Five Cheese Margherita Pizza

Two years ago, I started making pizza with Chebe Original Cheese Bread Mix, which is free of gluten, soy, corn, rice, potato, yeast, peanut, tree nuts, egg, iodine, and sugar.  It is also grain free and non-GMO.  The mix contains manioc (tapioca) flour, modified manioc starch (100% manioc), dry milk, and iodine-free sea salt.  Chebe does make a pizza crust mix, but my husband and I prefer the original cheese bread mix, because it doesn't contain any herbs that affect the flavor of the pizza.  Locally, Chebe mixes are available at Chamberlin's in Winter Park, but I usually buy them from amazon.com.  

If you like Brazilian cheese bread, you will love this crust, which is so easy to make.  We cook our pizza on a cast iron pizza pan, which makes for a nice firm crust that is never soggy.  

Four Cheese Pesto Pizza on Udi's Pizza Crust

I have used Udi's Pizza Crusts to make Rosemary Garlic Flatbread for several years, but until today, I had never used them to make pizza.  After enjoying gluten free pizzas made with Udi's crusts on the Disney Dream and at Mama Melrose's in Hollywood Studios, I decided to finally give them a try at home.  

Udi's pizza crusts are free of gluten, dairy, soy, and nuts.  They contain water, tapioca starch, brown rice flour, non-GMO canola oil, egg whites, dried cane syrup, tapioca syrup, tapioca maltodextrin, salt, xanthan gum, yeast, cultured corn syrup solids (natural mold inhibitor), and enzymes.  The only allergen warning is that they contain egg.  

The cooking instructions on the package are to layer the pizza shell with your favorite toppings, and bake 5 to 7 minutes in a 375 degree oven (longer if frozen).  

I decided to bake my pizza on my new Williams-Sonoma Goldtouch Nonstick Pizza Crisper.  

I love the pizza crust we make with Chebe Original Cheese Bread Mix, but making pizza with Udi's Pizza Crusts is so much easier!  I made two pizzas for my daughters and I for lunch, and they both quickly disappeared.  I liked the consistency and taste of the crust, and it was perfect for making a quick pizza for lunch.

Four Cheese Pesto Pizza

Ingredients

Udi's Gluten Free Pizza Crusts
Olive oil
Pesto
Italian cheese blend (Parmesan, Romano, Asiago) -- to taste
Feta crumbles -- to taste
Grape tomatoes

Directions

Defrost your Udi's pizza crusts if they are frozen, and preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cut a handful of grape tomatoes in half, squeeze out the seeds, and cut each piece in half.

Brush the bottom of the pizza crust with a light coating of olive oil.  Brush the top with just enough pesto to coat the pizza crust.  Add the Italian cheese blend, grape tomatoes, then feta.

Cook the pizza for 7 to 8 minutes on a pizza pan on the bottom shelf of the oven.

Recipe Notes

I used homemade pesto.  You can view the recipe here.

Today, I used Shaved Italian Cheese Blend from The Fresh Market, and 365 Feta Cheese Crumbles from Whole Foods.

Because the three cheese blend is made up of stronger, sharper cheeses, I used a pretty light coating of cheese.  I also used a small amount of feta on our first pizza.  I increased the amount of cheese on our second pizza, which was also very good, but the crust was not as crisp.  No one was complaining though, because both pizzas tasted great.

I used my kitchen shears to cut the pizza.  With small pizzas, they are easier to use than a pizza cutter.

You could also cook your pizza without a pizza pan.  I tend to use a pan because I don't like cheese falling down to the bottom of my oven and burning.

I purchased my Udi's Pizza Crusts at Whole Foods.  I have also seen them in the freezer section of my local Publix. 

July 26, 2014 Update -- 5 Cheese Pesto Pizza

We liked the pizza so much yesterday, we decided to make it again for lunch today.  Because I didn't have enough Italian cheese blend to fully cover two pizzas well, I added some BelGioioso mozzarella pearls, cutting each pearl into 3 or 4 pieces.  

I cooked both pizzas at the same time, one on the bottom shelf of my oven on a pizza pan, and the second, directly on the top shelf of my oven.  Sadly, I mixed them up, so I have no idea which one I liked better.  The crust of the one pizza had a little better chew, but they were both very good.  I loved the addition of the mozzarella cheese, so I will probably be making a five cheese pizza from now on.  

If you don't have a three cheese blend, just use shaved or grated Parmesan, Romano, or Asiago.

