French Bread Pizza

 

 Hey friends, we are still alive, we've just really been enjoying family and the holidays, sorry for being MIA for so long. Today I want to share a fun family involved recipe. It's easy, quick to make, and the whole family can be involved! 

So I shared this recipe on Real Imprints a few months ago. They were looking for recipes that involve the family and I was happy to share this one.  I love their mission and theme. There is lots to be found on their website to help inspire and lift others.  It's such a neat place to visit! 

I hope that the recipe I'm sharing today will help you to draw closer to the ones you love. After my son passed away (you can read more about him here and here), I realized even more how extremely important family is.  I want to cherish my moments with my family as much as I can.  Leesh and I love to let our kids be included in our recipe making adventures.  It's a fun way to learn and grow together.  What do you do to be close?

So this recipe for French Bread Pizza is a simple meal the whole family will enjoy.    My mom used to make this for us when we were kids and I always loved it.  I've learned a few tricks that have helped the pizza be even better too (e.g., no soggy bread for the crust). So follow the instructions, involve your kids as much as possible and enjoy! I hope you have a fun time making it and that you will really enjoy it! 

French Bread Pizza

Printable Version {Click Here}

Ingredients:

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1 loaf french bread, sliced in half lengthwise (like a sub sandwich)

1 tablespoon olive oil

Garlic salt, for sprinkling

½-⅔ cup Parmesan cheese, fresh grated.

1-2 cups pizza sauce, depending on how saucy you like it

1-2 cups Mozzarella/Colby jack cheese blend, depending on how cheesy you like it

Pizza toppings of choice (we used pepperoni, olives, green chile and roasted red pepper)

Directions:

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Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F.

Cut the loaf of french bread in half lengthwise the way you would a sub sandwich) and place on a foil lined baking sheet.  Press the bread down on the cut side with your finger tips to kind of compress the bread. This helps it not be soggy.  Lightly brush each open face of bread with olive oil and lightly sprinkle with garlic salt and Parmesan cheese. Try to get good coverage of the Parmesan cheese, this will help create a barrier between the bread and sauce so you don’t get the soggy crusted pizza. Place in the oven on the middle rack and bake for 4-5 minutes until lightly golden (including the Parmesan cheese, it will be slightly hard to the touch). Don’t burn the cheese though. Remove from the oven.

Spread sauce over each half and sprinkle with ½-1 cup of mozzarella cheese.  Top with your desired pizza toppings.  And if you’d like a little extra cheese on top add 2-3 tablespoons.  

Bake for 6-10 minutes or until the cheese is starting to bubble and brown slightly and the edges of the bread are turning a nice deep golden brown. Let it rest for a few minutes before slicing and enjoy!

Recipe Source:

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Originally posted on Real Imprints. Recipe inspired by our mom, and a few extra tips from Mel.