Pizza Friday: Hawaiian Pizza

We recently went to Southern California to visit my dad and stepmom. On the way home we were lucky enough to fly out of John Wayne Airport in Orange County, which despite being a very small airport has a surprising number of decent eateries. At least compared to Newark Airport. Ugh. I will never forget the truly awful, inedible bagel sandwich I had on the flight out. Blech.



Anyway. Steve and Katie decided to split a Hawaiian pizza from California Pizza Kitchen and immediately asked me to recreate it at home. I've been making Hawaiian pizza for years. It's Katie's all-time favorite and I usually make it with cubed ham and caramelized pineapple, which is freakin' delicious. But they asked for this version, with thinly sliced ham and larger slices of pineapple, so I acquiesced.

Hawaiian Pizza

1/2 ball pizza dough
1/2 cup pizza sauce (we love Don Pepino)
8oz shredded mozzarella cheese
8 pieces of very thinly sliced ham, cut in half
small can pineapple rings, each ring cut in half
dried oregano
garlic salt

Place a pizza stone in your oven and preheat the oven to 500 degrees.

Lay a piece of parchment paper the size of the pizza stone on a work surface. Dust lightly with flour and roll out the pizza dough into a 14-inch circle. Spread the pizza sauce in a thin layer over the dough, leaving a half-inch margin around the outer edges. Sprinkle the shredded mozzarella over the top, then add the pieces of ham and pineapple. Dust with some oregano and garlic salt, to taste.

Transfer the pizza on the parchment paper to the pizza stone. Bake for 15 minutes, checking often to make sure there are no bubbles forming. I keep a poking stick handy to pop them during the first 5 minutes.

Remove the pizza from the oven and allow it to rest for 5 minutes before slicing.

BBQ Chicken and Pineapple Lettuce Wraps with Cilantro Yogurt Sauce

This recipe for BBQ Chicken and Pineapple Lettuce Wraps with Cilantro Yogurt Sauce was so amazing I actually dusted off the ol' food blog so I could share it with you. That's really saying something since it's been 4 months since I posted. Oops!! Life got seriously crazy and, while it's still a whirlwind, these lettuce wraps are just too good not to share.



A quick recap of what's been happening since we last spoke:

1. Katie stopped sleeping. She had a long sleepover at my parent's house Thanksgiving weekend and while we don't think anything happened to cause the sleep issues, that's when it all started. She was scared to be alone, didn't want to sleep, etc. This lasted about two long, painful months. We felt like we had a newborn again. No one was happy.

2. I was laid off. Downsizing sucks and I lost my job due to a reorg. My last day at my old company was December 9 and it was incredibly bittersweet.

3. I enjoyed unemployment. Well, for about a week I did. Ha! Due to the aforementioned sleep issues, this was a trying time for us. Plus we were all sick off and on for weeks on end. Winter was not kind to our family, that's for sure. The week before I started my new job (more on that later) was the one week where I actually sat around and watched Call the Midwife and did a whole lot of nothing. It was glorious and over way too quickly.

4. We were sick. A lot. Despite being in daycare most of her life, Katie had a rough winter at public school. She's had 5 colds and one turned into pneumonia (that was fun). I'm so ready for warmer weather!

5. I got a new job! Due to a crazy fortuitous series of events, I ended up finding a new job before my severance ran out. Yippee. I'm doing basically the same thing I was doing previously, just with a different company. I was sick as a dog with a horrific head cold while going through the interview process, but since this was another full-time work from home position, all my interviews were done over the phone (score!) It's been tough getting settled in my new role, but well worth it because...

6. We sold our house/bought a new house! We've been stuck in our current home for 10 years (thanks, crash of 2008) and thought we'd never be able to get out from under it. But, we scrimped and saved and came up with what we thought was a two-year plan. Then I got the new job and the market in our town exploded and suddenly we were doing this NOW. We actually put the offer in on our new house the weekend before I started my new job and the offer was accepted on my first day of work. A month later we put our house on the market and it sold without ever officially being listed. It's an insane story, really, and we're still pinching ourselves over it. We closed on the new house last Friday and we're having a lot of work done before we move in. The house was vacant for almost 2 years so it needs a lot of cosmetic stuff. It's amazing what fresh paint can do! We close on our current house two weeks from tomorrow! Eeek!

