Hail Caesar, Chicken Caesar Salad Pizza

{originally published in 2012 and updated in 2025}

California Pizza Kitchen introduced me to pizza on a salad and I’ve loved it since my high school days. This pizza was overdue for a refresh – even if it hasn’t been quite as long as it has been since high school!

Chicken Caesar Salad Pizza
Ingredients:

1 pizza dough ball
¼ cup tomato sauce/crushed tomatoes
Caesar Salad (3 tablespoons + 1/4 cup)
1 cup mozzarella shredded
1-2 chicken breast (marinated in Caesar dressing), grilled and sliced
1 heart of romaine
¼ cup Parmesan cheese

Directions:
Preheat pizza oven/oven to 400 degrees.
Stretch pizza dough out onto a floured baking pan or pizza stone and top with tomatoes and a drizzle of caesar dressing. Sprinkle cheese on and chicken.

Cook the pizza until crisp and melty – our pizza oven is 1-2 minutes.
Let sit a minute before slicing.

Chop the lettuce and toss with dressing, parmesan, and pepper.
Top the pizza with salad.
Enjoy!

This is the best of both worlds. Cheesy pizza with juicy chicken and then cool crisp lettuce.

June Recap 2025

Our June started at a medium pace with some soccer rain-outs, a drizzly girls trip, and lacrosse winding down. Then we kicked into full-gear for Flag Day! J’s birthday! Father’s Day! Pool time! Last days of school, and end-of-year parties tired us out. It was such a full month and I’m a bit tired from the end of fiscal year as well. 

Perfect Patty Melts were this year’s birthday burger and were a hit! The garlic Texas toast made them. 

I had some Passion Fruit Bubbly cocktails that were so fun…which reminds me I’m due for a round of those!

We had Corn Relish on hot dogs as an ideal way to use corn early into the season before the peak! 

July will be full of camps and swimming. Work should chill-down a bit. I have some plans to make cool sides, a pizza-redo, and maybe a new breakfast!

The Big Kid:
He had a fun end of year. He’s so undecided about fall sports and I wish there was longer time to think about it. I’m not excited to pack camp lunches unless he starts developing some more options of packable things! He had such a nice group for last day of school swimming.

The Littler One:
We went to see a ballet of Sleeping Beauty with light-up costumes. It was so fun – not exactly a must-see but a nice/entry-level way to go to a ballet. She had lots of classmates for her last day of school bounce house.

Goals for this upcoming year:
Year of replacements/upgrades! I didn’t think of one this month!
Restaurant Recreations – nope
Special ingredient focus – raw corn for the corn relish was unusual for us!
More fish – I need to get on these, huh!
What I’m reading – I read The Third Gilmore Girl by Kelly Bishop and was enchanted by her dance background! I also read The Rachel Incident by Caroline O’Donoghue and found it creative.

Perfect Patty Melts

Happy birthday to my favorite with the tradition continues since 2011! This year we had patty melts using garlic Texas Toast for the bun. They could use even more cheese – I don’t know what I was thinking – don’t be like me. Really go for it.

Perfect Patty Melts
Ingredients: (serves 4)

1 box (8 slices) of Texas Toast garlic bread 
1 pound ground meat 
2-4 tablespoons (1/4 onion) caramelized onions
~ 8 slices of American cheese (or more!)
4 tablespoons Thousand Island Dressing 

Directions:
Preheat the grill and oven/toast oven. 
Form the patties (oblong shaped to fit the bread!) and grill until cooked to desired done-ness. Bake the garlic bread until heated through – they will finish on the grill. 
Assemble with Thousand Island dressing, cheese on each bread-“bun” the cooked patties, and onions. 

Grill or griddle to melt the cheese. 
Enjoy!

We loved these! I’d really go for more cheese next time but both sides of the bread is key. These would be a good one if you’re forced inside/grill-less sometime! One kid asked if we could do it without the burger next time…so grilled cheese coming up?

