Save One Tuesday evening, my partner came home raving about a white sauce pizza they'd had at a small Italian place downtown, and I became slightly obsessed with recreating it at home. The next weekend, I stood in my kitchen with a stick of butter, three cloves of garlic, and absolutely no idea if my homemade attempt would work, but something about the creamy-savory promise of it pulled me forward. What emerged from that first try was this Garlic Parmesan Chicken & Broccoli Pizza, a dish that somehow tastes restaurant-quality but feels utterly personal because you made it yourself. It became our Tuesday night thing, a way to turn an ordinary weeknight into something worth lingering over.
I'll never forget making this for my sister's surprise dinner party when she mentioned offhandedly that she missed restaurant pizza but was tired of the same pepperoni routine. I threw this together while she was upstairs, and when everyone took that first bite and their eyes lit up, I realized this pizza had quietly become the kind of thing people actually request. It's one of those recipes that feels like you're showing off a little, even though you barely broke a sweat making it.
Ingredients
- Prepared pizza dough (1 lb): Store-bought dough is your secret weapon here—no shame in skipping the rising and resting, especially when you're working with a weeknight timeline.
- Unsalted butter (2 tbsp): Use real butter, not the margarine imposter, because it's the foundation of a silky sauce that actually tastes like something.
- Fresh garlic (3 cloves, minced): Pre-minced garlic from a jar works in an absolute emergency, but fresh cloves transform this from serviceable to genuinely aromatic—the smell alone is worth it.
- All-purpose flour (2 tbsp): This is your thickening agent, and measuring it matters; too much and you get library paste, too little and it never sets.
- Whole milk (1 cup): The fat content actually matters—use 2% or whole milk, never skim, or you'll end up with a thin, watery sauce.
- Grated Parmesan cheese (½ cup plus ¼ cup): Freshly grated tastes noticeably better than the shaker can, and it melts into the sauce like silk instead of turning grainy.
- Cooked chicken breast (1 cup, diced): If you have time, poach your own or use rotisserie chicken; if you're in a rush, even plain deli chicken works—season it while it's warm if it tastes bland.
- Fresh broccoli florets (1 cup, blanched): A quick two-minute dunk in boiling water keeps them tender-crisp instead of turning into little sad trees in the oven.
- Shredded mozzarella cheese (1 cup): Low-moisture mozzarella is non-negotiable—the regular kind releases too much water and makes your crust soggy.
Instructions
- Get your oven singing:
- Set it to 475°F and let a pizza stone heat inside if you have one—this creates a crust with real texture and slight char. If you're using a regular baking sheet, that's fine too, just preheat it while you work on everything else.
- Shape your dough:
- On a lightly floured surface, stretch the pizza dough into a 12-inch circle, working from the center outward with your fingertips. Lay it on parchment paper or your pizza peel, brush the edges lightly with olive oil so they brown beautifully, and set aside.
- Make the magic sauce:
- Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat until it's foaming, then add minced garlic and let it sizzle for just one minute—you want fragrant, not brown. Sprinkle flour over the butter and garlic, stir constantly for another minute to cook out the raw flour taste, then slowly whisk in the milk while stirring to avoid lumps forming (this is the move that separates a smooth sauce from a lumpy disaster).
- Season and thicken:
- Keep stirring as the sauce simmers for 2–3 minutes until it coats the back of a spoon, then fold in the Parmesan, salt, pepper, and Italian herbs if you're using them. Taste it once—this sauce should taste boldly seasoned because it's the soul of the pizza.
- Assemble with intention:
- Spread the white sauce over your dough in an even layer, leaving a ½-inch border so the edges can puff and brown. Scatter the chicken and broccoli evenly—don't pile them in one spot—then sprinkle mozzarella and the extra Parmesan over everything.
- Add the final touches:
- Drizzle a teaspoon of olive oil across the top and add red pepper flakes if you like heat, then into the oven it goes.