Phew. I think you're all caught up now so on to the recipe!!

Is it me or do lettuce wraps make you feel less guilt about eating whatever you've stuffed inside? I felt like I could eat 10 of these and not gain an ounce. Ha!

A few notes: I had one pound of chicken thighs in the freezer so I used those instead of chicken breasts. It wasn't nearly enough. I'm doubling the recipe below so you have plenty of deliciousness to go around. I also left out the cashews due to Katie's nut allergy. And I didn't bother with the romaine and iceberg, despite having both in my fridge.

Don't let the long ingredient list scare you. A lot of it is seasoning. These were so simple to throw together on a weeknight and I didn't even bother with a side dish since you've got meat and veggies all in one spot. Make these now!!

BBQ Chicken and Pineapple Lettuce Wraps with Cilantro Yogurt Sauce
As seen on How Sweet It Is

1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into pieces
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small red onion, diced
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 large can diced pineapple, cut into cubes the same size as chicken pieces
6 tablespoons BBQ sauce, plus more for drizzling
2/3 cup freshly torn cilantro
1 avocado, sliced
1 bunch scallions, sliced
1 head of iceberg lettuce, leaves torn off
limes, for serving

Greek Yogurt Cilantro Drizzle
1/3 cup Greek yogurt
1/3 cup freshly torn cilantro
3 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Mix the salt, pepper, paprika, garlic and onion powder together in a small bowl. Season the chicken with the seasoning mix. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil. Add the chicken and cook until browned, about 6 to 8 minutes. Add the onion and brown sugar, stirring well to remove any brown bits from the pan. Cook for 5 minutes, or until golden brown. Stir in the pineapple and the BBQ sauce. Let cook for another 5 minutes.

To assemble the lettuce wraps, add some sliced avocado to the lettuce leaves, then top with a few spoonfuls of the chicken mixture. Add the green onions, cilantro and a drizzle of BBQ sauce, if desired. Finish off with the drizzle of the yogurt cilantro sauce.

To make the drizzle: add all ingredients to a food processor and blend until smooth.

Tropical Chicken Quesadillas with Pineapple-Avocado Salsa

I've had this recipe for Tropical Chicken Quesadillas with Mango-Avocado Salsa printed out for awhile but I wasn't sold on the mango. Then I had leftover pineapple from these Island Burgers with Pineapple-Lime Salsa and realized I could sub the pineapple for the mango.

I left the hot pepper out of the salsa because I'm not that into spice. I also opted to cook the onion until caramelized and leave out the red pepper because I don't particularly like peppers. As I was getting ready to cook the chicken I noticed the leftover spice rub from the BBQ Spiced Pork Tenderloin sitting on the counter. I decided to use it and wow, what a great idea. The flavors from the rub were perfect on the chicken and went so well with the onions and cheese.

But the real winner was the salsa combined with the quesadillas. The pineapple was a great substitute for the mango and when I put a little salsa on the quesadilla it was the perfect combination of tang from the pineapple, creaminess of the avocado and a slight bite from the red onion.

I can't wait to make these again.

Tropical Chicken Quesadillas with Pineapple-Avocado Salsa
Adapted from Apple a Day

For the salsa:
1 1/2 cups diced pineapple, cut into quarters (juice reserved)
1/2 avocado, peeled and diced
1 Roma tomato, seeded and diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup thinly slicked red onion
Salt and pepper, to taste

For the quesadillas:
2 boneless chicken breasts
3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons white sugar
2 tablespoons paprika
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
2 teaspoons ground ginger powder
2 teaspoons onion powder
1/2 teaspoons crushed dried rosemary
2 teaspoons oil, divided
1 onion, thinly sliced
8 medium/soft taco size tortillas
1 1/2 cups shredded Mexican or cheddar cheese
Cooking spray

To make the salsa, combine all ingredients in a nonreactive bowl. Taste and adjust seasonings. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Marinate the chicken breasts in the reserved pineapple juice for at least 1 hour and up to 6 hours.

