Chicken Artichoke Flatbread
This Chicken Artichoke Flatbread is an irresistible appetizer with crispy flatbread, creamy spinach and artichoke spread, chicken, and Parmesan cheese. Perfect for parties or a crowd-pleasing snack.
Servings: 16
Ingredients
Bread:
- ¾ cup hot water 110-115 degrees Fahrenheit
- 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 2 cups flour plus more for rolling out the bread
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
Chicken:
- 2-3 chicken breast halves cut in half horizontally
- salt pepper
- 1 Tablespoon oil
Spinach Artichoke Spread:
- 1 Tablespoon butter or olive oil
- 2 shallots minced
- 2-3 garlic cloves minced
- 2 pkg 9 oz, each frozen artichokes, thawed
- 2 pkg 8 0z, each cream cheese
- 10 oz frozen spinach thawed
Toppings:
- 1 - 1 ½ cups Mozzarella cheese finely grated
- 1 - 1 ½ cup Parmesan cheese finely grated
- fresh parsley minced, to garnish, optional
Instructions
Bread dough:
- Dissolve the yeast and sugar in the hot water and let is stand until the yeast starts to foam, about 5 minutes.
- In a large bowl of a standing mixer, combine the flour and salt. Mix with the dough hook attachment.
- Add the oil and then the yeast mixture, and start mixing on low speed. . Increase the speed and mix until a smooth and elastic dough forms. Knead for at least 5 more minutes.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm place to rise while you are prepping the rest of the ingredients.
Chicken:
- Cut the chicken breast halves in half horizontally. It will cook much faster that way.
- Season the chicken with salt and pepper on both sides.
- Heat the oil in a skillet on medium high heat and cook the chicken until it's golden brown on both sides. Cook the chicken in batches. Set the chicken aside, covered.
- When the chicken is cool enough to handle, cut it into thin strips.
Spinach Artichoke Spread:
- Coarsely chop the artichokes. Squeeze out all the liquid out of the spinach.
- In a small saucepan, melt 1 Tablespoon butter or olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallots and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes, until tender.
- Add the artichokes, season with salt and pepper. Cook for 3-5 minutes.
- Add the cream cheese, reduce heat to medium low, and cook just until the cream cheese melts.
- Add the spinach and cook for another minute or so, just enough to heat the spinach through. Season with salt and pepper, if it needs it. Set aside.
Assembling and baking the flatbread:
- Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Place a large rimmed baking sheet in the oven to heat up.
- On a floured surface, roll out the dough into paper thin rectangles. You should have about 8 flatbreads in total. When the oven has preheated, along with the baking sheet, take the hot baking sheet out of the oven, and generously spread some olive oil on the surface of the sheet.
- Place 2 of the flatbreads on top of the baking sheet.
- Spread ⅛ of the Spinach Artichoke spread on top of the dough, leaving a clean edge all the way around the flatbread. Top with the pieces of chicken and then with the cheese. Bake in the preheated oven for 10-15 minutes. Repeat with the remaining dough and the rest of the ingredients.
- Top with a smattering of more Parmesan cheese and fresh parsley. Serve hot.
Notes
This recipe will give you 8 flatbreads, which is perfect for a party, but if you don't want to make all 8 flatbreads, halve all the ingredients except the dough and make only 4 flatbreads. That's what I did. The other 4 flatbreads I simply baked in the oven, brushed them with olive oil, sprinkled with a bit of salt and we ate them like crackers. Delicious!
