Extra Crispy Tortilla Pizza w. Grilled Chicken

 

UPDATE: The Daily Meal selected my recipe as the winner of the Perdue "Farm to Family Meals" contest! Yippee!

As a health coach, I often work with clients on making sure they've got healthy foods prepared. Because, despite good intentions, if you don't have easy access to good foods, you probably won't eat good foods! Things like cooked brown rice, roasted veggies, washed greens, and grilled chicken breasts are all super versatile (quick salads, sandwiches, soups) so they come in handy in a pinch.

When I was invited through The Daily Meal's Culinary Content Network to  participate in the @PerdueChicken "Farm to Family Meals" contest, I was ready to use one of my simple, tasty, and nutritious meal ideas. I selected the Simply Smart Original Grilled Chicken Strips; they are fully cooked and frozen, plus no antibiotics are ever used. I used this $1.50 off coupon; every time someone redeems it, Perdue donates a meal to the hungry through Feeding America. Bonus!

Whether you've already got grilled chicken made or you're reaching for some frozen grilled chicken strips, you've got to make this super crispy, super simple tortilla pizza!

 

Ingredients
each pizza serves 1-2 people, recipe can easily be doubled or tripled

• 1 whole wheat tortilla
• 4 or 5 grilled chicken strips
• 3-4 Tablespoons salsa
• 1 scallion, chopped (whites and greens separated)
• about 1/3 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese 
• 1/4 avocado, diced
• a few grape tomatoes, sliced
• olive oil or ghee

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. 

Set a 12" cast iron skillet with a little bit of oil or ghee over medium high heat on the stove. Brown both sides of your tortilla to your liking. Take it out of the pan and let it rest on a rack, if you have one, or on a plate. You will notice the tortilla gets quite firm and crisp as it cools (like bacon!).
 
Toss the chicken into the skillet for a few minutes—the time will depend on whether your chicken is frozen or not—to warm it through. Once the chicken is warmed, cut it into bite-sized pieces.

Now, to assemble the pizza. Put the tortilla back into the cast iron skillet; this pan will help ensure the tortilla stays crispy! Spread the salsa onto the tortilla; top with the grilled chicken and the whites of the scallion; then sprinkle the cheese across the top.

Put the pan into the oven for 11-13 minutes, until the cheese is bubbling and beginning to brown. Remove from oven let the pizza cool in the pan for a couple of minutes. Slide onto a cutting board.
 
Top with chopped scallion greens, tomatoes, and avocado. Then cut into sections and dig in immediately, while the pizza is still super crispy and hot. 

You can see here how that crust is curled up and firm, supporting all those toppings. Soggy crust is not welcome in my house.

 

A fun way to get veggies into your kids' bellies, am I right? Your kids can even help make this simple dish, spreading the salsa, sprinkling the cheese and other toppinds—talk about a simple weeknight supper!

What are your favorite easy meals to make with grilled chicken?