Fresh, light, and the easiest summer meal would perfectly describe this month’s ‘Dinner’s Ready’ recipe. Chicken Pesto Pizza is brought to you by Sarah Hope of Fairhope, AL.
Sarah, originally from Jackson, MS, and her husband John, originally from Monroe, LA, has lived on the Eastern Shore now for over two decades. They were married in 1998 and together have five children: Ellis (20), Anna Hartsel (18), Elizabeth (16), Andrew (14), and Esther (11).
Originally, both Sarah and John moved to the area and began teaching at community schools, but with the birth of their first child, Sarah made the decision to quit teaching and embrace the stay-at-home mom role she felt called to. This decision ultimately allowed her to use her graduate degree and love for classical education to homeschool all of their children through middle school.
“A fun fact about our family is that we truly enjoy hanging out together and we laugh a lot,” said Sarah. “As a family, we enjoy cross-country travel. We enjoy seeing a lot of America by camping along the way.”
Sarah shares their highlight trips would include dispersed camping in Glacier National Park, driving Highway 101 along the California coast, and visiting the backroads and small towns of Pennsylvania and New York.
One of their favorite family traditions is a sunset pizza dinner on the beach. It’s just as simple as it sounds. The family literally takes a takeout pizza dinner to the beach and watches the sunset together – which no doubt makes for great family memories!
“My kids have often said that they value our dinners together,” shared Sarah. “It is a time to reconnect after a busy day; especially now that they are older and three of the five are drivers. My oldest really values family dinners after being away at college. My kids are close friends and I do attribute much of it to intentional mealtime.”
The Chicken Pesto Pizza recipe featured here is one of the family’s favorites when it comes to birthday celebrations!
“This pizza was brought to my family by a dear friend in a time of need and since then it has been a family favorite,” shared Sarah in regard to where the inspiration came from for this recipe. “Sometimes I add artichoke hearts, and I always add red pepper flakes!”
Sarah and her family genuinely enjoy eating at home where Sarah does most of the weeknight cooking. However, on the weekends, John enjoys grilling and the family looks forward to a good crawfish boil. If you catch them eating out together, Mexican is almost always the family verdict!
When Sarah isn’t hanging with her family, you can find her working as a part-time Women’s Ministry Coordinator at her church or teaching for the local homeschool co-op. She also enjoys all the outdoorsy things – hiking, camping, traveling, and reading!
Chicken Pesto Pizza
Ingredients
- 1 ready-made pizza crust
- 1 jar pesto sauce
- 12 slices provolone cheese
- 1 tomato, thinly sliced
- ¼ red onion, thinly sliced
- ½ lb. chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
- Mushrooms, sliced
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese
- Salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste
- Olive oil
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350.
- Place provolone on the pizza crust.
- Spread pesto sauce over cheese slices.
- Place tomato slices and red onion on top of the sauce.
- Cook chicken in olive oil, seasoning with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
- Add mushrooms when the chicken is cooked through.
- Spoon chicken and mushrooms onto the pizza.
- Sprinkle mozzarella on top.
- Cook for 10-15 minutes or until cheese is bubbly.
Gabriele has been married to her husband Daniel for 16 years. Together they have three incredible children – two boys, ages 15 and eight, and a sweet girl who joined the family last summer. She is a full-time Pink Cadillac Sales Director for Mary Kay Cosmetics. When she isn’t spending time with family or building her business, she supports her husband who is the Lead Pastor and Planter of Forward Church in Foley.
Author: Gabriele Jones
Gabriele has been married to her husband Daniel for 16 years. Together they have three incredible children - two boys, ages 15 and eight, and a sweet girl who joined the family last summer. She is a full time Pink Cadillac Sales Director for Mary Kay Cosmetics. When she isn’t spending time with family or building her business, she supports her husband who is the Lead Pastor and Planter of Forward Church in Foley.
