Description
Legendary Costco Chicken Bake marries pizza dough, chicken, and caesar dressing in a hearty handheld meal. Home cooks can recreate this crowd-pleasing favorite with simple ingredients and classic technique.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 lb pizza dough (store-bought or homemade)
- 2 cups cooked chicken, shredded or diced
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- ½ cup cooked bacon, crumbled
- ½ cup Caesar dressing or ranch dressing
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning (optional)
- 1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)
Instructions
- Preparation: Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper, ensuring an ideal cooking surface for the chicken bakes.
- Filling Creation: Combine cooked chicken, bacon crumbles, mozzarella, Parmesan, creamy dressing, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning in a mixing bowl, blending until the ingredients form a cohesive and flavorful mixture.
- Dough Manipulation: Divide pizza dough into four equal portions, rolling each into rectangular shapes that provide ample space for the filling while maintaining structural integrity.
- Assembly: Strategically place the chicken mixture in the center of each dough rectangle, leaving a border around the edges to prevent leakage during the baking process.
- Sealing Technique: Carefully fold the dough sides over the filling, rolling from one end to create a sealed cylindrical package, meticulously pinching any potential openings to secure the contents within.
- Pre-Baking Preparation: Arrange the chicken bakes seam-side down on the prepared baking sheet, then gently brush the exterior with beaten egg to achieve a lustrous, golden-brown finish.
- Baking and Finishing: Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, watching for a rich, golden color that indicates complete doneness and optimal flavor development.
- Serving: Allow the chicken bakes a brief resting period to stabilize their structure, then serve warm, inviting immediate enjoyment of this culinary creation.
Notes
- Seal Edges Carefully: Pinch dough edges firmly to prevent filling from leaking during baking, ensuring a neat and contained chicken bake.
- Customize Protein Options: Swap chicken with turkey, shredded beef, or plant-based alternatives for diverse dietary preferences and flavor variations.
- Control Moisture Levels: Pat chicken and bacon dry before mixing to prevent excess liquid that could make the dough soggy and compromise texture.
- Adjust Seasoning Smartly: Taste filling mixture before stuffing to balance flavors, considering salt content in bacon and cheeses to avoid over-seasoning.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 3
- Calories: 640
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 1200 mg
- Fat: 30 g
- Saturated Fat: 12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 18 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 60 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 38 g
- Cholesterol: 100 mg