It's another week closer to Christmas and we are officially one week into our advent calendars. My favorite grocery store (which would be Aldi if you missed that blog post) had the best Advent calendar this year for my struggling 1st grade reader. They had a book calendar and the story continues through each book. Not nearly as overwhelming to her as holding a big chapter book but it is certainly reading like a chapter book. Right now we help her read through the book each day and then she gets a chocolate from a more traditional Advent calendar to celebrate finishing her book. Given her homework includes working on reading for 15 minutes each day this is also a perfect way to cross that off our list of things to get done after school. Yesterday she had a friend over who was also helping with the big words.
After our reading time yesterday and after her friend went home she had a special dinner request. She specifically asked me to make a roasted chicken with roasted vegetables, gravy and green beans. Now who would look at this girl and say no to roast chicken???? Especially when she asked for the vegetables to be included? Any time my child not only eats but is willingly asking for vegetables I call that a huge win. The only problem with her request is that I then have all that extra chicken. We have 3 people in our home. My husband, who doesn't actually eat a lot of chicken at all. My daughter, who will eat quite a bit on the day it is made but then is kind of done with it. Myself, who ends up trying to figure out what to do with all these leftovers.
But that brings me to one of my super simple things to do with that leftover chicken. One of those things you see everywhere is Chicken Bacon Ranch everything. I see this combination everywhere and I won't complain. I love that combination too but the ranch tends to be quite high in calories and the cheese is usually full fat, there is a TON of bacon and it is always on some form of bread. It could be pizza or a quesadilla or panini but there is nearly also a bread involved. So I have lightened it all up and made the perfect single serve BBQ Chicken Bacon Ranch Pizza.
First you need your crust if this is a pizza though, right? My husband and I have been using Joseph's lavash and pita breads for years. They were one of our first go to bread replacements and it's still a favorite. They are usually in either the bakery section or the bread section of your local grocery store. If you can't find them you can search at https://www.josephsbakery.com/find-in-store/ for a store near you. They have protein, are lower in calories and mostly contain ingredients I can actually pronounce. A pita is only 60 calories and for a pizza base that isn't bad at all. My husband prefers the lavash (a huge rectangle wrap) that he uses for BLT or other types of sandwich wraps.
Next you need a sauce. I recently came across G. Hughes Sugar Free BBQ Sauce in Walmart. It is really tasty, comes in a variety of flavors and is only 10 calories for 2 tablespoons. This is one of those products I got really excited about and have been using every time I want that taste of BBQ Sauce. This stuff spreads perfectly over your pita for a thin layer of BBQ goodness and if you wanted to use more than one serving for some extra sauciness or to dip at that calorie count you can't go wrong.
There is not all that much ingredient wise for this pizza. Once you have your base, and you can always just use a tortilla or a different pita if you wish, and your BBQ sauce of choice the rest is even easier to put together. Lay the pita on a pizza pan or a baking sheet. Add 2 tablespoons of BBQ sauce. Add 1/4 cup of reduced fat cheddar cheese or the cheese of your choice. I sprinkled on 1 oz of leftover chicken and 1 tablespoon of real bacon bits. Then it went in the oven at 375° for 13 minutes. You might want a bit more of less time depending on how well done you like your pita pizza.
After you remove your pizza from the oven it is time to add the ranch and any other goodies you might want on top. I have been known to add chopped green onions or even some hot peppers. Today I added 1 tablespoon of light ranch and drizzle of sriracha for a bit of a kick. Be creative. It is single serving and no one can make you share this pizza. Go wild. The crust is nice and crispy. The cheese melty. And all the flavors you you get with a mega calorie splurge you can instead find here for 270 calories, 25 grams of protein and 17 carbohydrates. All the indulgence without any of the guilt.
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