Buffalo Chicken Stromboli

 Like a lot of people I know, buffalo style anything is just an absolute favorite of mine.  This is so awesome for a game day meal...college football season is a long way off, but hey, we have the Final Four this weekend, so that'll work!  Any excuse to make this, really.  Luckily I always have homemade pizza dough (click to go to the recipe) in my freezer or fridge so that makes this just even better.  You will need to take the chill off the dough if it was in the fridge, so let it come to room temperature and then let it sit in a bowl with a dish towel on top to let it rise a bit.  If it's in the freezer, pull it out the night before and put into your fridge to thaw out.  

I use ranch because I can't stand blue cheese.  You could very easily substitute blue cheese if you prefer!  Also, I used about a 1/2 cup of Mozzarella and 1 cup of a Mexican shredded cheese blend which had Cheddar and Monterey Jack mixed with taco seasoning.  This is where you can get creative...use the kind of cheese you like best!  Just be sure to load it up, that's what makes this so good.  You could even do blue cheese crumbles at this point.

Stretch out your pizza dough to about the size of a 9x13 baking pan.  I used a pizza stone this time, but I have used a baking pan in the past and both work equally as well.  My only obstacle was getting the filled stromboli over to the pizza stone...maybe I should have assembled it on there?  Can't quite figure that one out because I keep my pizza stone in the oven as it is preheating.  I just used 2 spatulas to lift it onto the stone...kind of awkward but it worked for the most part!

2 large chicken breast, cut into cubes
2 tablespoon olive oil or vegetable oil
1/2 cup hot sauce
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup ranch
1 1/2 cups cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat and add cubed chicken.  Season with salt and pepper.  Cook chicken completely, breaking up into smaller pieces as cooking.  Meanwhile, heat the hot sauce and butter in a small pot until the butter is melted.  Remove from heat and add ranch.  When the chicken is done, remove from heat and add hot sauce mixture.

Using a slotted spoon*, place chicken right down the middle of your rolled out dough leaving about 2 inches uncovered at either end.  Top with cheese.  Fold up the ends first and then pick up one side to place over the top the chicken and cheese.  Carefully place the other side of the dough and tuck underneath so it's seam side down.  Slice a couple of holes in the top of the dough to release steam.

Bake for about 15-20 minutes until the dough becomes light golden brown and the cheese is melted completely.  Let sit for 5 minutes before slicing.

*Use a slotted spoon because if you add the chicken and all of the hot sauce mixture, it will be so soggy on the bottom of the stromboli.  Use it as a strainer.