Pizza...Strawberry Balsamic Chicken with Turkey Bacon & Red Onion

So I was diligently planning out my weekly meals, browsing through Pinterest for ideas and I came across this Strawberry Balsamic Pizza with Chicken, Sweet Onion and Applewood Bacon. I had the majority of the ingredients already on hand, but since I don't eat regular bacon I added turkey bacon to my shopping list. I could have omitted the bacon all together but as I was reading the ingredient list on the recipe I thought of the flavor profiles. It felt to me that the smokiness you get from the bacon was integral to the overall taste of this dish. Let me tell you, it did not disappoint. I made a few small tweaks to the recipe mainly because it is what I had on hand. 

Strawberry Balsamic Chicken Pizza with Turkey Bacon & Red Onion

1/2 cup strawberry preserves

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1 tsp. Sriracha (if you like it spicy add an extra tsp. for nice heat) 

1 pkg. pizza dough 

1 cup diced, cooked chicken breast

4-5 thin cut slices of turkey bacon, cooked then torn by hand 

1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion

 3/4 cup shredded Italian Blend cheese (mozz and parm) 

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

1/4 cup fresh strawberries, diced into small pieces

Kosher salt

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a small saucepan, bring the balsamic vinegar to a simmer over medium high heat. Let it simmer for 4-5 minutes or until it reduces by half and thickens. Remove from heat and add Sriracha and strawberry preserves, mix well. In a small bowl combine chicken with 2 Tbsp. of the balsamic sauce. Roll out pizza dough on pizza stone, pour the remainder of the sauce on top of the dough leaving a border for crust. Sprinkle half of the cheese on top of the sauce then top with chicken, turkey bacon, and onion, finishing with the remainder of the cheese. Cook for about 8-10 minutes. Once the cheese is melted and crust golden brown remove from oven. Top with cilantro, strawberries, and a few small pinches of salt. Serve it up with a nice green salad. 

As I enjoyed my dinner, I literally felt like I had ordered this from a restaurant. The flavors were intense and melded so well together. You get the smokiness from the turkey bacon, the heat from the Sriracha, a nice freshness from the strawberries and cilantro, a kick from the onion and a sweetness from the balsamic and preserves. The best is if you can get all of the separate tastes together in one big bite, it's divine! 

In case you're a Pinterest geek like me and if you like any of the recipes or pics you see, feel free to Pin it :) Be on the look out for a classic St. Patty's Day post coming up this week!