Name: Sheet-Pan Chicken Pizzaiola with Roasted Broccoli and Garlic Bread
Total time: 1 h
Ingredients: 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil; 3 garlic cloves , minced to paste; Salt and pepper; 1 (7 by 5-inch) loaf Italian bread , halved horizontally; 1 pound broccoli florets , cut into 1-inch pieces; 4 (6- to 8-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts , trimmed; ¼ cup tomato sauce; 2 ounces mozzarella cheese , shredded (½ cup); 1 ounce Parmesan cheese , grated (½ cup); 1 ounce sliced pepperoni , quartered; 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil

Why This Recipe Works

Instead of dough, we used boneless, skinless chicken breasts as our base, topping them with tomato sauce, a sprinkle of mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses, and a layer of pepperoni. While the flavors were spot-on, the pepperoni slid right off the chicken during baking. Chopping it smaller, adding it halfway through cooking—nothing could get it to adhere. A simpler fix—microwaving the pepperoni until crisp and sprinkling it on the chicken after cooking—provided the solution. All around the chicken we scattered simply seasoned broccoli, letting it roast until browned and tender. Both elements finished together, delicious and perfectly cooked. As for our garlic bread, our pan was already full, so we wrapped the bread in aluminum foil and set it directly on the rack below to warm up, which worked like a charm.

Before You Begin

We found that canned tomato sauce works well here. Depending on the size of the loaf of bread, you may need to trim it. A rasp-style grater makes quick work of turning the garlic into a paste.

Instructions

Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 450 degrees. Combine oil, garlic, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper in bowl. Brush cut sides of bread with two-thirds of garlic oil, press bread halves back together, and wrap in aluminum foil. Toss broccoli with remaining garlic mixture.

Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Place chicken in center of rimmed baking sheet and top evenly with tomato sauce. Combine mozzarella and Parmesan in separate bowl, then sprinkle over chicken. Scatter broccoli on sheet around chicken.

Place foil-wrapped bread on lower rack, and place sheet with chicken and broccoli on upper rack. Bake until chicken registers 160 degrees and broccoli is tender, 20 to 25 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through baking.

Meanwhile, microwave pepperoni on paper towel–lined plate to render fat, about 30 seconds.

Remove sheet from oven. Sprinkle pepperoni over chicken, tent loosely with foil, and let rest for 5 minutes. Slice garlic bread. Before serving, sprinkle basil over chicken.