Italian Deli Style French Bread Pizza Recipes

BREAKFAST FRENCH BREAD PIZZA

Steps:

• Preheat the broiler. Cut each piece of bread in half crosswise, then place cut-side-up on a rimmed baking sheet. Brush with the olive oil and season with a pinch each of salt and pepper. Broil until lightly toasted and browned at the edges, about 2 minutes.
• Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat until browned and crispy, turning as needed, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate to drain; discard any bacon fat in the skillet.
• Whisk the eggs, half the scallions, 1/4 teaspoon salt and several grinds of pepper in a large bowl, then add to the warm skillet. Cook, stirring with a heatproof silicone spatula, until the eggs are just set and form large, soft curds, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat.
• Spread the spicy mayonnaise evenly on top of the toasted bread, then sprinkle with about half of the Cheddar. Place 2 pieces of bacon on each pizza. Dividing evenly, top with the scrambled eggs and then the remaining cheese. Return to the broiler and cook until all the cheese has melted, about 1 minute. Top each pizza with the remaining scallion and serve with a few dashes of hot sauce.

FRENCH BREAD PIZZAS

Steps:

• For the pizza base: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Lay the rolls cut-side up on a large baking sheet. Top each half with marinara sauce (or pesto for the tomato basil pizzas), followed by the mozzarella. Then add your toppings of choice. See below for directions for assembling specific pizzas.
• Once the pizzas are assembled, put the baking sheet on the lowest rack for 8 to 10 minutes. Then turn up the heat to 425 degrees F and put the sheet on the highest rack until the cheese starts to bubble a bit and turns golden. Remove and serve immediately! Cut the pizzas in half right across the middle so there are mini French bread pizzas for everyone.
• Pizza Varieties:
• For the Canadian bacon and pineapple pizzas: Top with the Canadian bacon slices and pineapple and bake according to the directions above.
• For the Greek salad pizzas: Leave off the sauce and brush the sliced rolls with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Top with the mozzarella and bake according to the directions above.
• While the pizzas are baking, toss together the olives, feta, tomatoes, cucumbers, parsley, the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil and salt and pepper to taste in a medium bowl. Top the cooked pizzas with the chopped Greek salad.
• For the pepperoni and jalapeno pizzas: Top with the pepperoni and jalapeno slices and bake according to the directions above.
• For the tomato basil pizzas: Use pesto instead of the marinara sauce, and top with the tomato slices. Drizzle with the olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake according to the directions above. Top the cooked pizzas with basil leaves.
• For the hamburger pizzas: Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef, red pepper flakes and salt and pepper and saute until the beef is no longer pink. Top the rolls with the sauteed ground beef and bake according to the directions above.
• For the hamburger taco pizzas: Top with the Cheddar and ground beef and bake according to the directions above. Top the cooked pizzas with the chopped lettuce and tomatoes.

HOW TO MAKE A MUCH BETTER, STILL-EASY FRENCH BREAD PIZZA

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 425ºF. Arrange a rack in the top third of the oven and heat the oven to 425°F.
• Slice and compress the bread. Cut the bread in half crosswise with a serrated knife, then cut each half lengthwise so you have 4 pieces. Place the bread cut-side down on a rimmed baking sheet and press down firmly and evenly with your hands until it's compressed by about half.
• Toast and season the bread. Flip the bread so that it's cut-side up. Bake until lightly toasted, about 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and rub the cut-sides of the bread all over with the garlic clove.
• Top the bread. Spread the pizza sauce evenly onto the bread. Sprinkle with the mozzarella cheese and pile on additional toppings, if using.
• Bake for 10 minutes. Bake the pizzas until the cheese is melted and bubbling, about 10 minutes.
• Finish with Parmesan cheese and basil. Sprinkle with the Parmesan and basil. Cut each pizza in half and serve immediately.

