Chicken Bacon Pizza with Garlic Cream Sauce

If you've ever tried the Chicken Bacon Artichoke "Delite" thin crust pizza from Papa Murphy's... or anything similar... you know that it is a little slice of heaven on earth.  I haven't had that pizza in ages, but had a sudden, serious craving for it.  

non-Paleo inspiration from the Papa Murphy's website ;)

So, I put my "Paleofying" skills to work, and came up with a healthy dupe!

My pizza sauce inspiration came from the "Alfredo" in my Paleo Chicken Alfredo Pasta, where I used a cashew base.  The result was a creamy, dreamy, garlicky sauce that was perfect for this pizza.  I then used chopped chicken, spinach, & crumbled bacon to top it off and make it extra filling.

As far as crusts go, I don't have a "perfect Paleo pizza crust" of my own quite yet.  I do have a really good Cauliflower Pizza Crust if you're into that, but I was looking for more of a traditional thin crust to make this pizza feel like the real deal.

I did my research & came across this Pizza Crust Recipe from Paleo Spirit.  I followed her recipe, substituting arrowroot flour for tapioca (since that's what I had on hand), and I was really impressed.

If you're not into the idea of making your own or buying specific flours just for pizza crust use, I would highly recommend the "Paleo Pizza Crust" from Julian Bakery.  I have a full review of it HERE if you want all the details.  The Julian Bakery products have been hit or miss for me, but this one was a big hit.

This pizza would be perfect for a lunch, appetizer, or dinner with a soup or salad.  The perfect comfort-food dupe for my thin crust pizza lovers!

Hope you enjoy this as much as we did!  & Don't forget to check out my "notes" at the bottom of the post for tips.  :)

PS:  I did not add artichoke hearts but think they would make this pizza even more amazing!

*Makes sauce & toppings for one large pizza.

Ingredients:

• Paleo-friendly pizza crust (see my recommendations above)
• 1/2 cup raw cashews
• 1/4 cup coconut milk
• 1/4 cup chicken broth (water would work)
• 1 Tbsp olive oil or ghee
• 1-2 tsp chopped garlic
• 1/4 cup minced white onion
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1 cup fully cooked chicken, chopped
• 1/4 cup crumbled bacon
• handful of fresh spinach, chopped
• Italian seasoning
• red pepper flakes (optional)

Tools:

• baking sheet or pizza stone
• food processor or blender
• pizza cutter

Directions:

1. Precook your pizza crust according to recipe instructions, until it reaches a light golden brown.  Remove it from the oven, then adjust the heat to 450ºF.
2. Sauté the onion and garlic in 1 tablespoon of olive oil until soft.  Transfer to a blender or food processor, and add the following:  cashews, coconut milk, chicken broth.  Blend until smooth, and season with salt & pepper to taste.  This is your pizza sauce.
3. Spread your sauce over the pizza crust, and top with spinach, chopped chicken, and crumbled bacon.  Sprinkle with Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes for extra flavor.
4. Bake the pizza for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the sauce bubbles and the pizza toppings are heated through.  I set mine to "broil" for the last couple of minutes for a little more browning action.
5. Remove from the oven, slice, and serve!

*Notes:  Feel free to double the recipe if you're making two pizzas at once, or just double the sauce & save the leftovers for an "Alfredo" dish later in the week.  I also recommend using more sauce than you would think with this recipe~  it soaks in a little!