Thick crusty bread, delicious favorite toppings, no fuss, done in minutes!
Really the skies the limit folks, these are a 5-minute meal.
Leftovers? Here's a great way to use them.
Whether you're having a party, in a hurry or just love pizza this one for you!
Add any toppings you like, sauce cheese or other suggestions below and viola, instant pizza using french bread!
Of course, if you want to make the real deal with fresh pizza dough, then this may not fix your craving.
If you love pizza like we do, any way you serve it gets devoured.
Scroll down and print off my printable tips all the way to the bottom.
The Easiest Meal Ever!
French bread pizzas are a classic meal and the perfect quick throw together meal anytime.
If you ask the kids around, they will tell you this is their favorite meal mom will make every day of the week.
They are super fast, ridiculously easy, customizable, and inexpensive!
But one of my favorite reasons for making French Bread Pizza is because it’s a great way to use up the leftovers in your fridge.
You can top pizzas with just about anything, so dive into your refrigerator and find some creative pizza toppings!
I have several suggestions below.
Suggestion Pizza Toppings:
(These are just some of our favorite combinations)
- Leftover sliced boneless Chicken, Pork, Steak, Lamb, Ham
- Leftover sliced Meatballs in sauce or sausage
- Slices of eggplant, zucchini (turns in parmesano)
- Vegetable toppings you enjoy of any kind IE mushrooms, peppers
- Fruits like sliced pineapple ( with ham slices)
- Ricotta cheese and spinach with mozzarella cheese
- Shrimp scallops with mozzarella with fresh slivers of garlic, shredded Havarti cheese
- Any herb taste great on this bread with olive oil butter and shredded cheese
- You can use any kinds of bread even flatbread or English muffins
- Any kinds of blended shredded cheeses
Think of Submarine Sandwiches
Whatever you put in your submarine sandwich can go on this pizza.
We have even topped the bread with cold cut meats to make an Italian Ultimate topping with the assorted meat and melted cheeses.
Cheesesteak, peppers, mushrooms and sauteed onions are among one of the many favorites for the men in our family using french bread for pizza.
Salami, pepperoni, provolone, ham, mozzarella with hot peppers and loads of melted shredded cheese.
What's your favorite? Just make it your own!
Seafood
Are you a lover of seafood?
Try leftover shrimp scampi on top of your french bread, just add the shredded cheese and bake until the bread is crispy and cheese is melted.
Believe it or not, tuna and cheddar is a great combination for tuna lovers!!
The Bread
It really doesn't have to be french bread, it can be a whole unsliced loaf of any kind of Italian bread.
I love the sesame seed topped bread for a nutty-flavored bread pizza.
The kids will love this one!
RECIPE COMBINATIONS AND INSTRUCTIONS
1 loaf french bread or unsliced whole loaf of any kind of bread sliced lengthwise
(if you want it smaller, cut in the lengthwise slices in half to make four different kinds!)
For any combinations, you choose to make. Oil the pan, place the bread down, add the toppings and cheese then bake or broil.
Broiling will not give the bottom of the bread to be crispy broil on high until cheese melts.
Baking will have a nice crunch to the bottom.
Bake at 400 degrees for around 15 minutes or until cheese melts.
It's easier to arrange on a cookie sheet cut in half. Place on a foil-lined cookie sheet for easy cleaning.
Ingredients for French Bread Pizza You Will Need:
- leftover meats of any kind
- olive oil
- dried, oregano, basil, garlic powder
- tomato sauce store-bought or homemade
- any kinds of shredded cheese you like (mozzarella, jack, cheddar)
- assorted topping sliced cooked sausage, pepperoni, cooked ham, olive, cooked meatballs sliced, peppers, mushrooms, eggplant, meatball, ham, pineapple, cooked chicken, spinach, ricotta cheese, minced garlic, steak, pork shredded or chopped, pot roast, chicken cutlets sliced, fresh herbs like basil and slices of tomatoes
- hot sauce
- ranch or blue cheese dressing
Mexican Style
4 or 5 kinds of mixed shredded cheese
Slice bread, add taco sauce, refried beans, loose cooked hamburger meat, then toppings of choice like peppers or sliced olives, top with extra sharp cheddar or jack cheese, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle lighting with dried oregano or fresh cilantro.
Broil or bake.
For broiling place on high until the cheese is melted around 3 to 4 minutes watching carefully.
