Chicken parmesan stuffed garlic bread, a perfect fusion of cheesy goodness and garlicky delight. It’s a scrumptious twist on the classic Italian favorite.
Chicken parmesan, also known as ‘chicken parm’, is a dish that originated in the United States from Italian immigrants. The most widely accepted theory is that chicken parm was created in the 1950s, when Italian immigrants began to adapt their traditional dishes to American ingredients and cooking methods. The dish became a popular staple in restaurants serving Italian American cuisine by the 1950s. The first recorded instance of the dish is in a 1953 recipe book called ‘The Italian Cook Book’ by Ada Boni.
Chicken parmigiana as we know it always contains the same basic ingredients: chicken breast, often butterflied, breadcrumbs, Italian seasonings, tomato sauce, and mozzarella cheese. But it wasn’t always that way. In the Old World, that’s Italy prior to the Italian diaspora, the large-scale emigration of Italians from Italy to America, proteins like chicken were not widely available. As such, the original chicken parmigiana was actually made with breaded, fried slices of eggplant in place of chicken for a dish called melanzane alla Parmigiana. This form of the dish originated in Southern Italy, where the poor soil made it difficult to raise animals for food but where enterprising — and thrifty — peasants could scratch out a living growing hardier crops like eggplant. It also thrived in the hot climate of the South.
In North America, most of the time eggplant parmesan is thought of as just the vegetarian version of an Italian American classic. However, it is actually the other way around — eggplant is the original version of this dish.
You would expect a recipe for something with the word ‘parmesan’ in its name to contain just that, but you would be wrong. The cheese most associated with this dish is mozzarella.
This recipe certainly takes chicken parm & garlic bread up a notch. Yum!
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Chicken 'Parm' Stuffed Garlic Bread
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Instructions
Chicken
Slice chicken lengthwise. In a large resealable plastic bag, combine salt, spices & oil; add chicken breast slices. Seal bag & turn to coat.
Preheat oven to 375 F. Line a baking tray with foil paper.
Spread chicken out evenly & bake about 45 minutes or until no longer pink inside. Don't overcook. Remove from oven, cool & chop. Set aside.
Other
Cook bacon & process in food processor for a few seconds, just until a LARGE crumbly texture is reached.
Grate the two different cheeses & combine. Set aside.
Garlic Bread
Cook potato, mash & cool. In a small bowl, combine yeast with lukewarm water; whisk until yeast is dissolved. Let stand about 3 minutes until foamy. Add butter, minced garlic, salt, sour cream & potato; mix well.
Stir in flour, one cup at a time. When dough is completely blended, turn onto a lightly floured surface. Knead dough about 10 minutes, until smooth & elastic. Place dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap & let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
Remove risen dough from bowl, turn onto lightly floured surface; roll dough to about a 9" x 20" rectangle. Place a large piece of parchment on a sheet pan. Roll dough onto your rolling pin then unroll onto parchment paper. Place 1/2 of the cheese down the center of dough, top it with crumbled bacon, chicken & remaining cheese.
Starting from the long side , bring the two sides up to meet in the center & pick dough together firmly. Fold the short ends in about 1-inch & pinch together. Using the parchment paper, roll 'baguette' over so the pinched seam side is on the bottom.
Cover with plastic wrap; allow to rise for 15 minutes while preheating oven to 375 F. Brush with egg wash if preferred. Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden.
Serving
Remove from oven & serve hot with 'pizza sauce' for dipping.
CELEBRATING THE LONG WEEK-END!
For many Canadians, Victoria Day marks the unofficial beginning of summer. It is Canada’s oldest non-religious holiday and although we still hang on to the British Queen’s name (for old times’ sake), this truly Canadian holiday has everything to do with the end of the cold weather and short days and a lot to do with some great food.
Canadians jokingly refer to this holiday as May ‘two-four’ day. This is an inside joke which refers to a case of beer, containing 24 cans. For many, this is the first (warm-ish) long weekend since Easter, so they head to campsites armed with a 24 (can) case of beer to celebrate the beginning of Summer.
Wherever you live across Canada, this May long weekend – typically marks the start of grilling season. It’s time to get outside in the sunshine, fire up the BBQ, and enjoy savory grilled food with family and friends.
Brion & I are enjoying some interesting burgers which are served on ‘swirly burger buns’.
