Chicken, Shrimp and Pesto Pizza…

When I moved to CoMo to attend the lovely ole Mizzou I thought that pizza was simply crust, sauce, and cheese. Occasionally I would go out on a limb and add some Canadian bacon on it. Little did I know that my world of pizza would quickly be turned upside down by one visit to one restaurant in particular.

Come here you lovely dear

It was a simple Sunday evening invitation to go eat dinner at “this place downtown.” Sure why not the dorms didn’t have much in the way of good meals on Sunday’s. Then enters a restaurant that since then has never left my rotation of loves, Flat Branch Pub and Brewing a downtown institution. My friends and I start checking out the menu most of them are ordering burgers and wraps. I on the other hand had locked my eyes on the pizza section of the menu. And there it was calling my name “Shrimp and Pesto Pizza.” Good heavens my opinion of pizza changed right then and there forever!!! Lord of mercy it was A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!!! I was hooked! I left there a changed woman!

My assistant learning the importance of seasoning chicken early on!

This is post baking you see it is a bit browned but for sure not done all the way through

This is the pesto I used I just thought it was neat!

All the toppings minus the shrimp...I can't help that I am an idiot at times!

Then it happen someone asked if I wanted to go eat dinner at Flat Branch a few weeks later…hum YES!!! Pizza amazingness here I come! My eyes head straight to the pizza section of the menu…it’s GONE. AHHHHHH waitress we need to talk!!! “Miss there was a pizza called amazing on this menu the last time I was here, and now it is gone!!! WHAT IS UP” “Oh yes we rotate our pizzas regularly!” WHYYYYYYYYYY oh WHYYYYYYYYY!!!

Ready to head to the oven

Since that one brief time I have never been at Flat Brach when this pizza has been back on the menu. So this weekend I decided I was making it!!! Heck I might as well try, since I can’t seem to get the appropriate timing! This puppy turned out great! I did add chicken to the mix solely because I was making it for my parents and my dad is a fan of meat! Give this a try, I left one corner without the toppings, just cheese and my kiddo was a fan of that!

Finished product...Let's EAT!!!

Chicken, Shrimp and Pesto Pizza

2 Tbsp Cornmeal

1 can Pillsbury Pizza Crust

1 jar (or tube) of prepared pesto

2 Tbsp EVOO

2 cups shredded mozzarella

1 cup fresh mozzarella (cut in slices)

2 Roma tomatoes (sliced)

1 hand full of baby spinach leaves

1 chicken breast (seasoned with salt and pepper and cooked, then diced)

1lb cooked shrimp (I used raw frozen shrimp and sautéed them in a little EVOO)

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a large baking sheet then sprinkle on the cornmeal evenly over the sheet. Spread your crust dough out over the sheet, and prick with a fork. Bake it for 10 minutes, the curst shouldn’t be all done, but this prebaking is necessary for a nice crisp crust!

While your crust is baking prepare the remainder of your ingredient. Since I took the short cut with the prepared pesto I add a bit more EVOO to it just to freshen it up a bit!

Once the crust has cooled a bit it is time for assembly! Spread a thin layer of the pesto mixture over the crust. It is important to keep this layer thin or it can overpower everything else. Sprinkle on the shredded cheese. Then lay the slices of the fresh mozzarella over the pie! Next comes the tomatoes, and spinach. You want even distribution of all of this. Last is your chicken and shrimp.

Put your pizza back in the oven for another 10-12 minutes. You want your crust to brown nicely and all the ingredients to become friends (in other words your cheese needs to melt)! Take it out of the oven and allow it to cool for a few minutes before you transfer it to a cutting board. Cut it up and enjoy from there!