A hint of rosemary adds a wonderful aroma and flavor to everything it’s cooked with. The key is being careful not to use too much, as the rosemary will overpower the other ingredients if you do.
Rosemary is great with potatoes and chicken, and this pizza topping could definitely stand on its own, too. Most kids love pizza, so it’s fun to experiment with different toppings, venturing away from plain cheese, if they’ll let you.
One of my son’s favorite ways to help me cook is to pick herbs from our garden. Here’s a tip: rosemary grows extremely easily and if it’s not in your yard, there’s a good chance it’s in your neighbors! Turn this recipe into a nature walk with you kids!
Ingredients:
Olive oil for pans
1 cup finely diced onion
1 1/2 tablespoons very finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
3 cups red potatoes, cut into a small dice
1 large boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into a small cubes
1 pound of your favorite pizza dough
1 1/2 cups grated gruyere cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
Preparation:
Serves 8
Total Prep and Cooking Time: 40 minutes
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees, cover a baking sheet with foil and set aside. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large saute pan. Add the onions and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in the rosemary and cook until aromatic, about 30 seconds. Then add the potatoes and continue to cook until they are tender, about 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Turn the heat to high, add a bit more oil, and add the chicken. Cook just to brown the chicken and then remove the pan from the heat. (The chicken will finish cooking the oven.)
Add a couple of tablespoons of olive oil to the center of the foil-lined baking sheet. Shape the dough by holding it up in the air and letting the bottom drop, rotating your hands in a circular motion until a nice flat round begins to form. Try not to pull on the dough or it might tear. It won’t be an exact circle, but rather an odd-shaped one. Place the dough on the olive oil on the baking sheet and then gently spread it out to cover most of the surface.
Cover the surface of the dough with the gruyere and then evenly add the topping.
Bake until the sides of the crust begin to brown, about 20 to 25 minutes.
Some additional notes:
Trader Joe’s has fantastic pizza dough in the refrigerator section of the store. To use, let it sit out for 30 minutes and then stretch it out with your hands to shape it onto an olive oil covered baking sheet. Do not bake it before adding your toppings.
For my gluten-free 6 1/2-year old and my gluten-free husband (he’s older), I use my Gluten-Free Parmesan Pizza Crust.