Pesto Pizza with a Balsamic Glaze

Last night, I knew I wanted to make something with homemade pesto, and right away, I was leaning towards a pizza or pizza pockets made with Chebe.  Then, I saw an absolutely gorgeous Caprese Pesto Pizza on Pillsbury.com.  It called for a drizzle of balsamic reduction, which I had never made before.  Inspired by the Caprese Pesto Pizza, I made a pesto pizza with a balsamic glaze.

My pizza doesn't look as beautiful as the one on Pillsbury.com.  I didn't want to use a full cup of pesto on a thin crust pizza.  I worried that it would be overpowering.  I also decided to cook my tomatoes on the pizza, but next time, I might follow their recipe and add them after the pizza bakes.  

My husband and I loved the balsamic glaze!  I can't wait to use the leftovers on a Caprese salad this weekend.  

I used a honey balsamic vinegar from The Ancient Olive in Winter Park to make the balsamic glaze.  My friend Shelley told me she usually adds a little honey to her balsamic glaze, but this vinegar was already so perfectly sweet, I didn't need to add any.  

It took about 30 minutes for the balsamic vinegar to thicken up and get sticky, but it was certainly worth the wait!

Pesto Pizza with a Balsamic Glaze

Ingredients

Crust
1 box of Chebe Original Cheese Bread Mix
2 T olive oil or organic canola oil
1 C of shredded cheese (sharp or hard works best) -- firmly packed
2 large eggs
1/4 C water

Toppings
1/2 recipe of pesto (see below)
1 10 ounce bag San Marzano tomatoes or a small container of grape tomatoes -- cut off the tops, squeeze out the seeds, and cut in half or in thirds
8 ounce package of fresh mozzarella

Balsamic Glaze

1 C balsamic vinegar
honey -- optional

Directions

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees and lightly oil your pizza pan.

In a small sauce pan, bring the balsamic vinegar to a boil, then simmer for about 30 minutes, until it thickens and becomes sticky.  Stir frequently.  Optional -- add up to 1 tablespoon of honey for added sweetness.

Place your mozzarella between two paper towels to remove moisture.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs before adding the shredded cheese and 2 T of oil.  Mix well with a fork, then slowly add the Chebe Original Cheese Bread mix.  Stir well with a spoon before adding 1/4 C of water.  Mix as well as you can with a spoon, then knead the dough until smooth with your hands.

Place the pizza dough on an oiled 14 inch cast iron pizza pan and spread it out evenly with your hands.

Par bake the crust on a shelf in the bottom third of your oven for 12 minutes.  Flatten out any bubbles with the back of a fork before adding toppings.

Brush the pesto on your pizza, then add the tomatoes and mozzarella.

Bake for another 11 minutes on the bottom shelf before moving the pizza to the top third of your oven and turning it to broil.  Broil for a minute or two until the cheese is bubbly and perfectly browned.

Loosen your pizza from the pan with a large spatula before carefully sliding it onto a serving platter or pizza pan to slice and serve.  Drizzle with the balsamic glaze.

For more detailed information and pictures of how I make my Chebe pizza dough, check out my Chebe Pesto Chicken Pizza recipe here.  

You can view other Chebe pizza ideas in my Pizza Experiments blog post here.

FYI -- The package states that Chebe Original Cheese Bread Mix is free of gluten, soy, corn, rice, potato, yeast, peanut/tree nuts, egg, iodine, and sugar.  It is certified gluten free and non GMO.  It contains manioc (tapioca) flour, modified manioc starch, dry milk, and iodine-free sea salt, making it grain free as well.

For more information on Chebe and where it can be purchased, you can visit Chebe's website here.

Pesto Recipe

Ingredients

1 C fresh basil -- packed

2 T pine nuts

1 clove garlic (1/2 tsp) -- minced

1/4 tsp kosher salt

1/8 tsp coarse ground black pepper 

1/3 C extra-virgin olive oil 

1/4 C grated Romano or Parmesan cheese (I use 2T of both)

Directions

Combine the first 5 ingredients in a food processor, and pulse until they are well combined.  Add the oil and cheese.  Pulse until smooth.

Chebe BBQ Chicken Pizza

We started making pizza with Chebe last summer.  You can read about all of our early experiments with Chebe pizza here.  Since then, I have written blog posts about our Pesto Chicken Pizza and Sausage & Spinach Pizza.   About a month ago, I tried California Pizza Kitchen's gluten free BBQ Chicken Pizza for the first time, and was blown away by how good it was.  You can read my review of California Pizza Kitchen here.  I have been wanting to make one at home for months, but we hadn't made barbeque chicken in a while, until last night.  We made Oven Baked Barbeque Chicken and had enough leftovers to make pizza.  