For baking, place at 400 degrees for a harder crust for 5 minutes until cheese is melted.
Buffalo Chicken Pizza
Slice in half. Place cooked breaded chicken cutlets on the bread.
Pour 3 or 4 tablespoons of ranch or blue cheese dressing evenly over the top of the chicken.
Add hot sauce on top of the dressing.
Generously top with cheese of choice (cheddar, jack or mozzarella. Broil or bake until cheese melts.
Garlic Cheesy Bread
Spread top of cut bread loaf with butter or olive oil.
Sprinkle with garlic powder lightly. Add dried parsley, oregano, basil to cover the top lightly on the buttery side.
Add a pinch of salt and pepper to taste, cayenne if you like heat. Top the herb bread with lots of whole milk shredded mozzarella.
Bake for 10 minutes at 400, or broil on "HI" and toast cheese till it's browned watching closing around 2 to 3 minutes.
Pizza with Tomato Sauce
Add your favorite pizza sauce, any toppings you like, grated cheese and mozzarella, drizzle with olive oil and bake until cheese melts like all the rest of the instructions.
Note: for Margherita Pizza, use slices of tomato, minced garlic and fresh basil with shredded mozzarella
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Other Easy Recipes We Love:
Easy Italian Goulash
Easy Bacon and Egg Biscuits
Easy Cabbage Rolls
Easy Lasagna
Yield: 10
French Bread Pizza
prep time: 5 Mcook time: 10 Mtotal time: 15 M
The easiest most economical meal you will ever make. French bread pizza is so versatile and can be transformed into the most delicious meal on top of bread that you can create!
ingredients:
- Ingredients for French Bread Pizza You Will Need:
- leftover meats of any kind
- olive oil
- dried, oregano, basil, garlic powder
- tomato sauce store-bought or homemade
- any kinds of shredded cheese you like (mozzarella, jack, cheddar)
- assorted topping sliced, cooked sausage, pepperoni, cooked ham, olive, cooked meatballs sliced, peppers, mushrooms, eggplant, meatball, ham, pineapple, cooked chicken, spinach, ricotta cheese, minced garlic, steak, pork shredded or chopped, pot roast, chicken cutlets sliced, fresh herbs like basil and slices of tomatoes
- hot sauce
- ranch or blue cheese dressing
- any kinds of the whole loaf of bread unsliced or use flatbread, pita bread, English muffins or bagels
instructions:
How to cook French Bread Pizza
- Mexican Style
- 4 or 5 kinds of mixed shredded cheese
- Slice bread, add taco sauce, refried beans, loose cooked hamburger meat, then toppings of choice like peppers or sliced olives, top with extra sharp cheddar or jack cheese, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle lighting with dried oregano or fresh cilantro.
- Broil or bake.
- For broiling place on high until the cheese is melted around 3 to 4 minutes watching carefully.
- For baking, place at 400 degrees for a harder crust for 5 minutes until cheese is melted.
- Buffalo Chicken Pizza
- Slice in half. Place cooked breaded chicken cutlets on the bread.
- Pour 3 or 4 tablespoons of ranch or blue cheese dressing evenly over the top of the chicken.
- Add hot sauce on top of the dressing.
- Generously top with cheese of choice (cheddar, jack or mozzarella. Broil or bake until cheese melts.
- Garlic Cheesy Bread
- Spread top of cut bread loaf with butter or olive oil.
- Sprinkle with garlic powder lightly. Add dried parsley, oregano, basil to cover the top lightly on the buttery side.
- Add a pinch of salt and pepper to taste, cayenne if you like heat. Top the herb bread with lots of whole milk shredded mozzarella.
- Bake for 10 minutes at 400, or broil on "HI" and toast cheese till it's browned watching closing around 2 to 3 minutes.
- Pizza with Tomato Sauce
- Add your favorite pizza sauce, any toppings you like, grated cheese and mozzarella, drizzle with olive oil and bake until cheese melts like all the rest of the instructions.
- Note: for Margherita Pizza, use slices of tomato, minced garlic and fresh basil with shredded mozzarella
Calories
222
222
Fat (grams)
15
15
Sat. Fat (grams)
11
11
Carbs (grams)
28
28
Net carbs
15
15
Sugar (grams)
4
4
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Disclosure: This recipe was originally shared in 2009. It was edited and re-published in 2019.