This Margherita French Bread Pizza is a great snack or weeknight meal idea. It’s budget friendly, filling, and quicker than pulling out the pizza dough! A hollowed out load of French bread is the perfect vessel for sauce, cheese, and whatever toppings you desire. For this Margherita pizza I kept it simple with hearty tomatoes, mozzarella, and fresh basil. Simply slice into sections and serve family style. Think of this as garlic bread and pizza combined!
Crusty French bread with melty cheese, sauce, and desired toppings. The perfect bite!
Highlights of this French bread pizza:
- Family favorite – kids will love making this
- Can be made with any of your favorite pizza toppings
- Budget friendly
- No hassle of pizza dough
- Great for game day or for a crowd
- Can be served family style or as part of a spread
- Quicker then traditional pizza
- Endless topping ideas
First Steps:
- Hollow out French bread loaf
- Drizzle with olive oil and bake until crispy
- Make sauce (or use store-bought)
- Top baked bread with sauce
If you like this Margherita French Bread Pizza, you’ll love these other easy recipes…
Skillet Cheesy Pepperoni Pizza Dip
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Baked Brie Crostini with Prosciutto and Jalapeno Pepper Jelly
Delicious Buffalo Chicken Egg Rolls in the Air Fryer
Quick and Easy Instant Pot Cocktail Meatballs Recipe
Grocery Store List & Substitutions:
- Beefsteak tomatoes, could also use Roma tomatoes or heirloom tomatoes
- Kosher salt
- Loaf of French bread, could use baguette or Italian bread as well
- Black pepper
- Italian seasoning
- Olive oil
- Shredded mozzarella cheese
- Other desired toppings
- Fresh Basil
Tools I used for this Margherita Pizza:
- Rubber Spatula – a must for any home cook! Perfect for scrapping the mixture out of the pan.
- Pyrex Mixing Bowl Set – I love this set of nesting bowls for all recipes.
- USA Pan Half Sheet Pan – my go-to cookie sheets, these are truly non-stick and clean up nicely.
Bake until bubbly and warm, if desired broil until extra golden brown. Top with more fresh tomatoes and chopped basil for some freshness! Serve with warm pizza sauce or ranch for dipping!
Topping ideas:
- Ham or Canadian bacon
- Green or black olives
- Feta and marinated artichokes
- Sausage and green peppers
- Mushrooms
- Pesto and parmesan cheese
What to serve with this French Bread Pizza? Try these ideas…
Firebirds Wood Fired Grill BLT Salad Recipe
40 Side Dishes To Serve With Italian Beef Sandwiches
35 Best Side Dishes to Serve with Lasagna Potlucks
Instructions Margherita French Bread Pizza:
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Slice the top off of a loaf of French bread and hollow out the middle. Drizzle with olive oil and bake for 5-6 minutes until golden brown.
- In a mixing bowl combine chopped tomatoes, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. Mash to combine into a sauce.*
- Remove French bread from the oven, top with sauce and mozzarella cheese. Add slices of tomato. Bake at 375 for another 18-20 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Serve with fresh basil. Slice and enjoy immediately.
Notes:
*You can substitute store-bought pizza sauce
Final Steps:
- Top with cheese and tomatoes + any other toppings
- Bake until warm and bubbly
- Broil if desired
Margherita French Bread Pizza
Ingredients
- 2-3 Beefsteak tomatoes, roughly chopped
- 1 Loaf French bread
- 2 tbsp Olive oil
- 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
- Fresh cracked black pepper
- 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
- 3 cups Shredded mozzarella cheese
- Tomato slices
- Fresh basil for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Slice the top off of a loaf of French bread and hollow out the middle. Drizzle with olive oil and bake for 5-6 minutes until golden brown.
- In a mixing bowl combine chopped tomatoes, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. Mash to combine into a sauce.*
- Remove French bread from the oven, top with sauce and mozzarella cheese. Add slices of tomato. Bake at 375 for another 18-20 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Serve with fresh basil. Slice and enjoy immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
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