Creamy Chicken & Bacon Pizza with Garlic Parmesan Sauce
Creamy, cheesy and loaded with flavour, this pizza starts with a rich homemade garlic Parmesan sauce and is topped with tender chicken, crispy bacon, red onion and juicy cherry tomatoes. Mozzarella and freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano bring everything together, with an optional touch of herbed goat cheese for a little extra creaminess and tang.
Prep time
20 minutes
Cook time
Approximately 10–12 minutes (pre-baked shells)
Serves
Ingredients
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Garlic Parmesan Sauce
- 2 tbspbutter
- 2 clovesgarlic, minced
- 2 tbspall-purpose flour
- 1 cupheavy cream, or half-and-half for a lighter, slightly thinner sauce
- ¼ tspItalian seasoning
- Salt, to taste
- Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
- ¼ cupfreshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
For the Pizzas
- Pizza dough for 2 approximately 10–12-inch pizzas, or 2 store-bought 10–12-inch pre-baked pizza shells
- Garlic Parmesan Sauce
- 2 cupscooked chicken, cut into small bite-sized pieces
- 6 slicesbacon, cooked until crisp and chopped into bacon bits
- ½ smallred onion, thinly sliced
- 8–10cherry tomatoes, halved
- 2 cupsshredded mozzarella cheese
- Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, for layering and finishing
- Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
- Optional: 2 tbsp herbed goat cheese, crumbled (approximately 1 tbsp per pizza)
Ingredients
Garlic Parmesan Sauce
- 2 tbspbutter
- 2 clovesgarlic, minced
- 2 tbspall-purpose flour
- 1 cupheavy cream, or half-and-half for a lighter, slightly thinner sauce
- ¼ tspItalian seasoning
- Salt, to taste
- Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
- ¼ cupfreshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
For the Pizzas
- Pizza dough for 2 approximately 10–12-inch pizzas, or 2 store-bought 10–12-inch pre-baked pizza shells
- Garlic Parmesan Sauce
- 2 cupscooked chicken, cut into small bite-sized pieces
- 6 slicesbacon, cooked until crisp and chopped into bacon bits
- ½ smallred onion, thinly sliced
- 8–10cherry tomatoes, halved
- 2 cupsshredded mozzarella cheese
- Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, for layering and finishing
- Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
- Optional: 2 tbsp herbed goat cheese, crumbled (approximately 1 tbsp per pizza)
Instructions
- 1
Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds, just until fragrant. Sprinkle in the flour and whisk continuously for about 1 minute. Slowly pour in the heavy cream, whisking constantly until smooth. Add the Italian seasoning and season lightly with salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Continue cooking for approximately 2–4 minutes, stirring frequently, until the sauce has thickened to a creamy, spreadable consistency. Remove from the heat and stir in ¼ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano until melted and smooth. If using half-and-half instead of heavy cream, the finished sauce will be slightly thinner.
- 2
Cut the cooked chicken into small bite-sized pieces. Cook the bacon until crisp, then chop or crumble it into small bacon bits. Thinly slice the red onion and halve the cherry tomatoes.
- 3
If using fresh or premade refrigerated pizza dough, bring it to room temperature before stretching. Divide and shape the dough into two approximately 10–12-inch pizzas. Alternatively, use two approximately 10–12-inch store-bought pre-baked pizza shells for an easy shortcut.
- 4
Divide the garlic Parmesan sauce evenly between the two pizzas and spread it over the surface, leaving a small border around the edges. Finely grate Parmigiano-Reggiano directly over the garlic Parmesan sauce. Evenly distribute the chicken, crispy bacon bits, thinly sliced red onion and cherry tomatoes over the pizzas. Top with the shredded mozzarella cheese, followed by a small sprinkling of freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano. If using the herbed goat cheese, crumble approximately 1 tablespoon over each pizza. Finish with freshly cracked black pepper.
- 5
If using pre-baked pizza shells, bake at 400°F (200°C) for approximately 10–12 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbling and the crust is hot and crisp around the edges. If using fresh pizza dough, follow the baking temperature and approximate cooking time recommended for your particular dough, as it may require a higher oven temperature or longer cooking time. Slice and serve hot.
Melissa's Notes
For an extra-rich and creamy garlic Parmesan sauce, use heavy cream. Half-and-half is a great option if you'd like a lighter sauce; just keep in mind that the finished sauce will be slightly thinner. Bring refrigerated pizza dough to room temperature before stretching — it will be much easier to shape and less likely to spring back. Don't skip the Parmigiano-Reggiano directly over the garlic sauce; that extra layer adds a salty, nutty flavour underneath the toppings. Cook the bacon until crisp and chop or crumble it into small bacon bits so there's a little bacon in every bite. Keep the red onion thinly sliced so it softens as the pizza cooks. The herbed goat cheese is completely optional — approximately 1 tablespoon per pizza is enough to add a subtle creamy tang without overpowering the other flavours.
Nutrition Information
Per serving (⅛ of total recipe) — based on heavy cream, does not include optional goat cheese
Nutrition information is an estimate and may vary depending on the ingredients and brands used.
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