- Watch it come alive:
- Bake for 12–15 minutes until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is bubbling at the edges. It's done when the bottoms of the broccoli florets look slightly caramelized and you can smell that toasted, savory aroma filling your kitchen.
- The two-minute rest:
- Let it cool for just a couple minutes so the cheese sets slightly and your mouth won't burn on the first bite. Scatter fresh parsley over the top if you have it, slice with a sharp pizza cutter, and serve immediately while it's still warm.
Save There's something quietly wonderful about pulling a homemade pizza out of your own oven, that moment when the kitchen fills with the smell of melted cheese and caramelized crust and you remember why you love cooking. This pizza has become the thing I make when I want to feel proud of dinner without spending three hours in the kitchen.
Why This Pizza Changed My Mind About White Sauce
I used to think white sauce pizzas were too heavy or too fancy, the kind of thing you'd order out because making it at home seemed complicated. But after that first time, I realized how simple a proper béchamel really is—butter, garlic, flour, milk, cheese, and the patience to stir—and how it creates something richer and more interesting than tomato sauce without being fussy about it. Now I find myself craving it, which surprised me because I'm usually a red sauce loyalist.
Building Flavor Into Your Chicken
If you have time, don't just throw plain cooked chicken onto this pizza—marinate it for even five minutes in a small bowl with a drizzle of olive oil, a pinch of garlic powder, and a sprinkle of dried Italian herbs. Even rotisserie chicken, which is already seasoned, becomes more interesting with this tiny extra step, and it prevents the meat from tasting bland against the savory sauce and cheese. It's such a small move but it genuinely elevates everything.
Making It Your Own
This pizza is forgiving in wonderful ways—you can swap broccoli for cauliflower if that's what's in your crisper drawer, add sliced mushrooms for earthiness, or even throw some crispy prosciutto on top if you're feeling indulgent. I've made it with roasted red peppers, caramelized onions, and even fresh spinach, and every version tastes like its own thing while still being recognizably that creamy-savory-chicken pizza everyone loves. The white sauce is the through-line that holds it all together, so once you master that, you're essentially creating a new pizza every time.
- Don't be shy with the Parmesan—it's what gives this pizza its distinctive flavor, so fresh grated is worth the extra thirty seconds.
- If your sauce breaks or gets lumpy, pour it through a fine-mesh strainer into a clean bowl and whisk in a splash of milk to smooth it out.
- Leftovers reheat beautifully in a 350°F oven for about 5 minutes, which makes this an excellent pizza for meal prep.
Save This pizza has become the kind of thing I make on nights when I need cooking to feel like play instead of work, when I want something that tastes like I put real effort into dinner. If you're hesitating because white sauce sounds intimidating, trust me—you've got this, and once you do it once, you'll understand why this pizza deserves a permanent spot in your rotation.
Recipe FAQs
- → Can I use store-bought pizza dough?
Yes, store-bought fresh or refrigerated pizza dough works perfectly. You can also use frozen dough, just thaw it completely before rolling out.
- → Should I cook the broccoli before putting it on the pizza?
Yes, blanch the broccoli florets for 2-3 minutes in boiling water before topping. This ensures the broccoli becomes tender during baking without burning.
- → What type of chicken works best?
Leftover rotisserie chicken, grilled chicken breasts, or poached chicken all work well. Dice or shred the meat into bite-sized pieces for even distribution.
- → Can I make the white sauce ahead of time?
The white sauce can be made up to 2 days in advance and stored in the refrigerator. Reheat gently with a splash of milk before spreading on the dough.
- → What vegetables can I substitute for broccoli?
Cauliflower florets, sliced mushrooms, spinach, or bell peppers make excellent alternatives. Adjust cooking times as needed for different vegetables.
- → Do I need a pizza stone?
A pizza stone creates the crispiest crust, but a baking sheet works fine too. Preheat either option in the oven for best results.