The key ingredients for all of our Chebe pizzas are Chebe Original Cheese Bread Mix and Organic Valley Mild Cheddar Cheese.  We tried the Chebe Pizza Crust Mix, but weren't crazy about the seasonings in it, so we make our pizzas with the Cheese Bread Mix instead.  I purchase it from amazon or Chamberlin's in Winter Park. 

We love our cast iron pizza pan.  If you don't own one, it is worth the investment.  We tried making Chebe pizza on an aluminum pizza pan and the crust did not crisp up.  Lodge cast iron pizza pans are available from amazon for a very reasonable price.  You can view them here.  We clean our cast iron pizza pan with a rub of salt and water, then season it with a little bit of oil before putting it away.  I store all my cast iron pieces in the warming drawer of my oven, so I don't have to worry about getting oil in my cabinets.  

My new favorite mozzarella cheese to make pizza with is Bel Gioioso Fresh Mozzarella Pearls, because I don't have to slice them, and it's easy to sprinkle them around the pizza.

When using fresh mozzarella on a pizza, it is important to remove some of the moisture before baking, by placing it between two paper towels for at least 15 minutes.  

On the back of the Chebe Original Cheese Bread Mix box, it says you will need 2 tablespoons of oil, 1 cup of shredded cheese, 2 large eggs, and 1/4 cup of water.  I pack my Organic Valley Mild Cheddar Cheese into my 1 C measuring cup.  When I let go, it looks like it is overflowing.  

I like to beat my eggs in a large bowl, then add the cheese and 2 T of extra virgin olive oil or organic canola oil.  I then mix these ingredients well with a fork.  

Next, I slowly add the Original Cheese Break Mix to the bowl, and stir it with a soup spoon

Here is what my pizza dough looks like after I stir in 1/4 C of water.  

I knead it before placing it on my lightly oil pizza pan.  Even though our pan is always seasoned with olive oil before we put it away, I add a little more and gently wipe it with a paper towel before adding my pizza dough.  

With my hands, I evenly spread the dough out on my pizza pan.  

I par bake my crust on the bottom shelf of my preheated oven on 450 degrees for 12 minutes.  It usually comes out with several large bubbles, which I flatten with the back of a fork before adding my toppings.  We have tried pricking it with a fork before par baking it, but the bubbles still happen anyway.

I cut up one of my leftover chicken breasts into small pieces and used my favorite barbeque sauce, Guy Fieri's Bourbon Brown Sugar.  

After brushing on a thin layer of barbeque sauce, I added mozzarella cheese, chicken, a light sprinkle of Parmesan and Romano, and more of the cheddar cheese I used in the crust.  

My whole family really enjoyed our latest Chebe pizza creation.  I can't wait to see what it's like left over tomorrow.

Chebe BBQ Chicken Pizza

Ingredients

Crust
1 box of Chebe Original Cheese Bread Mix
2 T olive oil or organic canola oil
1 C of shredded cheese (sharp or hard works best) -- firmly packed
2 large eggs
1/4 C water

Toppings
1 large cooked chicken breast (I used leftover Oven Baked Barbeque Chicken)
Gluten free barbeque sauce
8 ounce package of fresh mozzarella
Parmesan and/or Romano -- grated
Shredded cheddar

Directions

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees and lightly oil your pizza pan.

Place your mozzarella between two paper towels to remove moisture.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs before adding the shredded cheese and 2 T of oil.  Mix well with a fork, then slowly add the Chebe Original Cheese Break mix.  Stir well with a spoon before adding 1/4 C of water.  Mix as well as you can with a spoon, then knead the dough until smooth with your hands.

Place the pizza dough on a lightly oiled 14 inch cast iron pizza pan, and spread it out evenly with your hands.

Par bake the crust on a shelf in the bottom third of your oven for 12 minutes.  Flatten out any bubbles with the back of a fork before adding toppings.

Brush a light coating of barbeque sauce on your pizza before adding the mozzarella and chicken.  Add a light sprinkle of Parmesan and/or Romano, then finish with cheddar cheese.

Bake for another 11 minutes on the bottom shelf before moving the pizza to the top third of your oven and turning it to broil.  Broil for a minute or two until the cheese is bubbly and perfectly browned.

