At Christmas I always roast a turkey larger than I actually need – for the leftovers. I always love this pesto turkey flatbread but you can make this any time of year using rotisserie chicken too.
What are you planning with your leftovers? You simply have to try this leftover turkey pasta bake and these oven baked chicken tacos using turkey in place of chicken.
What is it?
A bit like a pizza, this turkey flatbread is simple to make and loaded with flavour. The simple pizza dough is topped with fresh basil pesto, shredded leftover turkey and gooey cheese then baked to crispy perfection.
I think finding new ways to use up leftover holiday turkey or even ham, is half the fun of the holidays. This flatbread pizza truly is a delicious way to continue the celebration.
Ingredients you’ll need
Detailed quantities and instructions in the recipe card below.
The pizza / flatbread dough can be made ahead and frozen but if you’d like more simplicity you can use pita breads, turkish bread or even puff pastry in it’s place.
- Yeast: You’ll need instant or active dry yeast for this simple dough.
- Bread flour: Use bread flour instead of plain or all-purpose flour. It’s higher protein content results a chewier crust.
- Sugar: Don’t skip the sugar in the dough as it feeds the yeast. You can use honey in it’s place if you prefer unprocessed sugar.
- Olive oil: I use a mild flavoured extra virgin olive oil and it works perfectly in this dough.
- Salt: Just a little salt for added flavour.
The toppings, as with any pizza, can be customised to what you prefer or have on hand. Here’s what I use.
- Leftover turkey: The shredded roast turkey can be swapped for rotisserie chicken or even ham in this case.
- Fresh basil pesto: I use my own pesto. Homemade basil pesto is quick to make and tastes far superior to shop-bought but, again, in a crunch you can use shop-bought.
- Vegetables: I keep things simple with onion and green capsicum (bell pepper) but feel free to use what you have on hand. Asparagus works well, as do mushrooms and tomatoes.
- Mozzarella: You can use regular mozzarella or bocconcini balls like I did here. Both have a very mild flavour but a wonderful gooey, stringy texture.
If you want to keep this even more Christmas-y, add some of that leftover cranberry sauce, in place of the basil pesto and add a little bacon for even more decadence.
This turkey pizza shouldn’t be limited to Christmas time though. It would be great any time of year and you could substitute turkey with any leftover meat, sliced pepperoni, shaved ham, chicken or roast beef.
How to make it
Detailed quantities and instructions in the recipe card below.
It’s easier to make your pizza dough from scratch than you may think and as a bonus, this dough can be made ahead and even frozen for up to 3 months.
- Start by mixing the flatbread dough ingredients in a mixing bowl or bowl of a stand mixer and mix to combine, then knead until smooth and elastic. In a stand mixer this takes around 7 minutes. By hand is 10-12 minutes.
- Lightly rub the ball of dough with oil, then place in a bowl in a warm place, covered, until it doubles in size.
- Cut the risen dough into 3 pieces and use a rolling pin to roll each of them out into a thin oblong shape.
- Top the flatbreads with your toppings and bake in a very hot oven until the edges are crunchy and golden.
If you try this pesto turkey flatbread recipe, please take a moment to leave a rating and comment below. I love hearing from you and it helps other readers too! You can also take a photo and tag @sugarsaltmagic on Instagram.
More recipes you’ll love
- Easy Homemade Pizza Dough
- Homemade Stuffed Crust Pepperoni Pizza
- Tandoori Chicken Pizza
- Barbecue Meat Lovers Pizza
- Pesto Chicken Calzone
Never Miss a Recipe!
Get the latest recipes straight to your inbox!
Ingredients
Flatbread Dough
- 1 teaspoon dry instant yeast
- 180 ml warm water (¾ cup)
- 250 g bread flour (8.8oz / 2 scant cups)
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (notes 1)
Toppings
- Polenta or extra flour for dusting baking trays
- Olive oil, extra for brushing bases
- ⅔ cups fresh basil pesto
- 1 cup shredded roasted turkey
- ⅓ cup green capsicum (bell pepper) strips
- ½ small red onion, finely sliced
- 7 bocconcini balls, sliced (or grated mozzarella)
- Salt and pepper
For best results, always weigh ingredients where a weight is provided
Instructions
- Stir together the warm water and yeast and allow to sit for 5 minutes.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the flour, sugar and salt and stir well. Add the yeast and water mix, then the oil. Use the dough hook, knead for 5-7 minutes or until you have a smooth, elastic dough.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and give it a gentle knead into a smooth ball of dough. Lightly oil a bowl and place the dough in the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise for 1⁄2 to 1 hour until doubled in size.
- Preheat the oven to 230C / 450F / 210C fan forced.
- Once it has risen, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Cut into 3 pieces. Roll the other 2 pieces into balls then sit under a tea towel for another 15 minutes.
- Roll the pieces of dough out to about 1⁄2 to 3⁄4 of a centimetre thick, oblong shape.
- Dust 3 baking trays with polenta then transfer your rolled out flatbreads to the trays.
- Make dimples in the flatbreads with your fingertips, then brush with extra olive oil.
- Use a spoon to spread the pesto evenly over each flatbread, reserving 1-2 tablespoons
- Top alternately with onion, capsicum, turkey and cheese.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Bake in the oven for 12 -15 minutes until crispy and golden round the edges.
- Drizzle remaining pesto here and there, then slice to serve.
Notes
- I use an Australian standard 20ml tablespoon
- Use the link for my own basil pesto recipe, or use store bought if you prefer
This post may contain affiliate links that earn me a small commission for my referral, at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting Sugar Salt Magic.
2 Comments on “Pesto Turkey Flatbread”
Love this flat bread. When we go out to restaurant that do build your own pizza kind of meal, I always get pesto, my absolutely favorite!
Thank you Trang