Rotisserie Chicken Wednesday

I'm working on a story on the upcoming Pillsbury Bake-Off today so I've got Bake-Off recipes on the brain. The recipes for the 100 finalists are already online and I've been trying to figure out which one is the $1-million grand prize winner. Go to the site and vote for a favorite, if you'd like. It's not easy to predict the winners just from the recipes. Also, Pillsbury cooks make all the dishes and they are photographed beautifully. From the photos, I'm partial to the Caramel Latte Brunch Cups, but you can't go on that.

I was a judge for the 2004 Bake-off and I've got to tell you that mostly the judges are surprised by the entries.  Things we expected to be really tasty - stuff dripping in chocolate or casseroles that have a lot of ingredients - weren't. The more that was going on it seemed, the worse the dishes turned out. The base of a lot of dishes got soggy. We were totally caught off-guard by what eventually turned out to be the big winner: Oats 'n Honey Granola Pie.

This recipe is a finalist this year and is from Harrison Carpenter of Longmont, Colo. It is one of many that showcase global flavors which reflect the way we cook now. It also call for cooked chicken, always a winner at Stir Crazy on Rotisserie Chicken Wednesdays.

I don't think it's gonna take the whole enchilada but it sounds intriguing anyway.

North African-Style Chicken Pizza 
1 can (13.8 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated classic pizza crust
4 cups chopped fresh spinach
1/3 cup Fisher® Chef's Naturals® Slivered Blanched Almonds
2 tablespoons CRISCO® 100% Extra Virgin or Pure Olive Oil
2 cups coarsely chopped cooked chicken breast
1/4 cup SMUCKER'S® Sweet Orange Marmalade
3 tablespoons (6 dates) chopped pitted dates 
1/2 teaspoon ground fennel or 1/2 teaspoon fennel seed, ground
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled goat (chèvre) cheese 

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Unroll pizza crust dough on ungreased 12-inch pizza pan; press dough to edge of pan. Pinch edge of dough to make 1/2-inch rim. Bake 7 to 11 minutes or until light golden brown.

Meanwhile, in food processor bowl with metal blade or in blender, place spinach, almonds and oil. Cover; process until smooth. Spread spinach mixture over partially baked crust. 

In medium bowl, stir chicken, marmalade, dates, fennel and cardamom until well mixed. Spoon chicken mixture evenly over spinach mixture. Sprinkle with cheese.

Bake 7 to 11 minutes longer or until crust is golden brown.

Makes: 8 servings

Photo from Pillsbury