Loosen your pizza from the pan with a large spatula before carefully sliding it onto a serving platter or pizza pan to slice and serve.

You can view other Chebe pizza ideas in my Pizza Experiments blog post here.

Recipe and Product Notes

If you are using chicken that wasn't cooked in barbeque sauce, you might want to toss it in a little bit of sauce before adding it to the pizza.

FYI -- The package states that Chebe Original Cheese Bread Mix is free of gluten, soy, corn, rice, potato, yeast, peanut/tree nuts, egg, iodine, and sugar.  It is certified gluten free and non GMO.  It contains manioc (tapioca) flour, modified manioc starch, dry milk, and iodine-free sea salt, making it grain free as well.

We buy our Romano and Parmesan in the cheese section of Whole Foods.   I purchase Bel Gioioso Fresh Mozzarella Pearls from Publix.  Organic Valley Mild Cheddar Cheese can be found in either store.

For more information on Chebe and where it can be purchased, you can visit Chebe's website here.

CPK's Gluten Free BBQ Chicken Pizza is topped with BBQ sauce, smoked gouda, red onions, cilantro, and Nueske's applewood smoked bacon.  I always ask for the onions to be left off, but I love their use of gouda, cilantro, and bacon.  I might have to make a CPK version of my BBQ Chicken Pizza the next time I make it.  

Chebe Pesto Chicken Pizza

Until 2013, I thought that I would never eat truly delicious pizza again.  I had found a gluten free frozen pizza that I liked, Against the Grain Pesto Pizza, but I wanted more.  Then I started making pizza with Chebe last summer.  You can read about all of our early experiments with Chebe here.  Since I wrote my last Chebe pizza post about our Sausage & Spinach Pizza, I actually found great gluten free pizza at a restaurant.  You can read about our dining experiences at California Pizza Kitchen here.  

The key ingredients for all of our Chebe pizzas are Chebe Original Cheese Bread Mix and Organic Valley Mild Cheddar Cheese.  We tried the Chebe Pizza Crust Mix, but weren't crazy about the seasonings in it, so we make our pizzas with the Cheese Bread Mix instead.  I purchase it from amazon or Chamberlin's in Winter Park. 

We love our cast iron pizza pan.  If you don't own one, it is worth the investment.  We tried making Chebe pizza on an aluminum pizza pan and the crust did not crisp up.  Lodge cast iron pizza pans are available from amazon for a very reasonable price.  You can view them here.  We clean our cast iron pizza pan with a rub of salt and water, then season it with a little bit of oil before putting it away.  I store all my cast iron pieces in the warming drawer of my oven, so I don't have to worry about getting oil in my cabinets.  

My new favorite mozzarella cheese to make pizza with is Bel Gioioso Fresh Mozzarella Pearls, because I don't have to slice them, and it's easy to sprinkle them around the pizza.

When using fresh mozzarella on a pizza, it is important to remove some of the moisture before baking, by placing it between two paper towels for at least 15 minutes.  

On the back of the Chebe Original Cheese Bread Mix box, it says you will need 2 tablespoons of oil, 1 cup of shredded cheese, 2 large eggs, and 1/4 cup of water.  I pack my Organic Valley Mild Cheddar Cheese into my 1 C measuring cup.  When I let go, it looks like it is overflowing.  

I like to beat my eggs in a large bowl, then add the cheese and 2 T of extra virgin olive oil or organic canola oil.  I then mix these ingredients well with a fork.  

Next, I slowly add the Original Cheese Break Mix to the bowl, and stir it with a soup spoon

Here is what my pizza dough looks like after I stir in 1/4 C of water.  

I knead it before placing it on my lightly oil pizza pan.  Even though our pan is always seasoned with olive oil before we put it away, I add a little more and gently wipe it with a paper towel before adding my pizza dough.  

With my hands, I evenly spread the dough out on my pizza pan.  

I par bake my crust on the bottom shelf of my preheated oven on 450 degrees for 12 minutes.  It usually comes out with several large bubbles, which I flatten with the back of a fork before adding my toppings.  We have tried pricking it with a fork before par baking it, but the bubbles still happen anyway.

I evenly brush the pesto on my par baked crust.

After I cut off the tops of my tomatoes and squeeze out the seeds, I slice them in half or in thirds before adding them to my pizza.

A generous amount of chicken goes on next.

Lastly, I add the mozzarella, Parmesan, Romano, and Feta cheese.

I love pizza night and our pesto chicken pizza is one of my favorites.  I am looking forward to a leftover slice for lunch tomorrow!

