Caprese Chicken Pizza - Gluten & Pork Free

Over-the-top delicious, Caprese Chicken Pizza features sun-dried tomato pesto, mozzarella cheese, fresh basil and tomatoes.

Do you have a regular pizza night at your house? Ever since going gluten-free, pizza nights started to go by the wayside. Not only did I lose gluten, but we also had to quit eating pork. A pizza without gluten or pork? [crickets.] Suffice it to say, I've been craving a good pizza. Something a little different to liven up my tastebuds. Something to use up all the basil I've been growing! Caprese Chicken Pizza checks all those boxes. I'm bringing back my pizza game, kids! No more boring pizza!

When you think about it, the traditional Italian Caprese salad, consisting of fresh mozzarella, ripe tomatoes, and fresh basil, lends itself perfectly to pizza! Adding in a drizzle of balsamic reduction to boot? Now you've got the perfect blend of savory and sweet!

Ingredients for Caprese Chicken Pizza

So what exactly did I put on my pizza then? How did I make a delicious pizza without gluten or pork? Read on, friends and see that it can be done!

• Chebe Pizza Crust Mix: First off, the pizza crust. Chebe has become my go-to, quick pizza crust mix. It really is the best gluten-free pizza mix I've found. It has a crunchy bottom and chewy center, like any good pizza crust should.
• Gilbert's Caprese Chicken Sausage: This chicken sausage is pork-free and super delicious! I found this brand at my local grocery store! If you're looking for a chicken sausage that is completely pork-free (even the casing), Gilbert's is your brand.
• Barilla Sun-dried Tomato Pesto: A great way to switch up your pizza game is to experiment with sauces. Using pesto as a pizza sauce is a perfect swap!
• Mozzarella & Parmesan Cheese: you need cheese... obviously. Question: What's pizza without cheese?!?! Answer: not pizza.
• Grape Tomatoes: You can't have 'caprese' without tomatoes! The redder and riper the better!
• Basil: You can't have caprese without basil either, but if you can't find fresh basil this pizza would still be good without it!
• Balsamic Glaze/Reduction: Find this in the vinegar aisle. Don't skip this ingredient! It is the perfect finishing touch! If you're worried you won't use it all up, don't! I find myself drizzling this stuff on pastas, pizzas, & salads! You can also use it in marinades. It's sweet and vinegary and syrupy goodness!

Author's note 6/28/20: Since the first posting of this recipe, I've also found another great method for making gluten-free pizza... that actually tastes like pizza! Be sure to check out that post, too!

Assembling the Pizza

For the pizza crust, follow the directions on the Chebe Pizza Crust Mix. I also added 1 cup of parmesan cheese. Roll the dough into a 14-inch circle and pre-bake the crust for 7 minutes. For a crispy crust, I always cook the pizza on my Lodge cast-iron pizza pan.

Assemble the rest of the ingredients while the crust is pre-baking. Slice up one sausage and some tomatoes.

Drizzle the crust with a little olive oil and then spread a thin layer of sun-dried tomato pesto on top. Sprinkle on the cheese, tomatoes, and sausage. Pop back into the oven for another 7 minutes.

The pizza is done when the cheese starts to get bubbly and brown around the edges. Is there anything better than bubbly, brown cheese? Drizzle with balsamic reduction and sprinkle with torn basil. Then just go ahead and devour!

This pizza is going into my regular rotation! It is one of the most flavorful pizzas I've ever made. What are your favorite pizza toppings? Let me know in the comments!