Quick Fix French Bread Pizza

I’ve been doing the best I can to keep our meals simple these days. These quick fix French bread pizzas have been a regular staple in our house since we’ve been keeping at home as much as possible. Once you have the bread, pizza sauce and cheese the rest is pretty much a blank canvas for whatever flavors you want to add. Usually for us that means Italian sausage (I like to brown it, then pulse it a few times in a food processor to get a finer texture… but not too fine!). And pepperoni. Oh and olives and mushrooms and maybe red onion. Nothing too crazy, but might good and darned comforting!

Quick Fix French Bread Pizza

I like my quick fix French bread pizza to have a crunchy crust. To make sure the bread stays crunchy I shy away from wet toppings. If I do have to use something with a lot of moisture, like canned olives or mushrooms, I always dab them dry with a paper towel first.

I also believe that less pizza sauce is actually better on a pizza. I didn’t always think that way, but I do now. First, the crust stays crunchy. And second, the sauce doesn’t overwhelm the rest of the ingredients.

I highly recommend that you shred or grate your own cheese at home. Don’t buy the pre-shredded or pre-grated stuff. It has stuff added to it to keep it from sticking together. That ‘stuff’ affects how the cheese melts. Shred it yourself and use the good stuff.

Also try my Sloppy Joe French bread pizza.

Quick Fix French Bread Pizza
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5 from 1 vote

Quick Fix French Bread Pizza

I’ve been doing the best I can to keep our meals simple these days. These quick fix French bread pizzas have been a regular staple in our house since we’ve been keeping at home as much as possible.
Course Main
Cuisine American
Keyword French bread, Kettle Pizza, quick fix
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 298kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 loaf French bread cut lengthwise
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • Marinara sauce grab your favorite
  • Mozzarella cheese shredded
  • Your favorite pizza toppings
  • Italian seasoning

Instructions

  • Preheat your oven to 425 F.
  • Place the bread cut-side up on a large baking sheet.
  • Stir together the butter and garlic and brush onto the bread. Bake for 5 minutes.
  • Brush the top of the bread with marinara sauce. Less is more, so don't over-sauce.
  • Add your favorite toppings. Drier toppings (such as pepperoni slices and cooked, drained Italian sausage) are best. Pat your vegetables dry before adding.
  • Add cheese and sprinkle with a little Italian seasoning.
  • Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the bread starts to get golden brown and crunchy.
  • Remove from oven and let stand for 2-3 minutes before slicing and serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 298kcal | Carbohydrates: 57g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 525mg | Potassium: 149mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 19IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 60mg | Iron: 4mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

Sloppy Joe French Bread Pizza

I was addicted to Sloppy Joes as a kid. And I’m still addicted as an ‘adult’. I don’t walk by the Sloppy Joe cans or mixes at the grocery store and think, “kids stuff”. No, I think to myself, “self, that sounds fantastic.”. Making Sloppy Joes at home is about as easy as it can get, and this recipe here for using it to make Sloppy Joe French bread pizza takes that old classic and makes it truly fantastic. I could eat a scary amount of this pizza.

As a kid I’d go the playground after mom would make me Sloppy Joes for lunch. As an adult I… uh… well, I don’t do that. I might work out in the yard later but right now I’m going to sit back and recall my yummy pizza.

Sloppy Joe French Bread Pizza

What can I say about this recipe for Sloppy Joe French bread pizza? Make it. Just go make it. That’s all. Ok, don’t overcook the onion and peppers. That’s the only thing I can come up with. It’s perfect as it is. I wouldn’t change a thing about it. I loved Sloppy Joes as a kid and I still love those same flavors today.

Also try my quick fix French bread pizza.

