Top with other slice of bread mustard side down. 

Combine egg and milk in a shallow dish. Dip both sides of each sandwich into the egg mixture.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat.  Add sandwich to the skillet and cook 3-4 minutes on each side or until lightly browned and cheese melts.  Cover with lid if necessary to melt cheese.

Spinach and Feta Cheese Bundles

It's almost New Year's Eve and I'm in the mood for some appetizers...are you?

I've been eyeing this calzone recipe from Cooking Light and decided to make a variation of it buy turning it in to little appetizer bundles. 

So here's my test run with this new recipe. They came out great!  I can't wait to serve them at my New Year's celebration.  Hope you try them too!

You'll need a can of pizza dough.  I used Pillsbury's thin crust pizza dough.

Unroll it on to a 15x8" pan that you have sprayed lightly with cooking spray.

Stretch it out to fit the sheet. 

Next take a pizza cutter and cut 4 rows across the width and 3 rows down the length of the dough.

You should end up with 12 small squares.

Sprinkle the minced garlic evenly over the 12 squares.  Use a little more if you dare!

Cut up the red onion into very thin slices and then separate them in to rings like this.

Place a small mound of baby spinach on each square..not too much...these get pretty full!

Place 1 or 2 thin onion rings on each bundle, as you please.

Place several crumbles of mushrooms (about 4-5 crumbles) on top of that.

Place feta cheese on top of that.  I used about 1 teaspoon on each one, crumbling up the pieces a little more.

Then you take 1 corner, and the opposite corner and pinch them together well.  Take the two remaining corner and do the same.  Pinch all points together now...real tight or they will come apart!

Look how pretty!

Pop 'em in the oven at 400 degrees for 12 min, until golden brown.  Ummm Ummm!
Take a look at these babies will ya?
Making my mouth water...

I'm definitely going to make some variations of this....stay tuned!

Spinach and Feta Cheese Bundles

A variation of Cooking Light’s recipe Spinach Calzones with Blue Cheese

A scrumptious appetizer!

12 servings

1 (10-ounce) can refrigerated pizza crust - thin crust variety
Cooking spray
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups baby spinach leaves
12 -16 thin rings of red onion
4 oz. button mushrooms sliced and crumbled in pieces
1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese

Preheat oven to 400°.

Unroll dough onto a baking sheet coated with cooking spray; stretch out dough to fit a 15x8” pan.  Cut dough into 4 rows lengthwise and then 3 row width-wise creating 12 squares.  Sprinkle garlic evenly over squares.  

Cut onion in to very thin slices and separate in to rings.

Top each square with a mound of baby spinach, 2 onion rings, about 6 mushroom crumbles and 1 teaspoon of feta cheese.

To make bundles bring 2 opposite corners to center, pinching points to seal. Bring remaining 2 corners to center, pinching all points together to seal. Bake at 400° for 12 minutes or until golden.