Fresh chicken and real cheese make this meal worth the effort. (photo by Jenn Harris)

I absolutely detest delivery pizza. It's greasy, the crust is either hard or way too soft and the cheese isn't even real cheese! Not to mention the toppings are salty and made out of only-God-knows what. After too many nights of bad pizza in college, I've decided that pizza delivery chains are giving pizza a bad wrap.
 
Despite all the bad pizza I've consumed over the years, this week I had a mad craving for it. There was no way I was ordering it to be delivered, so I conducted my own pizza experiment. A large pizza at the average delivery place costs around $15 to $17, including tax and depending on how much you want to tip your friendly delivery person. So, I took that money and went to the grocery store to attempt to make my own pizza.
 
My favorite kind of pizza is BBQ chicken, with lots of tender chicken, tangy sauce, smoked gouda cheese, red onion and cilantro.  So, I started shopping.  The ingredients were easy to find and cheap.  I bought two chicken breasts, a bottle of my favorite BBQ sauce - KC Masterpiece still does the trick, but you can buy whichever one you like - one red onion, a bunch of cilantro, a small block of smoked gouda cheese and a small block of fontina cheese.  Then, I got to the crust.  To be honest, I was too lazy this particular evening to make my own, but the pre-made DiGiorno crust at the market can be just as bad as delivery crust.  Since I was at Whole Foods Market, I stopped by their pizza station, where you can buy a ball of pizza dough. You can choose between regular and whole wheat dough for around $3.  Fresh & Easy also sells pizza dough in individually wrapped packs for around the same price.
 
When I got home I rolled the ball of dough out to as thin as I could get it - I love thin crust.  I poured on the toppings and baked the pizza in the oven until the crust was crispy on the outer rim, chewy towards the middle, and the cheese was bubbly.  The sweet BBQ sauce is the perfect match for the smokey gouda and milder fontina.  The red onions get tender in the oven so they are still strong but not overpowering, and the cilantro adds a nice, clean herb flavor to every bite.  My homemade pizza was a hit with the family and a successful experiment, with a couple dollars left to spare in my budget.
 
Homemade BBQ Chicken Pizza
Serves 4-5
 
Ingredients

 
1 ball pizza dough
2 breasts of chicken
1 bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce
1 small block (4 ounces) of smoked gouda cheese
1 small block (4 ounces) of fontina cheese
1 red onioin
1 bunch of cilantro

Directions
 
Preheat your oven to 425F. If you have a convection oven, or a convection oven setting on your oven, use it. It makes for a crispier crust.  Take the chicken and grill it on an indoor grill or the BBQ. When the chicken is almost fully cooked, baste it with some of the BBQ sauce on both sides.  Cook times will vary depending on your grill, but make sure the chicken is cooked through and the juices run clear when you cut it.  Chop the chicken into bite-sized pieces and set aside.
 

Dice the onion into small 1/2 inch squares. It doesn't have to be perfect, but just make sure the pieces are as small as you can get them. Grate both cheeses and mix together in a bowl.
 
Take the crust and roll it out using a rolling pin or your mad pizza-making skills, if you have them.  Once the crust is a thickness you like, take some of the BBQ sauce and create a thin layer of sauce on the crust.  I used a little over a 1/2 a cup, but the amount is really up to you depending on how much sauce you like.
 
Take the chicken and spread it evenly on the crust, over the sauce.  Then add the onions and the cheese mixture.  Top with a handful of chopped cilantro and you are ready to put the pizza in the oven.  Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the crust is brown and you see the cheese melt.