Chicken & Brussels Sprout Pizza

First and foremost, yes- brussels sprouts on pizza are fabulous. Brussels sprouts are one of my favorite vegetables and I like to use them in many different ways. Luckily for me, my boyfriend also likes them, so I didn't have to worry that I was going to eat this whole pizza alone. (Which I could have, by the way.) However, I know a lot of people don't care for them, so if you're trying to convert a brussels sprouts hater, this might be worth trying! I used a store bought pizza crust for this, but by all means make your own if you want to- I was hungry and didn't feel like fooling with it. As I've said before, unless it's a weekend and I don't have a lot going on, I'm totally ok with using store bought crust rather than making my own from scratch. I also didn't use a sauce on this pizza, just olive oil & garlic...but the fun thing about pizza is that there really isn't a set recipe, so use whatever you want. I added a bit of shredded cabbage to my pizza because I needed to use it up before it expired, but it's not necessary. Use whatever veggies you have in the house... I do however think you should give the brussels sprouts a chance!
What You'll Need:
1 can pizza crust (I used Pillsbury Classic Crust)
1 Tbsp olive oil for the crust, plus more for cooking
1 1/2 Tbsp oregano
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, or 1/2 a medium onion, chopped
2 cups shredded cheese (I used a mix of provolone & mozzarella, but use whatever you like, as long as it melts well)
1 LB ground chicken
1 package brussells sprouts, thinly sliced
1 cup shredded red cabbage
1 8 oz package crimini mushrooms
What to Do:
- Preheat the oven according to package directions on the pizza dough
- Brown the chicken in a pan that's been heated with just a teaspoon or so of olive oil. While the chicken is cooking, season with salt and pepper, and the oregano. Once the chicken is completely brown, drain and set aside.
-In the same pan, heat just another teaspoon of olive oil, and heat the onion through, just a couple of minutes. Add the mushrooms and red cabbage, and let cook another few minutes. (Don't forget to salt & pepper the veggies!) I didn't cook the brussels sprouts prior to putting them on the pizza, because I like mine to have a very crunchy texture. If you'd like yours a bit softer, cook them for a few minutes in the pan with the rest of the vegetables.
-Next, it's time to assemble the pizza. Spray a cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray, and roll the pizza dough out onto the sheet. Using a pastry brush, coat the dough with a tablespoon of olive oil, making sure to spread evenly on the dough. You really don't need much more than a tablespoon of oil, or the dough will be almost too soft when finished. Next, sprinkle the dough with the minced garlic, and then add about half of the cheese.
-At this point, put the dough into the oven, and let it bake for about 6 minutes, to give the cheese a chance to melt and for the dough just to begin to brown.
-Next, take the baking sheet out of the oven, and then layer on the rest of the ingredients; the ground chicken, the mushroom, cabbage and onion mixture, the brussels sprouts, and then lastly the rest of the cheese. Just make sure to leave a bit of a margin around the edge of your crust!
-Bake the pizza for the rest of the time needed per the instructions on the can. If you use the same crust I did, it takes about 17 minutes total. So at this point, you only need to bake it another 11 minutes or so, and it'll be done. Just keep an eye on it so the crust doesn't burn, as every oven is different. Let the pizza cool for a few minutes before cutting into it, it's worth the wait!