The Historical Timeline of the Birthday Burgers:
2024 was a Hawaiian Burger with Pineapple Slaw for a sweet & salty trip
2023 was a Chicken Caesar Salad Burger with our beloved flavors
2022 was a Bacon Jam and Parmesan Peppercorn burger was all about the toppings. 
2021 was a Waffle Breakfast Burger with ground sausage in the patty, maple aoli, and melted gouda.
2020 was a BLT burger with ground bacon IN the burger and tomato jam
2019 was a Manchego Burger with manchego, quince jam, and arugula
2018 was a Garlic Lovers Burger with garlic butter, chips, garlic aoli and white cheddar.
2017 was an Ultimate Mexican Burger with queso, guac, and beans.
2016 was a Mac & Cheese Stuffed Burger topped with bacon, onions, and tomato.
2015 was a Picnic Burger with slaw & potato sticks
2014 was a German Burger with horseradish, caramelized onions, pickles and a pretzel roll
2013 was a Vermont Burger with maple mayo, cheddar, bacon, and spinach
2012 was a Bacon Wrapped Burger – enough said
2011 was a Stuffed Burger stuffed with bacon & cheddar or bacon & blue cheese

May 2024 Recap

May is awesome…it’s also a lot. I’m le tired. We love the start of spring, and being full into sports, with so many fun things with outside weather. It will be OK when there aren’t 3 sports practices on weeknights but we’ve been in our groove.

In the kitchen, I love having the slightest variation of fish in a Crispy Fish Bowls with Lemon Herb Drizzle

This Caprese Pasta Salad was a side that ate like a meal and will be repeated, for sure.

I also had some BLT Burritos since those are fan-favorite flavors here – just add more cheese than I did!

The Big Kid:
He’s sad that lacrosse wraps up this week – he would have played more. We did a big (for him) room declutter and he’s been outside every minute that isn’t raining. He’s glad the neighborhood cat is back after a few months of being MIA.

The Littler One:
She loves the little sister gang at their big brother’s lacrosse games – they play with dolls and ride bikes. It is fun to see her in a little group playing. There were chicks in her classroom but I’m unclear how successful it went. She’s obsessed with chicken wings and it cracks me up.

June brings a million school activities and festive days, I have a weekend away, maybe a yard sale, and we will enjoy the spring weather. Work goes bananas for the fiscal year-end. I think I’ve decided on the birthday burger and some springy meals!

Goals for this upcoming year:
Year of replacements/upgrades! I got nicer pajamas
Restaurant Recreations – nope
Special ingredient focus – I found some fun things but not to cook with – we love some limited edition taco Dorritos & chocolate covered pretzel oreos.
More fish – we put crispy fish into grain bowls over orzo
What I’m reading – I read House of Eve for bookclub and absolutely loved it then I read City of Night Birds and wasn’t that into it.

April 2025 Recap

April was everything – spring teases, soccer, Easter, vacation, lacrosse, and maybe too much rain.

Easter was fun and full of magic. We ate lots of brunch including these very easy sausage & cheese stuffed biscuits.

When I needed more veggies, I put them all onto a very veggie sandwich with zucchini, carrots, tomatoes, and a spread of pesto and and a smear of blended cottage cheese.

This French white bean cassoulet got a refresh from 2013.

I added a grain bowl with this teriyaki mushroom rice bowl. It has a sesame peanut drizzle that makes it really special.

Our vacation getaway to NYC was the best time. Ellen’s Stardust Diner was my favorite. J had tons of work but was able to do it all.

The Big Kid:
He’s into lacrosse and we’re so proud to see him try new things – a few years ago he wouldn’t have. He’s winding down on the trombone – it was fun to play but not to practice. We got a hotdog slicer and he loves a ‘slotdog’. He got incredibly motion sick coming home from NYC, but he loved navigating the subway, The Empire State Building, and Times Square at night.

The Littler One:
It’s soccer season! She’s having a great time except for some rained out games. Boo. We’ve been to the indoor pool more and she can swim on her own (even though she can’t touch). It’s lovely to supervise without getting in sometimes! She loved the Statue of Liberty and I couldn’t get over how much walking she did without ever getting tired.

Goals for this upcoming year:
Year of replacements/upgrades! I got new perfumes!
Restaurant Recreations – this one should probably
Special ingredient focus – oops
More fish – the littlest requested fish tacos.
What I’m reading – I read Good Dirt which was the best of the year. The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating was the town read and I was into it. I loved Berry Pickers and for suspense and Home is Where the Bodies Are.