Peaches are full-on in-season right now and we’re LOVING them at our house.  We eat them a lot for snacks, but we also like to turn them into meals too.  If you’re looking for a more sophisticated pizza, this is totally for you!  It’s sooooo yummy.  This pizza is topped with chicken, fresh peach slices, and blue cheese.  The drizzle of tangy balsamic reduction makes the most perfect balance to the sweet summer fruit.   And guess what!?  My little baby even ate it (I totally thought the blue cheese would throw her off, but she didn’t even balk at it)!  This makes for a great late-summer or early-fall dinner and is a fabulous way to use those delicious orchard peaches.

I used my easy whole wheat pizza dough for the crust, but the original version of the recipe used a prebaked thin pizza crust (such as Boboli).  I’ve tried it both ways, and I prefer to make my own crust because it is WAY cheaper, tastes fresher, and I know exactly what’s in it.  But, when I’m a little lazier than usual and I’ve remembered to grab it at the store, I resort to Boboli (although the easy pizza dough recipe here is seriously EASY).

Peach and Blue Cheese Chicken Pizza With a Balsamic Reduction
Adapted from Cooking Light

For the Dough:
2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon instant yeast
1 tablespoon lecithin
1 cup hot water (as hot as you can get it out of your tap)

For the Pizza:
1 1/2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
1 pound shredded cooked chicken breast
1/2 cup crumbled reduced-fat Blue Cheese
1 medium unpeeled peach, thinly sliced
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

For the dough:
Mix dry ingredients.  Add lecithin and water.  Mix in until dough combines, approximately 1 minute and check for consistency (use your dough hook on your mixer).  Dough should be a little sticky.  If dough is too dry, add more water.  Mix for 5 minutes on a medium speed (this will knead your dough).

Using a rolling pin, roll into your desired shape and place on a lightly greased pizza stone (or cookie sheet).   (Lately, I like to roll mine into a rectangle because it fits nicely on my rectangle pizza stone or on a cookie sheet.  However, I sometimes roll into a circle and use my round pizza stone too.)  Your crust is now ready to put all your toppings on.  You do not have to wait for this dough recipe to do any rising.  Awesome!

For the Pizza:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Brush the extra-virgin olive oil evenly over crust.  Top evenly with 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, chicken, Blue cheese, and peach slices.  Top with remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella.  Bake in 400-degree oven for 12-15 minutes or until crust is golden brown and cheese is melted and bubbly.

While pizza is cooking, place vinegar in a small saucepan over medium-high heat; cook until reduced to about 2-3 tablespoons (about 5-7 minutes).  Drizzle balsamic reduction evenly over pizza.

Cut into 12 equal pieces.

Serves 6.

Nutritional Information (Per Serving = 2 Slices)
Calories:  373.6
Protein:  29.8g
Carbs:  46.7g
Fat:  8.6g (4.0g = Sat.)
Fiber:  6.9g
Sugars:  5.7g