Chebe Pesto Chicken Pizza

Ingredients

Crust
1 box of Chebe Original Cheese Bread Mix
2 T olive oil or organic canola oil
1 C of shredded cheese (sharp or hard works best) -- firmly packed
2 large eggs
1/4 C water

Toppings
1 to 1 1/2 C cooked chicken breast -- cut into small pieces (I use chicken from a Costco Rotisserie Chicken)
1/2 recipe of pesto (see below)
1 10 ounce bag San Marzano tomatoes or a small container of grape tomatoes -- cut off the tops, squeeze out the seeds, and cut in half or in thirds
8 ounce package of fresh mozzarella
Parmesan and/or Romano -- grated
Feta crumbles

Directions

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees and lightly oil your pizza pan.

Place your mozzarella between two paper towels to remove moisture.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs before adding the shredded cheese and 2 T of oil.  Mix well with a fork, then slowly add the Chebe Original Cheese Bread mix.  Stir well with a spoon before adding 1/4 C of water.  Mix as well as you can with a spoon, then knead the dough until smooth with your hands.

Place the pizza dough on an oiled 14 inch cast iron pizza pan and spread it out evenly with your hands.

Par bake the crust on a shelf in the bottom third of your oven for 12 minutes.  Flatten out any bubbles with the back of a fork before adding toppings.

Brush the pesto on your pizza.  Add the tomatoes and chicken.  Finally, add the mozzarella, and an even sprinkle of Parmesan, Romano, and Feta cheese.

Bake for another 11 minutes on the bottom shelf before moving the pizza to the top third of your oven and turning it to broil.  Broil for a minute or two until the cheese is bubbly and perfectly browned.

Loosen your pizza from the pan with a large spatula before carefully sliding it onto a serving platter or pizza pan to slice and serve.

You can view other Chebe pizza ideas in my Pizza Experiments blog post here.

FYI -- The package states that Chebe Original Cheese Bread Mix is free of gluten, soy, corn, rice, potato, yeast, peanut/tree nuts, egg, iodine, and sugar.  It is certified gluten free and non GMO.  It contains manioc (tapioca) flour, modified manioc starch, dry milk, and iodine-free sea salt, making it grain free as well.

We buy our Feta crumbles, Romano, and Parmesan in the cheese section of Whole Foods.   I purchase Bel Gioioso Fresh Mozzarella Pearls from Publix.

For more information on Chebe and where it can be purchased, you can visit Chebe's website here.

Pesto Recipe

Ingredients

1 C fresh basil -- packed

2 T pine nuts

1 clove garlic -- minced

1/4 tsp kosher salt

1/8 tsp coarse ground black pepper 

1/3 C extra-virgin olive oil 

1/4 C grated Romano or Parmesan cheese

Directions

Combine the first 5 ingredients in a food processor, and pulse until they are well combined.  Add the oil and cheese.  Pulse until smooth.  

This recipe makes enough pesto for 2 pizzas.  

Leftover pizza right out of the fridge is something I always look forward to.  It is amazing!  My daughter Kate loves to pack a leftover slice for lunch at school.

August 17, 2014 Update

Today, I used mozzarella balls, and a three cheese shaved blend of Parmesan, Romano & Asiago.  Super yummy!  

California Pizza Kitchen

Update - You can read my most recent review of California Pizza Kitchen here.  

Tonight, we went to the California Pizza Kitchen at Waterford Lakes for dinner, because I had heard through several sources that they had great gluten free pizza.  Before tonight, I have only had decent gluten free pizza at one restaurant, Boardwalk Pizza in Winter Park.  In addition to pizza, Boardwalk Pizza has gluten free ravioli, penne, and the last time I was there, they had gluten free chocolate mousse.  I had so many great gluten free pizzas there, but then they messed up my order and put sauce on my pizza 3 times in a row, and then I got a strangely soggy pizza on another visit.  Because of inconsistent meals and the fact that I discovered I could make awesome gluten free pizza with Chebe at home, we stopped going to Boardwalk Pizza.  You can view my blog post about our pizza experiments with Chebe here.  

The hostess gave me a copy of their gluten free pizza menu.  You can view it online here.  The regular and small plates menus I was given had a wide variety of gluten free choices on them also.  

From the small plates menu, we ordered White Corn Guacamole + Chips, a delicious combination of diced avocado, sweet white corn, black beans, jicama, bell pepper, cilantro and serrano peppers.  Other gluten free small plate options include the Asparagus + Arugula Salad and the Petite Wedge.  