SUNNY'S EASY CHILI CHEESE FRENCH BREAD PIZZA

Steps:

• For the pizza: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Remove a bit of bread from the inside of each bread half, leaving about 1 inch of bread in the base. Brush the insides and edges with the garlic butter and place the bread on a baking sheet. Bake until golden on the edges, about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven.
• Evenly distribute the Chili along the length of the bread. Sprinkle the cheese over the top and arrange the jalapenos so there will be one slice on each serving. Bake until the cheese is melted and the edges of the bread are golden, 15 to 18 minutes.
• For the garnish: Top the pizza with the scallions, cilantro, a few shakes of hot sauce and a drizzle of crema. Slice each half into 8 pieces. Serve immediately.
• Add 2 tablespoons olive or cooking oil, 2 1/2 teaspoons salt, a few grinds of black pepper and the onion to a large pot over medium heat and cook until tender. Add the chili powder and beef and cook, breaking up the beef into bits, until cooked through. Stir in the tomatoes and chiles and the beans, then cover and cook for 20 minutes. To thicken the chili further, simmer, uncovered, 10 minutes more.

FRENCH BREAD PIZZAS

Steps:

• For the base sauce: Place an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 425 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
• Mix together the melted butter, Italian seasoning and garlic in a small bowl. Place the French bread on the prepared sheet pan cut-side up. Brush the butter mixture over the bread.
• For the fully loaded pizza: Spread the marinara sauce over one half of the French bread. Sprinkle over the mozzarella, then top with the pepperoni, green pepper, sausage crumbles, black olives and jalapenos.
• For the garden pesto pizza: Mix together the ricotta, pesto and lemon zest in a small bowl. Spread over the other half of the French bread. Lay on the zucchini slices, peppers, asparagus, corn and finally the goat cheese.
• Bake until the cheeses melt and become bubbly, 12 to 14 minutes. Garnish the fully loaded pizza with the Parmesan and the garden pesto pizza with the basil. Slice and serve.

SUPER STUFFED FRENCH BREAD PIZZA RUSTICA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
• Split bread lengthwise and hollow it out. Cut in half across, making 4 shells for pizzas.
• Heat a skillet over medium high flame and brown sausage in extra-virgin olive oil. Brown and crumble sausage. Add red bell pepper, onion and garlic. Cook 3 to 5 minutes, add spinach. Remove mixture from heat and season with a pinch of salt and black pepper, to your taste.
• Transfer to a bowl. Combine sausage and veggies with ricotta, Parmesan, sopressata and pepperoni. Fill bread shells and top with mounded mozzarella and provolone cheeses. Place in hot oven on cookie sheet and bake until cheese melts and bubbles and bread is super crisp, about 10 to 12 minutes. Top pizzas with oregano and hot pepper flakes. Serve immediately, or snack all night!

FOUR-CHEESE FRENCH BREAD PIZZA

Steps:

• Make the sauce: Heat oven to 450 degrees. Melt the butter in a medium pot over medium heat. Once melted, whisk in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until starting to turn golden, about 1 minute. Whisk in the milk, a few splashes at a time to start, until evenly incorporated. Bring to a full boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook, whisking occasionally, until slightly thickened and the mixture coats the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes. (It will continue to thicken as it cools.). Remove from heat, and whisk in Parmesan, pecorino, salt and pepper. Let cool.
• Prepare the pizza: Combine olive oil and garlic in a small pot over medium heat. Cook, swirling occasionally, until the garlic starts to sizzle but doesn't brown, about 2 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Place the French bread cut side up on a baking sheet. Brush cut sides with garlic oil. Bake until edges are golden, 5 to 7 minutes.
• Toss together the cheeses in a medium bowl. Spread sauce over the two bread halves all the way to the edges and top with cheese.
• Return to the oven and bake until melted, about 5 minutes. Increase heat to broil. Broil until the cheese is bubbly and browned in spots (watch carefully!), 1 to 2 minutes more. Let cool 5 minutes before slicing and serving. Serve topped with red-pepper flakes and oregano, if you like.

ITALIAN PIZZA BREAD

Steps:

• Slice roll in half lengthwise. Place on baking sheet. Spread pizza sauce over each half. Top with pepperoni. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. , Bake at 350° for 10 minutes or until heated through. Broil 4 in. from the heat for 2 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and golden brown.