Combine the brown sugar through dried rosemary in a bowl. Mix well. Remove the chicken from the pineapple juice and sprinkle the dry rub on the chicken breasts, coating evenly.

Preheat oven (or toaster oven) to 350 degrees. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large skillet. Sauté chicken until browned on both sides, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a baking sheet lined with tinfoil and put in the oven. Bake for 30 minutes or until cooked through. Set aside to cool slightly, about 3 minutes. Cut into a small dice or shred.

While the chicken is cooking, heat the other teaspoon of oil in a nonstick skillet. Add the onions and saute until caramelized and brown, about 15 minutes.

Lay out four tortillas and assemble quesadillas in this order - cheese, onion, chicken, cheese. Top with remaining tortillas.

Spray a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium heat. Lay quesadilla in the skillet and let cook until the bottom of the tortilla is golden and crispy. Flip and let cook until the other side is also golden and crispy and the cheese is melted. Repeat cooking process with remaining quesadillas. Serve immediately with salsa.

Recipe Swap: Island Burgers with Pineapple-Lime Salsa

It's time for another round of the Blogger's Choice Recipe Swap. I was excited when I received Coleen's blog, The Redheaded Baker, which recently went through a redesign and name change.

My game plan when I get a blog for these swaps is to figure out what ingredient or cuisine I want to make to help me narrow down the choices. I had already made my menu for the week and decided I wanted something using ground beef. As soon as this recipe for Island Burgers with Pineapple-Lime Salsa popped up I remembered printing it out when Coleen made it for the Sandwich/Burger Swap.

This was a messy but delicious burger. I didn't even bother making it for SP - he got a plain cheeseburger to dress however he wanted. It worked out well because my one pound of ground beef only yielded 3 burgers. The jerk seasoning added a wonderful flavor to the burger patties - I don't think I've ever had anything with that particular flavor profile before. The pineapple salsa was a great compliment to the burger but the chunks made it tough to eat - pieces were falling out left and right. It was worth it, though.

Thanks for a delicious burger, Coleen!

Island Burgers with Pineapple-Lime Salsa
As seen on The Redheaded Baker

For the salsa:
1/2 can diced pineapple, cut into smaller dice
2 tablespoons diced red onion
2 tablespoons cilantro leaves, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
Juice of 1/2 lime
1 avocado

For the burgers:
1 1/2 lbs ground beef
4 teaspoons jerk seasoning
Cooking spray
4 slices Cheddar cheese
4 burger rolls

Early the day of serving, or the day before, combine the pineapple, sweet onion, cilantro, pepper and lime juice in a medium bowl. Toss to combine. Let stand at room temperature for one hour, then cover and refrigerate.

Divide the beef into 4 portions and form into patties. Use your thumb to press an indentation in the center of each patty. Sprinkle the top half of each patty with 1/2 teaspoon jerk seasoning. Flip over and season the other side with another 1/2 teaspoon of seasoning.

Spray a heavy skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium heat. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Add the burgers and cook for 6 minutes. Split the burger buns, and place on parchment-lined baking sheet.

Flip and cook another 6 minutes for medium-rare doneness and place baking sheet in oven to toast the burger buns.

Place one slice of cheese atop each burger and cover the skillet with a large pot lid to melt the cheese. While cheese is melting, dice the avocado, add it to the salsa, and gently toss to combine.
Place one patty on each roll and top with a spoonful or two of the salsa.

To see what the other swap participants made click the links below.

Hawaiian Chicken Sandwich

This post is featured over at Carrie's Sweet Life. Check out her blog for more delicious recipe ideas.

In my neverending quest to find new ways to cook with pineapple, I came across this recipe for Hawaiian Chicken Sandwiches. I'd never heard of Heinz 57 Sauce, but I love chicken and I love pineapple so I put it on the menu.