We ordered a small portion of the Morrocan-Spiced Chicken Salad with roasted butternut squash, dates, avocado, toasted almonds, beets, red peppers, chopped egg and cranberries, with a housemade Champagne vinaigrette.  So far, my husband and I were two for two on the dishes we ordered to split.  I loved everything about this salad!  Roasted Veggie, Carmelized Peach, Waldorf Chicken, California Cobb, and the Italian Chopped are other gluten free options from the salad menu, available in both small and large portions.    

The main reason we visited CPK was to try their new gluten free pizza.  CPK introduced gluten free pizza to their menu two years ago, but then removed it due to concerns about cross contamination.  This year, they reintroduced a certified gluten free pizza crust, and prepare it using strict procedures approved by The Gluten Intolerance Group (GIG).  You can read more about the precautions CPK takes here.   

I love BBQ Chicken Pizza and it's a pizza I have not made at home, so it was a no-brainer what we would be ordering.  After I took a picture, I reached in for a slice.  Initially, I was disappointed because the pizza wasn't very hot and it bent right over in my hand when I picked it up.  Then I tasted it...wow!  It didn't taste like the typical icky rice based crusts that I've had in too many restaurants.  It had just the right amount of toppings and everything tasted great, including the crust.  After eating two pieces, I decided I liked it so much because the crust reminded me of naan I used to eat in a Thai restaurant in Pittsburgh.  

The other three pizzas that can be made using GIG's certified procedures are the Pepperoni, Mushroom Pepperoni Sausage, and the Margherita. 

I give everything we ate at CPK an A+ and we will definitely be going back!  

You can view California Pizza Kitchen's restaurant locator here.  

Sweet! By Good Golly Miss Holly is several doors down from CPK at Waterford Lakes.  I stopped in to check out their gluten free raspberry chocolate cupcake.  Like the chocolate and red velvet I have had in previous visits, it was incredibly moist, but I found the icing and the filling to be too sweet, and there was just too much of them, and too little cake.  

My daughters and I met Hollis Wilder, three time winner of Cupcake Wars and owner of Sweet, at a cupcake decorating class back in November.  She and her staff bent over backwards to accommodate the gluten issues of everyone in our group.  Sweet now offers vegan/gluten free options also.

January 3, 2014 Update

Today, my daughter Emma and I went to the CPK at The Mall at Millenia for lunch.  We decided to order the Petite Wedge, a gluten free choice on the Small Plates menu.  We subbed champagne vinaigrette for the blue cheese dressing.   

It was a really great salad!  My daughter and I loved the combination of Nueske's applewood smoked bacon, chopped egg, and tomato.  I let Emma eat almost all of it because I was afraid she wouldn't like the BBQ chicken pizza.  My child who doesn't usually like pizza actually ate two pieces and said it was good.  

February 6, 2014 Update -- Yesterday, I had lunch at CPK with one of my GFFs.  She loved the Roasted Veggie salad with chicken she ordered.  It looked great!  

February 16, 2014 Update - Tonight, we ordered the gluten free Margherita pizza.  It was very good, but I prefer the BBQ Chicken pizza.  

My mother-in-law ordered one of her favorites, the gluten free asparagus and arugula salad from the small plates menu.  It looked pretty incredible!

October 27, 2014 Update

Over the weekend, we ate at the California Pizza Kitchen at The Mall at Millenia, and I was very disappointed with the two gluten free pizzas we ordered.  The crust was dry, and didn't even seem to be very hot, so I sent them back.  My pizzas were cooked more, which made them taste a little better, but it left me wondering if CPK has changed the ingredients or cooking method of their gluten free pizza crust.  Last time we were at Waterford Lakes, the pizza crust seemed dry and a bit cold as well.  I'm not sure what is going on, but after having mediocre crust the last two or three visits, I don't think I will be ordering pizza at California Pizza Kitchen anymore, which makes me very sad, because it used to be so good.  I did ask our server if any changes were made to the ingredients or cooking method of the crust, or if it could be stale.  He assured me no changes had been made, and that they get new gluten free crusts every two days, and he told me the package mine came out of was opened that morning.

July 19, 2015 Update

Tonight, I decided to give CPK's gluten free pizza a try again.  I ordered a BBQ chicken pizza without onion and cilantro, and it was just as good as I remember it being the first couple of times I tried it.  It was a little brown around the edges, but it still tasted great.

What are your favorite gluten free dishes at California Pizza Kitchen?