Taco Braid

My family LOVES this. We also do a variation of Pizza Braid.

I have used the Pantry Secrets bread recipe.. You can also find the recipe HERE.

or the Our Best Bites Breadstick recipe (i like this recipe better, but it takes longer to make)

Taco Braid Filling
4 oz of Cream Cheese, softened
1/2 cup Salsa (i just tried with salsa verde and it was delicious)
1/2 lb ground turkey, beef or chicken seasoned and cooked with a Taco seasoning mix (I used 1 lb of ground turkey)
1 can (15oz) of black beans (drained)
1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
olive oil
garlic salt

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray counter and hands with cooking spray and knead for a few seconds to form smooth ball.
2. Roll dough into a 15-in. x 12-in. rectangle. Place on a greased cookie sheet. It's very important to place the dough on the cookie sheet before you fill it because once you fill it, it will be too heavy to move onto the cookie sheet. Mix salsa and cream cheese in a small bowl. Spread cream cheese mixture lengthwise down center third of rectangle, salsa, then seasoned meat and black beans. Sprinkle with cheese.
3. On each long side, cut 1 inch wide strips about 2-1/2-inches into center. Starting at one end, fold alternating strips at an angle across filling.
4. Pinch ends to seal and tuck under. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with garlic salt. Cover and let rise for 20 minutes.
5. Cover and let rise for 20 minutes.
6. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.
7. Remove from oven and place on cooling rack or cutting board with 2 spatulas.

precooked 

Original recipe found HERE.

BBQ Chicken Pizza

Recipe found in Food Nanny Cookbook

Favorite Pizza dough
3/4 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sweet bbq sauce, divided
1/4 cup shredded smoked Gouda cheese
3 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1/4 thinly sliced red onion
3 Tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 green bell pepper, chopped (optional)

1. Prepare the pizza dough and place it in an oiled pizza pan and set aside.
2. Grill or broil the chicken breasts* until barely done. Cut them into strips or chunks. Mix the chicken with 2 tablespoons of the barbecue sauce.
3.Preheat the oven to 425 degrees
4. To assemble the pizza, spread the remaining 1 cup of barbecue sauce over the pizza crust. Sprinkle with the Gouda cheese and top with 3 cups of the mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle the chicken, green peppers and onions over the cheese. Top with the remaining 1/2 of mozzarella cheese. Bake 10 minutes on the lowest oven rack. Remove pizza from oven and sprinkle with the cilantro. Return to oven and bake until the crust is light brown, 5 to 10 minutes.
5. Slice and serve.

note: *Instead of using grilled chicken, I have used a roasted chicken from Costco and de-boned it and cut it into chunks.