Garlic Parmesan Chicken & Broccoli (Print version)

Thin-crust pizza with creamy garlic-Parmesan white sauce, diced chicken, and fresh broccoli florets. Golden, bubbly, and ready in 40 minutes.

# What you’ll need:

→ Pizza Dough

01 - 1 lb prepared pizza dough
02 - 1 tablespoon olive oil

→ Garlic-Parmesan White Sauce

03 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
04 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
05 - 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
06 - 1 cup whole milk
07 - ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
08 - ¼ teaspoon salt
09 - ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
10 - ¼ teaspoon dried Italian herbs

→ Toppings

11 - 1 cup cooked chicken breast, diced
12 - 1 cup broccoli florets, blanched and chopped
13 - 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
14 - ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
15 - 1 teaspoon olive oil
16 - Pinch of red pepper flakes
17 - Fresh parsley, chopped for garnish

# Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 475°F. If using a pizza stone, place it in the oven to heat.
02 - Roll out pizza dough on a lightly floured surface into a 12-inch circle. Place on parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush the edge with olive oil.
03 - In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Add minced garlic and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant. Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in milk until smooth. Add Parmesan, salt, pepper, and Italian herbs. Cook, stirring, until thickened, approximately 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat.
04 - Spread garlic-Parmesan sauce evenly over pizza dough, leaving a 1-inch border.
05 - Evenly scatter chicken and broccoli over sauce. Top with mozzarella and additional Parmesan. Drizzle with 1 teaspoon olive oil and sprinkle with red pepper flakes if desired.
06 - Transfer pizza to oven and bake for 12-15 minutes, or until crust is golden and cheese is bubbling.
07 - Remove from oven and let cool for 2 minutes. Garnish with fresh parsley. Slice and serve hot.

# Cooking tips:

01 -
  • The creamy garlic-Parmesan sauce is addictively smooth and coats every bite without being heavy.
  • It comes together faster than you'd expect for something that tastes like you spent way more effort than you actually did.
  • Broccoli in pizza form somehow becomes exciting instead of virtuous, and your family won't even notice they're eating vegetables.
02 -
  • Blanch your broccoli before adding it to the pizza or it will release moisture and make the crust soggy instead of crispy.
  • Don't skip the minute of cooking the garlic in butter before adding the flour; that's what gives the sauce its deep, toasted flavor and prevents raw garlic harshness.
03 -
  • If your sauce breaks or looks grainy, remove it from heat immediately and whisk in a splash of cold milk to bring it back together smoothly.
  • The secret to a crispy crust on a regular baking sheet is brushing the bottom with olive oil before you transfer your dough, and letting it bake for the full time without checking on it.
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