This was actually the second time in a week that I made this recipe. The first time I followed the directions to grill and then shred the chicken. Unfortunately the texture was so off-putting I ate a few bites and threw it away (saving the pineapple for Round 2). I've seen plenty of other bloggers make this recipe without any issues, so I don't know what happened. I will say that I don't usually think of shredding chicken after grilling it, only after poaching or slow cooking.

For Round 2 I grilled the chicken and left it whole while using the leftover sauce to dress the sandwich, along with some mayo. It was utterly delicious. The spice from the Tabasco and Heinz 57 Sauce was perfect and the smokiness from the charcoal grill added a nice complexity to the other flavors.

Hawaiian Chicken Sandwiches
Adapted from Confections of a Foodie Bride

1/2 cup Heinz 57 Sauce
Fresh pineapple, cored and sliced into 1/2″ inch rings*
2 tablespoons honey, plus more (if desired)
Tabasco sauce
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
4 buns or sandwich rolls

Heat grill to medium heat.

Place one 1/2″ ring of pineapple into a food processor or blender and process until pureed. Pour the processed pineapple into a medium bowl and stir in the steak sauce, honey, and a couple of dashes of Tabasco. Taste and add honey if additional sweetness is desired. Remove 1/4 cup of sauce to use for basting and reserve the rest for serving.

Brush pineapple rings with olive oil and place on the grill. Cook for 5-7 minutes on each side, until the sugars start to caramelize and nice grill marks have developed.

Pound chicken breasts to an even thickness. Brush the Hawaiian sauce on one side of the chicken breast and season liberally with salt and pepper. Place on the grill and cook about 6-8 minutes, turning once halfway through. Before turning the chicken, baste with the remaining Hawaiian sauce.

Remove chicken and pineapple rings from the grill when done. Let chicken stand for 5 minutes, then assemble your sandwiches. Divide the pineapple rings and chicken between the 4 buns, top with some of the extra Hawaiian sauce and some mayo, if desired, and serve warm.

*Note: You will have extra pineapple to save for another use.

Grilled Chicken & Pineapple Quesadillas

I love quesadillas. They're so versatile. You can put pretty much anything between two tortillas, add some cheese and you've got a delicious and easy dinner.

I never liked pineapple before I was pregnant with Baby Girl, but now I can't get enough of it. Before seeing this recipe for Grilled Chicken & Pineapple Quesadillas, I never would have thought to add it to a quesadilla but you know what, it works. It really works.


I've been thinking about these quesadillas all week and can't wait to make them again. Even SP loved them and he was pretty skeptical about the recipe when he saw it on this week's menu.

I left out the sliced jalapenos because I just can't handle spice the way I used to, but I'm sure they'd make a nice addition to counter the sweetness of the pineapple. Make these tonight! And if you have leftovers, they're even better the next day reheated in the oven.

Grilled Chicken & Pineapple Quesadilla
Pioneer Woman

8 whole Flour Tortillas
Butter Or Margarine
2 cups Grilled Pineapple, Sliced
3 whole Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
Salt And Pepper, to taste
3 cups Monterey Jack Cheese, Grated
1 whole Jalapeno, Sliced
Cilantro
3 Tablespoons Barbecue Sauce

To grill pineapple: cut wedges, stick on skewers, and grill over low heat. Cut into slices.

Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper and Cajun spice (or cumin/cayenne, etc.) Drizzle olive oil on a grill pan and grill on both sides until done, brushing with barbecue sauce. Set aside and slice into very thin slices.

Warm griddle over medium heat and put sizzling butter or margarine in the pan. Slightly warm and toast tortillas on both sides, then remove from griddle and set aside.

To assemble, sprinkle four browned tortillas with grated Monterey Jack. Arrange chicken slices evenly over the surface. Add pineapple slices and jalapeno slices. Sprinkle on cilantro. If desired, drizzle extra barbecue sauce over the top. Add second browned tortilla on top of each one. (You’ll have four complete quesadillas at this point.)

Add to oven to warm, or back to skillet to warm, until cheese is melted. Cut each quesadilla into six wedges. Serve with sour cream, pico de gallo, and lime wedges.