Spinach Artichoke Pizza
My favorite homemade pizza crust topped with a creamy garlic white sauce, mozzarella, chicken, spinach, and artichokes. This spinach artichoke pizza tastes just like the dip, only better!
Guys, this pizza is life-changing. Ok, maybe it’s not life-changing, but it’s definitely a game changer. We’re huge pepperoni pizza lovers over here. I usually make two pizzas at a time, one pepperoni and one “wild card” or as my brother-in-law calls it, “alternative pizza.” ☺️ We have favorites (like this buffalo chicken pizza, BBQ chicken pizza, chicken bacon ranch pizza, and these pizza pinwheels) but this one is ❤️⭐️!! Excuse the overuse of emojis, but you get the point, right? It’s good. Like really good. So good I want to make it right NOW. Instead I’m going to tell you how to make it, ok?
The dough for this pizza is totally effortless. It’s my favorite pizza crust recipe. Just mix everything in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let it rest/rise for 24 hours. After that it’s ready to go! You’ll want to set one ball of dough aside (just tuck it away in the refrigerator or double this recipe or use it for another type of pizza) and let the other rest on the counter, preferably covered in plastic wrap.
Next, preheat your oven to 450 degrees. While your oven is getting nice and hot, you’ll want to make the sauce. It’s a creamy, flavorful alfredo sauce, similar to the base of the infamous spinach artichoke dip we all love. Set it aside, then roll out the pizza dough into a 14-inch circle. Transfer to a parchment-lined pizza pan. Fold over the extra inch of dough to form the crust, pressing to seal. Brush the crust with the olive oil. Then, dock the center of the pizza (anywhere that’s not “crust”) with a fork (about 10 times) to prevent large bubbles from forming. Place in the oven and bake for 5-7 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.
Spread the warm sauce over top, then half of the grated mozzarella cheese. Add the chicken (I had leftover grilled chicken from the night before that I used, it’s an optional topping), wilted spinach and chopped marinated artichoke. Top with the remaining mozzarella. Place in the oven and bake for 7-10 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is melted. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes, then sprinkle with shaved parmesan and grated parmesan. Allow to cool for 2-3 additional minutes so that everything sets, then cut and serve.
This spinach artichoke pizza is so creamy and flavorful, it’s sure to become a family favorite! It does require a little more effort, but it’s definitely worth the work! Enjoy!!
Spinach Artichoke Pizza
Prep time 1 hour 25 mins
Cook time 20 mins
Total time 1 hour 45 mins
My favorite homemade pizza crust topped with a creamy garlic white sauce, mozzarella, chicken, spinach, and artichokes. This spinach artichoke pizza tastes just like the dip, only better!
Author: Natalie Yield: 1 13-inch pizza
Ingredients
- For the dough:
- 1 ball pizza dough (recipe HERE)
- For the sauce:
- 1 tbsp. unsalted butter
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- pinch crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 tbsp. all-purpose flour
- ½ c. whole milk
- ¼ c. half and half
- ¼ tsp. kosher sea salt
- ¼ tsp. ground black pepper
- pinch paprika
- 1 oz. original cream cheese
- 2 tbsp. grated parmesan cheese
- For the crust:
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- For the toppings:
- 8 oz. grated mozzarella cheese
- 1 c. seasoned grilled chicken (optional)
- 1 bunch spinach, coarsely chopped and wilted*
- 1 (6 oz.) jar marinated artichokes, drained and coarsely chopped
- ¼ c. shaved parmesan cheese
- 1 tbsp. grated parmesan cheese
Directions
- Make dough according to the recipe's directions (or use store-bought dough); set aside.
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
- In a medium saucepan set over medium-low heat, add butter. When the butter has melted, add the garlic and red pepper flakes, and cook, stirring frequently for about 1 minute. Whisk in flour and cook for about 1 minute.
- Gradually whisk in milk, half and half, salt, pepper and paprika. As the sauce thickens, turn heat up to medium and cook for 2-3 minutes. Whisk in the cream cheese and parmesan until melted, about 1-2 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
- Meanwhile, on a lightly floured surface, roll out the pizza dough into a 14-inch circle. Transfer to a parchment-lined pizza pan. Fold over the extra inch of dough to form the crust, pressing to seal. Brush with olive oil. Dock the center of the pizza with a fork to prevent large bubbles from forming. Place in the oven and bake for 5-7 minutes, remove and set aside.
- Spread the warm sauce over top, then half of the mozzarella cheese. Add the chicken, spinach and artichoke, then top with remaining mozzarella.
- Place in the oven and bake for 7-10 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is melted. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes, then sprinkle with shaved parmesan and grated parmesan. Allow to cool for 2-3 additional minutes, then cut and serve.
Notes *I wilted my spinach in a saucepan along with sauted onions (in olive oil). I had extra chopped onions on hand, it was a last-minute addition but is in no way necessary.
-If you want to add even more flavor to this pizza, try brushing the crust with olive oil right after it comes out of the oven and the sprinkle it with a bit of garlic salt!
Recipe source: Life Made Simple
3.4.3177
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