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Burgers in Loaded Potato/Bacon Buns
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Instructions
Buns
In a large bowl, combine yeast with lukewarm water; whisk until yeast is dissolved. Let stand for about 3 minutes until foamy.
Add butter, salt, sour cream & potato; mix well. Add bacon, chives & sun-dried tomatoes; mix until just combined. Stir in flour, one cup at a time. When dough is completely blended, turn onto a lightly floured work surface.
Knead dough for about 10 minutes, until smooth & elastic. Place dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap & let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about an hour.
Assembly/Bake
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, set aside.
Remove risen dough from bowl, turn onto lightly floured surface; roll dough to about a 12 x 15-inch rectangle. From the long side, roll the dough like you would for a cinnamon roll & seal the edges. Using a piece of floss, cut roll into 10 pieces.
Place buns on lined baking sheet & lightly brush with egg wash. Sprinkle with everything bagel seasoning. Allow to rise while oven is heating.
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Bake for about 25-30 minutes until light golden brown.
Burgers
In a large bowl, place all burger ingredients. Mix ONLY until combined. Divide mixture into 10 equal portions & form into patties.
Prepare all burger toppings. When buns are baked, grill burger patties, adding cheese slices toward the end so they can melt. Slice buns (grill for a few minutes if you wish) then 'load' burgers & serve.
In 2019, Boston Pizza, a Canadian pizza chain created a Christmas pizza which literally consisted of a turkey dinner on top of a pizza crust.
The most notable aspect of their Christmas pizza was the ‘singing box’ it came in. The company had an advertising agency create a caroling delivery box. Using a play on ‘Carol of the Bells’, the jingle ran through the components of the holiday menu item: ‘cranberry sauce, gravy on top, turkey as well and also cheese. Why the cheese? Cause we love cheese, turkey & cheese, four kinds of cheese’.
Like those musical greeting cards that emit tinny tunes when you open them, the ‘Chorus of the Pizza’, playing box reportedly operated using a light senor device. When the box was opened, the music played, as soon as it closed, silence.
The singing box was to replicate carolers coming to your door, but it was better because they brought pizza and you didn’t have to stand awkwardly listening to people sing to you.
I’m not sure if Boston Pizza is using this kind of promotion in 2020, but based on their ad from 2019, I developed a Christmas pizza ‘copy cat’ recipe. Great taste and a nice way to use some leftover turkey.
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Christmas Turkey Pizza
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Instructions
Pizza Dough
Cook potato, peel, mash & cool. In a small container, combine yeast with lukewarm water; whisk until yeast is dissolved. Let stand about 3 minutes until foamy.
In a large bowl, combine yeast/water, butter, salt, sour cream & potato; mix well.
Stir in flour, one cup at a time. When dough is completely blended, turn onto a lightly floured surface. Knead dough about 5-10 minutes, until smooth & elastic. Place dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap. Allow to rise in a draft-free place until doubled in size, about an hour.
Herb Sauce
In a skillet, melt butter; add herbs & cook for 2 minutes. Pour in your choice of either heavy cream OR chicken broth. Heat until hot, about 2 minutes more. Season with salt & pepper to taste. Set aside to cool slightly.
Assembly
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On a large sheet of parchment paper, roll or press dough into a 16-inch circle. Transfer with paper to either a 14-inch pizza pan or a flat baking sheet.
Carefully spread the 1/2 cup herb sauce over the bottom of the pizza (leaving the outside ring without sauce). Sprinkle a bit of the cheese over sauce then layer with turkey & stuffing. Drizzle with turkey gravy & top with remaining cheese. If you prefer, brush the outside edge of the pizza ring with egg wash.
Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven & slice.
When you are ready to serve, dot pizza with cranberry sauce or just let everyone put on their own.
Recipe Notes
- As an alternate to the herb sauce, using 1/2 cup bottled lite Alfredo sauce w/ Parmesan cheese makes a good choice.
Pizza is one of the easiest meals you can make at home. I most always prefer to make my own crust but nothing wrong with a purchased one or some focaccia bread pizza crust. Once that crust part has been taken care of, its really just a matter of topping the pie with all your favorite ingredients and waiting for it to come out of the oven.
