Garlic Parmesan Chicken Broccoli (Print Version)

Crispy thin-crust topped with creamy garlic-Parmesan white sauce, diced chicken, and fresh broccoli florets. Golden and bubbly in just 15 minutes.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pizza Dough

01 - 1 pound prepared pizza dough, homemade or store-bought
02 - 1 tablespoon olive oil for brushing

→ 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, optional

→ Toppings

11 - 1 cup cooked chicken breast, diced or shredded
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, optional
17 - Fresh parsley, chopped for garnish, optional

# Steps to Follow:

01 - Preheat oven to 475°F. Position pizza stone on oven rack if using.
02 - Roll pizza dough on lightly floured surface into 12-inch circle. Transfer to parchment-lined baking sheet or pizza peel. Brush crust edge with olive oil.
03 - Melt butter in small saucepan over medium heat. Add minced garlic and sauté 1 minute until fragrant. Stir in flour and cook 1 minute. Gradually whisk in milk until smooth. Add Parmesan, salt, pepper, and Italian herbs. Cook, stirring continuously, until thickened, approximately 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat.
04 - Evenly distribute garlic-Parmesan sauce over pizza dough, leaving 1-inch border around edges.
05 - Scatter chicken and broccoli evenly 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 preheated oven and bake 12-15 minutes until crust is golden brown and cheese is bubbling.
07 - Remove from oven and allow to cool 2 minutes. Garnish with fresh parsley. Slice and serve immediately.

# Additional Tips::

01 -
  • The creamy white sauce clings to every bite without making the crust soggy, which is something I learned only after ruining two pizzas with too much liquid.
  • Broccoli on pizza sounds strange until you taste how it soaks up garlic and cheese, turning into something you'll actually crave instead of tolerate.
  • It uses up leftover chicken beautifully and feels fancy enough to serve when someone drops by unexpectedly.
  • You can prep the sauce while the oven heats, meaning dinner happens faster than waiting for delivery.
02 -
  • Blanch the broccoli for just 2 minutes in boiling water then shock it in ice water, because I once used raw florets and they stayed too firm and tasted out of place.
  • Don't skip brushing oil on the crust edge, it's the difference between a beautiful golden rim and a pale sad border that nobody wants to eat.
  • Let the white sauce cool for a minute before spreading it or it will be too runny and make your dough soggy in the center.
03 -
  • Use a pizza stone if you have one, the intense底部 heat creates a crust that's crispy on the outside and chewy inside in a way a baking sheet just can't match.
  • Grate your own Parmesan from a block because the pre-grated stuff has added starches that make the sauce gritty instead of silky smooth.
  • If your dough keeps shrinking when you roll it, let it rest for 5 minutes so the gluten relaxes, fighting it only makes it tougher.
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