Panera Flatbread Pizza is brand new and I had to try them!!! Then I had to make them! My favorite is the Chipotle Chicken & Bacon Flatbread Pizza. It’s cheesy with lots of bacon and so good!
The other flatbread pizza they have is a margherita with cheese, tomato and basil. This Chipotle Chicken one though has so much more!!!! Flatbread pizza is so easy to make too – and it’s ready in about 10 minutes! So it’s great for a weeknight dinner.
What’s on Panera’s Chipotle Chicken Pizza?
This pizza is loaded with goodies! First the flatbread – it’s a very light crust – and it’s topped with garlic cream sauce – basically a garlic alfredo. After that, it’s topped with Smoked Pulled Chicken, Applewood Smoked Bacon, Grape Tomatoes, a blend of fontina and mozzarella cheese and baked. Then, top it off with Chipotle Aioli and a bit of fresh cilantro.
How do you make Panera’s Chipotle Chicken Pizza?
Every time Panera has a new menu item – I get it right away and go to the work of dissecting it! This one was pretty easy once you know the components and I gotta tell you – mine was even a little bit tastier if I do say so myself!
First – the flatbread – I always use Stonefire Garlic Naan – they carry it at Kroger and most grocery stores. It’s very light and gets a little crispy but holds up to toppings.
How to make Garlic Cream Sauce
Next up – I made a super quick alfredo sauce – you can easily use a jarred sauce – but it takes just a few minutes to make your own. Melt a little butter in a saucepan, add garlic and saute for a minute. Add cream and romano (or parmesan) cheese until it all is melted and mixed together.
Spoon your cream sauce over the naan flatbread – the Panera version was pretty heavy on the sauce. This recipe will make enough sauce for two of the larger size flatbreads. You can also use a regular pizza crust and will have enough for that as well.
Top your cream sauce with pulled chicken, sliced grape tomatoes and Applewood smoked bacon. How’d I get those? Well for the chicken – I have a recipe for Smoked Chicken but you can also use rotisserie chicken. I made my bacon in the air fryer and then chopped it into big chunks – be sure to UNDERCOOK your bacon since it’s going to bake as well.
Lastly – I couldn’t find fontina cheese so I just used fresh mozzarella and that is what made mine better! It was a delicious addition!!!! Then bake (or air fry) for 10-15 minutes and you’re done! While it’s baking, you can mix together the Chipotle Aioli – it’s just mayo and chipotle pepper seasoning – if you want it to be runnier – just add a tiny bit of water. Top your baked pizza with aioli and a sprinkle of fresh cilantro for a better-than-Panera Chipotle Chicken & Bacon Flatbread Pizza!
What can you serve with Panera Flatbread Pizza?
I actually got a half salad with the pizza so that’s the route I would go and here are some of my favorite Panera salads:
Copycat Panera Chipotle Chicken & Bacon Flatbread Pizza
Ingredients
- 2 pieces Stonefire Garlic Naan (or your favorite pizza crust)
Garlic Cream Sauce
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup grated Romano cheese (or Parmesan)
Pizza Toppings
- 1 cup smoked chicken breast
- 12 grape tomatoes sliced
- 3 slices applewood smoked bacon cooked and diced
- 1 ball fresh Mozzarella
Chipotle Aioli
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 tsp chipotle chili pepper seasoning
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees
- In a small saucepan over medium high, melt butter
- Once butter is melted, add minced garlic for 1 minute
- Add in grated cheese and heavy cream, whisking until mixed and melted
- Remove garlic cream sauce from heat
- Lay naan onto a cookie sheet or pizza pan. Spoon garlic cream sauce onto Naan
- Top with pulled chicken, sliced tomatoes and bacon. Then slice fresh mozzarella and place in and around toppings
- Bake at 375 for 6 minutes and then turn oven to high broil and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes until cheese is melted and starts to brown
- While pizza is baking, in a bowl whisk together mayo and chipotle pepper seasoning. If mixture is too thick to drizzle – you can add a tablespoon of water.
- Remove from oven and drizzle with chipotle aioli and fresh cilantro
Notes
- Here’s a delicious recipe for Smoked Chicken Breast
- You can also bake this pizza in the air fryer for 5-8 minutes at 375
- Easy swaps:
- Smoked chicken – you can use Rotisserie chicken
- Romano – you can use Parmesan
- Fontina – you can use Fresh Mozzarella
- Garlic Cream Sauce – you can use jarred alfredo
- I air fried the bacon while making the garlic cream sauce
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