But of course, there are a number of things that can go wrong even so. You might think that there’s no such thing as too much cheese …. but there is. Cheese normally means a lot of grease, your pizza could fall apart under the weight of all that dairy.
Too many toppings can cause overly cooked crust or under-cooked toppings. Another thing I find super important, is making sure the toppings are sauteed so they are not releasing too much moisture into the crust.
Since Brion & I are both lovers of marinated artichokes, putting them on a pizza sounds real good. Artichokes are technically the flower buds of a thistle plant that hasn’t blossomed yet. Its kind of amazing to think we can enjoy these odd little culinary treats in so many ways.
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Marinated Chicken & Artichoke Pizza
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Ingredients
Pizza Toppings
- 150 grams chicken breast, cut in strips
- 2-170 ml marinated artichoke hearts, drained
- 200 grams fresh mushrooms, sliced
- 1/4 or 70 grams onion, thinly sliced
- 1 tsp butter,
- 200 grams 100% mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 1/4 tsp EACH dried oregano, Italian seasoning, garlic powder & black pepper
- dash of crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
- 30 grams (6 pieces) sun-dried tomato, chopped
- 1/3 cup black olives, drained & sliced
- 1/2 cup purchased Marinara sauce
Ingredients
Pizza Toppings
- 150 grams chicken breast, cut in strips
- 2-170 ml marinated artichoke hearts, drained
- 200 grams fresh mushrooms, sliced
- 1/4 or 70 grams onion, thinly sliced
- 1 tsp butter,
- 200 grams 100% mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 1/4 tsp EACH dried oregano, Italian seasoning, garlic powder & black pepper
- dash of crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
- 30 grams (6 pieces) sun-dried tomato, chopped
- 1/3 cup black olives, drained & sliced
- 1/2 cup purchased Marinara sauce
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Instructions
Pizza Dough
Cook potato, peel, mash & cool. Combine yeast with lukewarm water; whisk until yeast is dissolved. Let stand about 3 minutes until foamy. Add butter, salt, sour cream & potato, mix well.
Stir in flour, one cup at a time. When dough is completely blended, turn onto a lightly floured surface. Knead dough about 10 minutes, until smooth & elastic. Place dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap & let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
Pizza Topping Prep
Slice chicken into strips, saute in some drained artichoke marinade until most of it evaporates. Set aside.
Saute mushrooms & onions in a teaspoon of butter until moisture evaporates. Set aside.
Shred cheese. In a small dish combine spices.
Drain sun-dried tomatoes & black olives, blot on paper towel & slice tomatoes.
Cut each piece of (drained) artichoke in half.
Assembly
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On a large sheet of parchment paper, roll or press dough into a 16-inch circle. Transfer on paper to a baking sheet.
Carefully spread the 1/2 cup marinara sauce over the bottom of pizza. Season with spice mixture. Sprinkle with a bit of cheese then layer with mushrooms, onion, chicken, artichokes, sun-dried tomatoes, olives & remaining cheese.
Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven & slice. If you prefer, brush the top of the outside (dough) ring with artichoke marinade either before or after baking.
Recipe Notes
- If you like, press pizza dough into a 16 X 12-inch rectangle instead of a circular shape.
Like so many other dishes throughout history, french toast was created as a way to utilize everything and eliminate waste. Practically anyone who likes bread, milk and eggs will enjoy french toast.
Known by many names around the world, in France itself, the dish is known as ‘pain perdu‘ or ‘lost bread’. The dish is made by dipping hard or stale bread in a mixture of milk and eggs, then fried. In the process, you ‘lost’ the original bread and what you had was a sweet dish held together by the eggs and milk.
Over the years, french toast has seen many gourmet makeovers. Savory or sweet, it can be eaten for brunch, dinner or a late night snack either hot or cold. The best french toast is browned and crispy on the outside while incredibly custardy and rich on the inside. I found there are a few things you might want to avoid to achieve success …. not choosing the right type of bread …. using anything less than whole milk …. not whisking the custard enough …. not soaking the bread long enough …. cooking the french toast at too high of a heat.
The inspiration for this recipe came to me when I had made some ham & olive bread. Out of curiosity, I decided to see what it would taste like as french toast. The flavor was absolutely amazing!
