A Marshmallow World

It's been snowing all day! So what goes great with a wintery little snow shower? Homemade pesto chicken pizza with a white alfredo sauce! The cool thing is the alfredo sauce makes itself--kind of like snow just falls when weather conditions are just right!

So of course, today's song has to be "A Marshmallow World" sung by Ella Fitzgerald and Bing Crosby.

PESTO CHICKEN PIZZA

½ cup warm water                                      

¾ teaspoon yeast                                       

1 teaspoon sugar, divided                        

1½ tablespoons olive oil, divided           

½ teaspoon salt                  

1½ cups all-purpose flour                       

1 cup pesto

¼ cup heavy cream

¼ cup parmesan cheese

¾ cup feta cheese

2 cups fresh spinach

1 large chicken breast, cubed, cooked

½ pound mozzarella cheese, grated

¼ cup cornmeal

1. Preheat oven to 475 degrees.
2. Combine warm water, ½ teaspoon sugar, and ¾ teaspoon yeast in a bowl and set aside.
3. Put 1½ teaspoons olive oil, salt, ½ teaspoon sugar in a large bowl. Stir then push the mixture to the side of the bowl. Put the flour on the side opposite of the salt mixture. Pour the yeast mixture in the bowl and stir to combine all ingredients.
4. Knead the dough to make it consistent—just for a minute. Set aside covered for 15 minutes to rise.
5. Pour off the olive oil at the top of the pesto purchased in the store. Measure 1 cup of pesto and set aside.
6. Measure into separate containers the heavy cream, parmesan cheese, feta, spinach, and chicken and set them aside so they are ready to put on the pizza dough as soon as it is rolled out.
7. Grate the mozzarella cheese and set aside on a plate.
8. Put ½ tablespoon olive oil in a jelly roll pan and spread it around to the edges with your fingers. Sprinkle cornmeal over oil to coat it lightly.
9. Put pizza dough on a floured surface. Roll into a large rectangle 12 inches by 24 inches.
10. Lay rolled dough on oil and cornmeal in the jelly roll pan and press it to the edges.
11. Quickly spread ½ tablespoon olive oil over the dough with the back of a spoon.
12. Then spread the pesto with the back of a spoon all the way to the edges of the dough. 
13. Drizzle the heavy cream over the pesto, using the back of a spoon to slightly mingle the pesto with the heavy cream.
14. Sprinkle the parmesan then the feta evenly over the pesto layer on the dough. Lay the spinach over the cheeses. Put the cooked chicken pieces over the spinach to apportion it on the pizza.
15. Gently lay the mozzarella cheese over the chicken.
16. Bake for 3 minutes on the lowest shelf of the oven. Then move the pan to the middle shelf and bake for 12-14 minutes more or until done.