Sloppy Joe French Bread Pizza
Print Pin
5 from 1 vote

Sloppy Joe French Bread Pizza

Making Sloppy Joes at home is about as easy as it can get, and this recipe here for using it to make French bread pizza takes that old classic and makes it truly fantastic. I could eat a scary amount of this pizza.
Course Main
Cuisine American
Keyword French bread, pizza
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Servings 6
Calories 556kcal

Ingredients

For the Sloppy Joe mixture

For the French bread pizza

  • 1 loaf French bread cut in half lengthwise
  • 1 ½ cups Colby Jack cheese shredded, or cheddar

Instructions

For the Sloppy Joe mixture

  • Crumble the ground beef into a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Cook until it just starts to brown. Drain off an excess grease.
  • Add the onion and pepper and stir. Cook until the beef is completely done and the vegetables just start to soften. You want them to still have a little crunch to them.
  • Add the remaining Sloppy Joe mixture ingredients. Stir. If the mixture is too dry add a small amount of water.
  • Turn off the heat and let the mixture sit for 5 minutes.

For the French bread pizza

  • Preheat oven to 350 F.
  • Place the bread on a large baking sheet lined with foil.
  • Divide the Sloppy Joe mixture between the bread halves. It's not time to be shy. You want it thick and you want it crust-to-crust.
  • Sprinkle with the cheese.
  • Bake for about 15 minutes or until the bread starts to brown and is lightly crunchy. The cheese should be nice and melted.
  • Remove from the oven and let rest for a few minutes then slice and serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 556kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 85mg | Sodium: 895mg | Potassium: 466mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 498IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 283mg | Iron: 5mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

Grilled French Bread Pizza

Grilled French bread pizza is one of my favorite, quick, dishes to make. I love the crunchy bread, the melty cheese and the slight grilled flavor. I don’t go too crazy with the toppings, just a bit of cheese, some sausage or pepperoni, and maybe some onion or mushrooms. That’s all I need. You can load them up, though, if you want. The bread can handle it. If you’re worried about lifting them off the grill when they’re done, I recommend using a wide spatula or slide them to the edge of the grill and gently onto a baking sheet.

Grilled French Bread Pizza

These grilled French bread pizzas pack extra flavor thanks to the garlic butter and a bit or oregano. They’re really what make them special. Of course, in a pinch, you can make these yummies in the oven too. Just heat it to 400 F and then follow the directions below. If you want a little color on top, just toss the pizzas under the broiler for a little before slicing and serving.

Also try my grilled stuffed Manicotti shells.

Grilled French Bread Pizza
Print Pin
5 from 2 votes

Grilled French Bread Pizza

Grilled French bread pizza is one of my favorite, quick, dishes to make. I love the crunchy bread, the melty cheese and the slight grilled flavor. 
Course Main
Cuisine American
Keyword French bread, grilled, pizza
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 390kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 loaf French bread halved lengthwise
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 teaspoons garlic salt
  • ½ cup pizza sauce warmed if refrigerated
  • ½ cup shredded cheese more or less
  • Favorite pizza toppings I like pepperoni, cooked and lightly chopped Italian sausage, a bit of red onion and sometimes mushrooms… use whatever you want!
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano

Instructions

  • Fire up your grill for indirect cooking. You want the temperature where you're going to cook to be around 400 F. Alternatively, you can use direct, low, heat.
  • Melt the butter and stir in the garlic salt. Use a brush to spread the mixture on the cut sides of the bread.
  • Transfer the bread to the grill and cook for 5 minutes or until slightly toasted. If you find that your grill is toasting one side but not another, rotate the slices in the grill halfway through.
  • Remove the bread. Divide the sauce between the two pieces, spreading to the edges (to quote Jeff Mauro: Edge-to-edge is our pledge!).
  • Add the cheese then the other toppings. Finally, sprinkle with the oregano.
  • Return to the grill and continue baking until the cheese is melted. Again, if one side is cooking faster than other simply rotate the pieces as necessary.
  • Remove and let cool slightly before slicing.

Notes

I cut my bread twice, into three ‘planks’. I prefer my French bread pizzas to be thinner. So I cut about a 1″ thick bottom piece and a 1″ thick top piece. This leaves me a center piece that I then use for making croutons (or sometimes, the birds get it!).

Nutrition

Calories: 390kcal | Carbohydrates: 59g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 26mg | Sodium: 1925mg | Potassium: 248mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 411IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 129mg | Iron: 4mg

Nutritional values are approximate.