Chicken Cherry Bomb Recipe

Make the quick red sauce: heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat until shimmering.

Add 2 cloves minced garlic and sauté 30–45 seconds until fragrant but not browned.

Stir in 2 tablespoons tomato paste and cook 1 minute to deepen flavor.

Add 1 cup crushed tomatoes, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper and 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes. Stir to combine.

Bring sauce to a gentle simmer, reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened. Taste and adjust salt/pepper. Keep warm.

If chicken sausage is not cooked, cook it first: slice sausage into 1/4" rounds and sauté in a skillet over medium heat with a little oil about 4–6 minutes until browned and cooked through; drain on paper towel. If pre-cooked, simply slice and warm briefly in the skillet for 1–2 minutes to take the chill off.

Thinly slice red onion and separate into rings. If you prefer mellower onion, sauté the slices in the same skillet for 2–3 minutes until slightly softened, or use raw for more bite.

Drain and slice pickled cherry peppers into rings. Reserve some rings for garnish if desired.

Preheat oven to 500°F (260°C). If using a pizza stone, place it in the oven to heat at least 30 minutes. If using a baking sheet, preheat the oven and lightly oil the sheet.

Prepare the dough: dust your work surface and a pizza peel or baking sheet with 1 teaspoon cornmeal or flour. Stretch or roll the 10–12 oz dough into a 12" round (or preferred shape), leaving a slightly thicker edge for a rim.

Spread the prepared red sauce evenly over the dough, leaving a 1/2" border.

Evenly distribute 1.5 cups house blend shredded cheese over the sauced dough.

Scatter the sliced chicken sausage rounds and pickled cherry pepper rings over the cheese. Distribute the thinly sliced red onion across the pizza.

Finish with a light sprinkle of 1/4 cup finely grated Grana Padano and 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano. Drizzle 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil lightly across the top.

Transfer the assembled pizza to the preheated pizza stone or baking sheet. Bake at 500°F (260°C) for 8–12 minutes, rotating halfway, until crust is golden and cheese is bubbling and slightly browned.

Remove pizza from oven. Let rest 2 minutes, then sprinkle an additional light dusting of Grana Padano if desired and finish with a few reserved cherry pepper rings for presentation.

Slice and serve hot. Offer extra crushed red pepper flakes or oregano at the table for adjustment.