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Savory Ham, Olive & Cheese French Toast
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Ingredients
Filling
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 100 grams (about 3 strips) bacon, chopped
- 200 grams deli, cooked ham, diced small
- 1 cup black olives, sliced
- 1 cup green olives, sliced
- 2 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
- 150 grams Gruyere, mozzarella & Parmesan cheese combo, grated Other choices could be comte or cheddar cheese, your choice
Egg Dip for 8 thick slices bread
Ingredients
Filling
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 100 grams (about 3 strips) bacon, chopped
- 200 grams deli, cooked ham, diced small
- 1 cup black olives, sliced
- 1 cup green olives, sliced
- 2 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
- 150 grams Gruyere, mozzarella & Parmesan cheese combo, grated Other choices could be comte or cheddar cheese, your choice
Egg Dip for 8 thick slices bread
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Instructions
Bread Dough
Cook potato, peel, mash & cool. Combine yeast with lukewarm water; whisk until yeast is dissolved. Let stand about 3 minutes until foamy. Add butter, salt, sour cream & potato; mix well.
Stir in flour, one cup at a time. When dough is completely blended, turn onto lightly floured surface. Knead dough about 10 minutes, until smooth & elastic. Place dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap & allow to rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
Filling
In a skillet, saute onion with bacon until slightly cooked. Drain well on paper towel. In a large bowl, combine all prepared filling ingredients.
Assembly
When dough has risen, place on a lightly floured work surface. Roll into a large rectangle then scatter filling ingredients evenly over dough. Roll up like a jelly roll, starting from its longest side. Place in a bundt pan or a 9-inch round spring form pan. Make deep slashes on the top (making sure NOT to go right to the bottom). Cover with plastic & allow to rise in a draft-free place for about an hour.
Preheat oven to 375 F. Brush with a bit of milk or beaten egg. Bake for about 30-35 minutes or until bread has a nice golden brown color. Remove from oven & allow to cool. Nice if made a day ahead of preparing french toast with it.
French Toast
In a small bowl, beat together 1 cup milk & 3 eggs. Slice 8 thick slices from olive bread. Pour half of the egg/milk mixture on to a rectangle plate. Lay bread slices in it, then pour the rest over top. Heat griddle. When bread has soaked up all the egg/milk mixture place slices on griddle & fry to a golden brown. Serve just plain or with butter.
Ever since I made pizza with yeasted potato crust it has become a staple in our meal rotation list. It seems like all it takes to come up with an amazing filling combo is just a little inspiration so the influence of flavors Brion and I tasted in Mexico became a natural choice for me.
Although avocado on pizza may sound weird, if you are a guacamole lover, its glorious. When you think about it, tomato or tomato sauce is a big part of pizza most of the time. Often guacamole is made with tomato, so it compliments pizza well. I used all the ingredients you would normally fit into a tortilla for toppings. Spicy chicken, bacon, avocado, onion, tomato, cheese and GUACAMOLE!
When I make guacamole for pizza, I like to keep it simple: mashed avocados, onion, garlic, lime juice, salt and cilantro. Another thing I found, was that any left over pieces can be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and placed in a freezer bag and frozen. When you want to use them, thaw at room temperature then heat slightly in the microwave. Most often pizza is frozen unbaked and needs assembly and baking. This pizza tasted just as good as when it was freshly baked!
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Spicy Chicken, Bacon & Avocado Pizza
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Ingredients
Pizza Toppings
- Marinated chicken strips
- 3-4 slices bacon, crisply cooked, coarsley chopped
- 1/4 cup onion, chopped & cooked a few minutes in the microwave
- 1 EACH red & green pepper, small, julienned
- 1 large Roma tomato, seeded & chopped
- 1 avocado, peeled, seeded & sliced thin
- 100 grams Gouda or your choice of cheese, shredded
- 100 grams 100% mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 1/2 cup Guacamole
Ingredients
Pizza Toppings
- Marinated chicken strips
- 3-4 slices bacon, crisply cooked, coarsley chopped
- 1/4 cup onion, chopped & cooked a few minutes in the microwave
- 1 EACH red & green pepper, small, julienned
- 1 large Roma tomato, seeded & chopped
- 1 avocado, peeled, seeded & sliced thin
- 100 grams Gouda or your choice of cheese, shredded
- 100 grams 100% mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 1/2 cup Guacamole
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Instructions
Pizza Dough
Cook potato, peel, mash & cool. Combine yeast with lukewarm water; whisk until yeast is dissolved. Let stand about 3 minutes until foamy. Add butter, salt, sour cream & potato; mix well.
