BBQ Chicken Pizza Rolls: Easy to make and freeze.

Pizza is a staple at my house.

We probably eat pizza in one form or another once a week.  It’s just nice to have a meal that everyone in the house will get excited about and chow down with out complaining.  I’m always looking for a new way to make pizza fresh and exciting which is why I like to mix it up with these yummy BBQ Chicken Pizza Rolls.  

I start with a couple breasts from a rotisserie chicken.  Add to that a little cheese, bbq sauce and cilantro for a fun kick.  The sauteed onions and spinach add another layer of flavor.

The onions and spinach should be cooked until soft but not brown.  They will cook a bit more in the oven wrapped up in their comfy little pouch.

This pizza dough recipe is my all-time fave.

I use it anytime I want to have a nice, soft, flavorful crust.  I don’t love scraping crusty flour off of my counter.  So I always use a Silpat (silicone baking sheet) when I’m rolling out my dough.  And it’s perfect for this recipe because my Silpat is the exact size that I need for the BBQ chicken pizza rolls.

Cover the dough with toppings and roll into a log.  The filling is a little awkward to work with but it will be worth it in the end.  I like to use a muffin tin for baking to keep everything together.  A 9×13 casserole dish will work as well.

Make sure you grease the pan really well.  You’ll probably need to work them out a little with a knife.

These make a great little picnic food because everything’s wrapped up in a tidy little package and nice for tiny hands.

BBQ Chicken Pizza Rolls

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Ingredients

• Pizza Dough:
• 1 cup warm water (110 degrees- about the temperature of a comfortable shower)
• 1 packet active dry yeast
• 2 T sugar
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 T olive oil plus more for the bowl
• Filling:
• 2 cups shredded chicken
• 6 oz. cheddar cheese
• 1 onion, sliced
• 1 small bag fresh spinach
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
• 1/2 cup BBQ sauce
• 1 T olive oil

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, then turn it off as soon as it has preheated. (This will allow the oven to be warm enough for the dough as it rises.)
2. Combine water, yeast and sugar. Set aside to foam for 5 minutes.
3. In a food processor (or mixer if you prefer) combine salt and flour. Slowly stream in yeast mixture and add the olive oil. Allow ingredients to combine until they form a ball. Knead for 2-3 minutes either by hand or with the dough hook in your mixer.
4. Set dough aside to rise in an oiled bowl, covered with a damp dish cloth in the warmed oven for 30 minutes.
5. Over medium heat, saute the onions and spinach in a tablespoon of olive oil until soft but not brown, about 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.
6. When the dough has risen, punch down and turn onto a floured surface. Roll into a rectangular shape about the size of a cookie sheet. (13x18in)
7. Cover with BBQ sauce, onion mixture, chicken, cheese and cilantro.
8. Roll the dough up the long way, pinching the edge to ensure a tight seal. With a sharp knife, carefully slice into 12 equal pieces. Place each piece in a greased muffin tin or in a greased 9x13 casserole dish.
9. Bake at 375 degrees for 18-22 minutes until the crust is golden brown.
10. Serve warm or at room temperature. Freeze in a freezer bag after the rolls are baked. Reheat in the microwave for one minute.

I send these to work with my husband in his lunch.  Once the BBQ chicken pizza rolls are cooked and cooled, I’ll freeze them in a plastic bag.  Later, they can be reheated in the microwave for one minute.  I absolutely hate microwaved pizza but these actually work because the filling is wrapped up on the inside.  

What’s your favorite variation on a basic pizza?

Want more meal ideas that you can make ahead and freeze? Check these out:

25 Foods You Didn’t Know You Could Freeze

Easy Freezer Taco Filling

Sweet and Creamy Roasted Butternut Squash Soup