Cheesy Chicken Pesto Pizza

Intro - Grocery List - Directions - Macronutrients - Leftovers and Meal Prep

One of the foods you might find yourself missing the most since you made the switch to a ketogenic lifestyle is ooey, gooey slices of cheesy pizza. If you thought your days of chowing down on this Italian-American classic were a thing of the past, we have good news for you: you can still enjoy pizza nights while living the keto life when you use a keto-friendly pizza recipe!

The secret to creating keto-friendly pizza is replacing traditional wheat flour based pizza dough, which is high in refined carbohydrates, with a low carb, high fat “dough” to prepare the pizza crust.

How do you make a dough that bakes into a chewy, crispy pizza crust without regular flour? The key is in combining a grain-free flour with cheese. This recipe uses almond flour and a blend of shredded cheese and cream cheese.

Almond flour doesn’t contain any flour; it’s made from finely ground raw almonds and that’s it! Almond meal is simply ground almonds with a slightly coarser texture. Because almonds are high in fat, almond flour and almond meal can replace traditional flours to add tenderness, moistness, and flavor to baked goods.

For making pizza dough, you can use almond flour or almond meal interchangeably, depending on which you can find at your grocery store, and shouldn’t notice too much of a difference in texture.

We opted to use pesto sauce on our pizza instead of a tomato based sauce, which would have a higher carbohydrate content. Pesto is naturally keto friendly, since it’s made from low-carb ingredients including oil, cheese, herbs, and nuts. You can prepare your own pesto sauce, if you wish, or use your favorite store bought variety.

If you would like an alternative take on keto pizza, check out these family-friendly delicious keto zucchini pizza bites!

Makes: 4 servings

Note: 1 serving = ¼ pizza

Calories: 682 - Fat: 44 g - Protein 59 g - Net Carbs: 10 g

Grocery List:

Here are the ingredients you’ll need to make Cheesy Chicken Pesto Pizza:

For the pizza dough:

• 1 cup full fat shredded cheese
• 4 tbsp full fat cream cheese
• 1 cup almond flour
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 2 tsp sesame seeds, optional (in dough or sprinkled on top)

For the pizza toppings:

• 16 ounces cooked boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite size pieces
• ½ cup pesto sauce (Classico Pesto Sauce)
• ¾ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• Pinch of your favorite dried seasoning (recommended seasonings; garlic powder, Italian seasoning, cayenne, or crushed red pepper), optional

Components:

Here is the kitchen equipment you’ll need to make Cheesy Chicken Pesto Pizza:

• Microwave safe bowl
• Food processor or blender
• Parchment paper
• Baking sheet or pizza stone
• Skillet or grill pan
• Cutting board

Directions:

1. Place shredded cheese and cream cheese in a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 1 minute.
2. Remove cheese from microwave and stir to combine. Return bowl to microwave and microwave an additional 20 seconds. Transfer melted cheese mixture into the bowl of a food processor or blender.
3. Add the lightly beaten egg, almond flour, baking powder, and sesame seeds (if using in dough) to the cheese. Blend until a smooth dough forms.
4. Scrape out the dough and transfer to a  freezer-safe bowl. Place in freezer. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees F. 
5. Spread parchment paper on a flat surface. Remove dough from the freezer and transfer to parchment paper. Roll dough into a flat 10-12 inch circle or square pizza shape. Then, slide dough onto a baking sheet or pizza stone (you can keep it on the parchment paper for baking if it’s easier). Bake in preheated oven for about 15 minutes, or until crust is lightly browned on top.
6. While pizza dough bakes, cook 16 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breast using your preferred method (on the grill, in a skillet, George Foreman, etc.). Chop cooked chicken into desired size for topping the pizza.
7. Remove pizza from oven. Add toppings, beginning with the pesto sauce, then chopped chicken, then Parmesan or feta.
8. Return pizza to oven for an additional 2-5 minutes to melt the cheese. Use a pizza cutter to divide pizza into 4 equal pieces. Serve yourself ¼ pizza, save ¼ for the next day’s lunch, and share the rest!

Macronutrients

Leftovers and Meal Prep

If your whole family is keto, expect the pizza to be finished in 1 meal. Make multiple pizzas for larger gatherings, like football Sundays and pizza parties.

If you find yourself with leftovers, reheat them for the next day’s lunch or dinner. Reheat a piece of pizza in a skillet set over medium heat, covered with a lid, until warmed through.

Additional Comments:

Fiesta or Mexican blend cheese tends to be highest in fat.

A keto friendly marinara sauce can be used in place of pesto, if desired.

If you really want to indulge, combine with a chocolate collagen protein with C8 MCT Oil shake!