Sliced bread has been one of the greatest inventions ever made. With it, we’ve been able to craft mind-blowing sandwiches like iron-grilled cheese and turkey paninis or Instagram-worthy breakfasts like avocado toast and not actually French, French toast. All tasty, all simple but above all things convenient.
I wonder though, ever since sliced bread was introduced to us, are there any edible food inventions that have been just as revolutionary and convenient?
Judging by the fact that my morning routine of plopping pieces of toast in a toaster full of 3,000 charred crumbs hasn’t been replaced yet, I’d say probably not. However, if we rewind the clock to 1300 AD, we might find something forgotten and relatively unnoticed that will give sliced bread a run for its money.
Say hello to Naan Bread! A flatbread older than your grandparents’ favorite story that has been a staple throughout South Asia and the Indian subcontinent for many years. Maybe you’ve seen it on the menu as an appetizer at your favorite Indian restaurant, but let me tell you it’s more than a just side piece for your curry.
You can use it to make quick pizzas, designer tacos, toasty paninis, and in today’s case, flatbreads. I’m so convinced that people are sleeping on Naan that I’ve decided to create three high-protein flatbreads with it that will show you what’s possible with a little time and a lot of Naan.
Here’s what’s on the menu:
Cheesesteak Flatbread
BBQ Chicken Flatbread
Tikka Masala Flatbread
Cooking note: If you’re using fresh Naan bread, you can pre-cook the Naan for 2-3 minutes at 400°F instead of 5 minutes.
Now, let’s dig into the recipes!
Cheesesteak Flatbread
47G Protein Per Flatbread | 558 Calories | 20 Minutes | 4 Servings
One of the greatest challenges of living a healthier lifestyle is not having a cheesesteak as often as I would like aka every day. In order to maintain some sort of idea of what it even tastes like, I’ve made this flatbread with a combo of provolone cheese and roast beef as the main protein sources. Then it’s topped with sautéed mushrooms and red bell pepper finished with a little fresh green onion. Obviously, this isn’t going to replace the richness of a traditional cheesesteak, but you’re going to feel like a million bucks eating this thing in comparison to its rather greasy counterpart.
Ingredient List
4 frozen garlic naan
1 1/2 lbs seasoned roast beef
4 slices provolone cheese, chopped
1 cup green onion, sliced
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 1/2 cups baby bella mushrooms, chopped
1 cup beef bone broth
1 cup water
2 tsp onion soup mix
1 tsp juice from jar of pepperoncini (optional)
Light butter
Avocado oil spray
Cooking Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Add one naan bread directly on the middle rack to pre-cook for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven.
Pour the beef broth and water into a pot. Bring up to a boil.
Add the onion soup mix and pepperoncini juice, stir, and let simmer for 5 minutes.
Remove the pot from the heat. Add 5 oz of roast beef to the pot. Let it soak in some of the au jus for 4-5 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat a pan to medium-high heat and toss in the chopped mushrooms and bell pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes, toss in 10g of light butter, then take it out of the pan.
Remove the roast beef from the au jus. Top the naan with 1 oz of provolone cheese, followed by the roast beef, then the mushrooms and bell peppers.
Add the flatbread to the oven to cook for 10 minutes at 400°F. Take out of the oven, slice into fours, and enjoy!
BBQ Chicken Flatbread
50G Protein Per Flatbread | 538 Calories | 20 Minutes | 4 Servings
Panera breaks my heart every time they replace good items with seasonal items. The final straw was when they discontinued my favorite BBQ chicken flatbread many years ago in place of some pizzas disguised as flatbreads. This flatbread is a resurrection of that item with pan-seared chicken, mozzarella cheese, spinach, crispy onions, and some fresh basil.
Ingredient List
4 frozen garlic naan
2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast
1 18oz bottle low sugar or sugar-free BBQ sauce
2.8 oz crispy fried onions
1 cup baby spinach
1 tsp salt
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp zero-calorie brown sugar
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp black pepper
Avocado oil spray
Cooking Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Add one naan bread directly on the middle rack to pre-cook for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven.
Coat a pan with avocado oil spray and preheat to medium-high heat. Season the chicken with salt, brown sugar, paprika, thyme, and black pepper. Add the chicken to the pan and cook for 4-5 minutes.
Pour the BBQ sauce into a pot then bring it up to a simmer. Let it simmer for 6 minutes.
Turn the heat off for the sauce. Add the cooked chicken and toss it in the sauce briefly. Remove from the pot.
Spread 2-3 tbsp of the sauce on the naan, followed by the mozzarella cheese, spinach, and then the chicken covered in BBQ sauce. Add the flatbread to the oven at 400°F to cook for 10 minutes.
Take the flatbread out of the oven and top with the crispy onions and fresh basil. Enjoy!
Chicken Tikka Masala Flatbread
50G Protein Per Flatbread | 515 Calories | 20 Minutes | 4 Servings
We’re giving Naan bread some self-confidence back by having it be part of the sauce rather than just sitting awkwardly beside the sauce, waiting to be dipped in at a moment’s notice. This flatbread uses a base of Tikka masala simmer sauce and mozzarella cheese, which is then topped with cooked chicken, red onion, and a little chopped cilantro. Cheese and curry may seem like a stomach ache waiting to happen, but don’t knock it til you try it. Also, don’t sue me.
Ingredient List
4 frozen garlic naan
2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast
28 oz jars tikka masala sauce
1/2 large red onion, chopped
1 1/4 cup reduced fat or light mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
2 tsp garam masala (optional)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
Avocado oil spray
Cooking Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Add one naan bread directly on the middle rack to pre-cook for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven.
Coat a pan with avocado oil spray and preheat to medium-high heat. Season the chicken with salt, pepper, and garam masala. Add the chicken to the pan and cook for 4-5 minutes.
Pour the tikka masala sauce into a pot then bring up to a simmer. Let it simmer for 6 minutes.
Turn the heat off for the sauce. Add the cooked chicken and toss it in the sauce briefly. Remove from the pot.
Spread 2-3 tbsp of the sauce on the naan, followed by the mozzarella cheese, and then the chicken covered in tikka masala sauce. Top with sliced red onion and add the flatbread to the oven at 400°F to cook for 10 minutes.
Take the flatbread out of the oven and top with chopped cilantro. Enjoy!
Thanks for reading! Want more of these Naan flatbread ideas? Let me know by giving that heart button a press or commenting below.
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Enjoy your weekend, and see you in the next newsletter! Eat Well!
Marcus Matkins