Stir in flour, one cup at a time. When dough is completely blended, turn onto a lightly floured surface. Knead dough about 10 minutes, until smooth & elastic. Place dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover with a tea towel & allow to rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
Chicken Marinade
In a large resealable plastic bag, combine all ingredients. Seal & turn to coat; refrigerate for 1-4 hours.
Guacamole
In a large bowl, coarsely mash avocados with lime juice & salt. Stir in garlic, onion & cilantro. Blend well. Cover & set aside until ready to use. You will have extra for something else.
Pizza Topping Prep
In a skillet, cook bacon until fairly crisp, drain on paper towels & chop coarsely. Wipe skillet with paper towel. Add marinated chicken, stir-fry until cooked then remove to a dish. Add peppers & onion to skillet; sauteing until tender crisp.
Assembly
Preheat oven to 375 F. On a large sheet of parchment paper, roll or press dough into a 16-inch circle. Transfer with paper to a baking sheet.
Using some grated cheese, make a ring around the outer edge of the dough. Roll dough once over cheese ring. Carefully spread the 1/2 cup of guacamole over the bottom of pizza, then sprinkle with a bit more cheese. Layer with avocado slices, onion, bacon, chicken, tomato & remaining cheese. If you prefer, brush to top of the outside ring with egg wash.
Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown, Remove from oven & slice.
Recipe Notes
- You may choose to prepare your marinated chicken & guacamole before you start making the dough.
The customization of pizza crust has undoubtedly been one of the biggest innovations in the (pizza) industry. The crust you choose to make helps to dictate taste, texture, thickness and your selection of toppings.
Pizza has taken on many different forms since its original inception — especially when it comes to the crust. For example:
Thin Crust is characterized by its light, slightly crispy texture. This is the perfect crust for those who want an authentic Italian pizza.
Thick Crust is characterized by its buttery, pan fried taste and texture on the outside, with a soft chewy center.
Flatbread Crust – health conscious people feel less guilty about eating this pizza because it isn’t as filling as other crust types.
Focaccia is a thick, ‘bready’ dough infused with herbs and brushed with olive oil before baking, then covered with cheeses, herbs and spices and minimal toppings.
Wood Fired Crust – it’s characteristics are defined by their deep, smoky taste derived from using real wood to heat the baking oven.
There are endless ways you can create a custom crust for your pizza. Such as using pita bread, English muffins, rice cakes, tortillas, potato slices or chips. I experimented with making a yeast crust with mashed potatoes and sour cream in it. Without trying to sound boastful, it was probably the best pizza crust I had ever made to date. I think I nailed it!
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Potato Crusted Asiago Sausage Pizza
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Instructions
Potato Pizza Crust
Prepare mashed potato. In a dish, combine yeast with lukewarm water; whisk until yeast is dissolved. Let stand about 3 minutes until foamy. In a large bowl, combine butter, salt, sour cream & mashed potato; mix well. Add yeast mixture & stir again.
Stir in flour, 1 cup at a time. When dough is completely blended, turn onto lightly floured surface. Knead dough about 10 minutes, until smooth & elastic. Place dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover with a tea towel & allow to rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
Dijon Mustard Sauce
In a small saucepan, saute garlic in butter until tender but not brown. Stir in flour, mustard & crushed thyme. Season with salt & pepper; add broth & cook, stirring until thick & bubbly. Continue to cook 1 more minute the remove from heat & set aside to cool.
Pizza Fillings
In a skillet, saute red pepper & onion until soft; remove to a dish. In the same skillet, scramble fry sausage meat until cooked; drain on paper towel, set aside. Drain, sliced olives & grate cheese.
Assembly
Preheat oven to 375 F. Remove risen dough from bowl turning onto a large sheet of parchment paper. Press or roll dough into a 16-inch circle. Using some of the grated cheese, make a ring around the outer edge, & fold over to make a 'stuffed crust'.
Carefully spread mustard sauce over bottom of pizza, then sprinkle with another portion of grated cheese mixture. Layer with red peppers, onions, sausage meat & olives. Top with remaining cheese.
Bake for 20 minutes or until crust is golden. Remove from oven & slice.
