Days 115-119: TBT & My West Coast Pizza

Wow!  I have a lot to catch up on!!! Well, I have good reason, I think.  I have 2 catering "gigs" I've been working on, plus Noah's 1st birthday coming up.  Not to mention the regular rigors of the day-to-day and we are getting into graduation/cookout season so things are starting to pick up on the social calendar.  Whew!  The Dattolos have been busy.
I'm particularly proud to feature my own recipe for a West Coast style pizza in today's post and the rest of it will be a quick overview of our other dinners.  Dinners this past week and in the coming week will be fast, furious, and cheap.  Whenever I have a party to cook for (like Noah's) or other catering jobs, my family dinners take a minor hit.  We have to eat simply because I'm not about to prepare a 4-course meal while I'm also preparing a banquet for someone else, and they have to be cheap when I'm purchasing food for our own upcoming party.  So I have one recipe to share from you today, then I'll share a recipe from my most recent catering gig and after that, I believe I have about 1 new original recipe coming up this week before Noah's party and that's about it.  So savor these few recipes in the upcoming week(s) and happy cooking!!! :)

Day 115 (Wednesday): Tonight featured my "ThrowBack Thursday" (yes, on a Wednesday) meal--turkey sausage lasagna.  I re-vamped the post for this recipe and re-posted it on Thursday.  For the recipe and new pictures, see the link.

Day 116 (Thursday): Bethany's West Coast Pizza (see recipe & pictures below)

Day 117 (Friday):  How lucky am I to be able to eat fantastic meals in the name of "research?"  :)  A friend of mine and I went out for dinner tonight and I was debating between a salad, the pasta dish I normally get, or a new shrimp scampi that was featured with summer vegetables.  I opted for the 3rd choice.  I was not disappointed.  It was delicious and definitely provided inspiration for a future home-cooked meal!

Day 118 (Saturday):  Well I spent most of the day (and evening) cooking for a luncheon on Sunday (one of my catering gigs).  So naturally, we ordered pizza for supper!  I'll include pictures from the luncheon and a recipe for a new dish in tomorrow's post.  Stay tuned!

Day 119 (Sunday--today):  Luncheon and graduation party!  It was a busy but wonderful day!!!  I spent the morning cooking and making sure I was ready for the luncheon I catered and beyond that, started to prepare for my next gig, and then relaxed at a graduation party held at a local (Fitchburg) martini bar.  What a great time!

Bethany's West Coast Pizza
This recipe is inspired by Randy and my recent trip to California where we shared a "West Coast Combo" pizza that was excellent!  This incorporates all of the ingredients of that pizza except the mushrooms.  It was delicious and brought back fond memories!
 
pizza dough
2 chicken breasts, grilled and cubed
pepperoni
sliced tomato
1/4 of a red onion, sliced
4-5 pieces of cooked bacon, broken up
fresh basil, julianne (sliced in strips)
2 cups cheddar jack cheese
Ranch dressing
drizzle of barbeque sauce

1. Drizzle a pizza stone with olive oil.

2. Place the dough on the stone and roll it out to cover completely.  Bake the dough in a 400* oven for about 8 minutes then remove.

3.  Grill the chicken then cut it in cubes or shreds.

4. Brush ranch dressing on the crust.

5. Sprinkle 1/2 of the cheese on the crust.

6.  Spread the chicken over the cheese and crust.

7. Top with the pepperoni, sliced tomato, and red onion. And sprinkle with the bacon and fresh basil.

8.Top with the remaining cheese and drizzle with barbeque sauce.

9. Bake another 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted.