Pin It There's something about the smell of basil hitting a hot pan that makes you feel like you've got your life together in the kitchen. One weeknight, I was standing in front of an open fridge with maybe twenty minutes before everyone would be hungry, and a tub of store-bought pesto caught my eye next to some leftover rotisserie chicken. What started as me throwing together whatever I could find turned into this flatbread that's now my answer to "what's for dinner" more often than I'd like to admit. It's the kind of meal that tastes fancy enough to impress people but requires almost no actual skill.
I remember making this for my sister who had just moved to a new place with barely any kitchen equipment. She kept apologizing for not having the "right" things to cook with, and I watched her face when she realized you could make something this good with just a baking sheet and a knife. She's made it probably fifty times since then.
Ingredients
- Flatbreads: Two 8 by 10 inch flatbreads form your canvas here—store-bought ones are totally fine and honestly make this whole thing feasible on a busy day.
- Chicken: Two small boneless skinless chicken breasts cooked and sliced, or about 300 grams of rotisserie chicken shredded, which honestly tastes just as good and saves you a step.
- Pesto: One third cup of basil pesto brings the whole flavor story together, and whether you make it or buy it matters less than people think.
- Mozzarella cheese: One and a half cups shredded mozzarella is your melty foundation that binds everything together.
- Parmesan cheese: Quarter cup grated Parmesan adds a salty sharpness that keeps things from feeling one-dimensional.
- Cherry tomatoes: Half cup halved provides little bursts of brightness and a bit of acidity to cut through the richness.
- Red onion: Quarter of a small one thinly sliced gives you crunch and a gentle bite that wakes up your palate.
- Baby arugula: Quarter cup of fresh leaves goes on after baking so they stay peppery and crisp, not wilted.
- Fresh basil and black pepper: Just a handful of basil leaves and a grind of pepper at the end makes it taste like you actually know what you're doing.
Instructions
- Get your oven ready:
- Heat to 220 degrees Celsius, which is about 425 Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper so nothing sticks and cleanup feels less like punishment.
- Build the foundation:
- Place your flatbreads on the sheet and spread pesto generously over each one, leaving maybe half an inch around the edges so they don't burn. You want enough pesto that every bite has that basil flavor, but not so much it pools into the corners.
- Add the protein:
- Distribute your sliced cooked chicken evenly across both flatbreads. Don't clump it in one spot or you'll end up with some bites that are mostly cheese and some that are actually about the chicken.
- Layer on the cheese:
- Sprinkle mozzarella first, then Parmesan on top. The combination of melty and sharp is what makes this work better than using just one.
- Top with vegetables:
- Scatter the cherry tomato halves and red onion slices across the cheese. You want them distributed so you get a little of each in every slice.
- Bake until golden:
- Pop it in the oven for 12 to 15 minutes until the cheese is genuinely bubbly and the edges of the flatbread have turned golden. You can tell it's done when you see the cheese starting to brown slightly at the edges.
- Finish fresh:
- Pull it out and let it cool for just 2 or 3 minutes so you don't burn your mouth, then top with fresh arugula, basil, and a grind of pepper. The coolness of the greens against the heat is where the magic happens.
- Slice and serve:
- Cut it however makes sense for your situation and eat it while the cheese is still warm and everything is at its best.
Pin It My neighbor smelled this cooking and actually came over asking what I was making, and I ended up giving her a slice. She's now the person I text when I'm making it because she wants to come over. Food that brings people to your door unexpectedly is the kind of food worth making again.
Why This Works as a Weeknight Dinner
The secret is that you're not actually cooking chicken here—you're just assembling things that are already cooked or ready to eat. A rotisserie chicken from the grocery store counts, or leftover chicken from any night you happened to make some. This is the definition of a recipe that works because it's honest about what busy weeknights actually look like. You're not standing over a stove sweating, you're arranging ingredients on a flatbread and letting the oven do the thinking.
Making It Your Own
Once you make this once, you'll start seeing it as a template instead of a rigid recipe. I've made versions with roasted zucchini when I wanted it vegetarian, and once I used sun-dried tomato pesto because that's what I had open in the fridge. A friend of mine swears by adding sliced fresh mozzarella instead of shredded, which gives you these beautiful melty pockets instead of even distribution. The core idea stays the same—pesto, protein or vegetables, cheese, quick bake—but the details can shift based on what you've got and what you're craving.
What to Pair It With
A crisp white wine like Pinot Grigio is the obvious choice, but honestly sparkling water with lemon works just as well if you're not drinking. A simple green salad on the side feels fancy without requiring you to do anything complicated, and it balances out the richness of the cheese. If you want something even simpler, just serve it with a cold drink and call it done.
- Make sure your cheese is actually melted and bubbly before you take it out, or you'll bite into cool mozzarella and feel cheated.
- Slice it while it's still warm so you don't end up with flatbread that's tough and chewy once it cools.
- Leftovers reheat fine in a 180 degree oven for about five minutes if you need them to, though they're honestly better fresh.
Pin It This is the kind of meal that disappears fast once it hits the table, and somehow always tastes like you put in way more effort than you actually did. That's the whole point.
Recipe FAQs
- → Can I use homemade pesto for this dish?
Yes, homemade basil pesto works wonderfully and adds fresh herbaceous flavor to the flatbread.
- → What flatbread types are best?
Store-bought or homemade flatbreads around 8x10 inches are ideal, providing a crisp base that holds toppings well.
- → How can I make this vegetarian?
Simply omit the chicken and add roasted vegetables like zucchini or bell peppers for similar texture and flavor balance.
- → What cheese complements the flavors?
Mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses melt beautifully and highlight the savory pesto and tender chicken.
- → How long should I bake this flatbread?
Bake at 220°C (425°F) for 12 to 15 minutes until the cheese is melted, bubbly, and edges turn golden brown.