Fast French bread pizzas are a classic Budget Byte because 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’ll post some of my favorite pizza toppings below. :)
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French Bread Pizza Topping Ideas
Leftovers: Scour your fridge to find unique combinations of meat, vegetables, and cheese for customized toppings on your French Bread Pizza. Some of my favorites are:
- Spinach, mushroom, swiss (or feta)
- Pepperoni, pepperocini, onion
- Mixed Vegetable
- Artichoke hearts, olives, roasted peppers
- Chicken, broccoli, and cheddar
Hit The Salad Bar: One of my favorite ways to have fun with pizza toppings without spending a lot is to hit the salad bar at the grocery store. You can get a small handful of several different items to top your pizza, without having a lot of leftovers. Just remember to get less than you’d think. A little goes a long way and salad bars are priced by weight!
Use a Different Bread
This same concept can be extended to other types of bread as well! Try making your individual pizzas on small pieces of naan, English muffins, pitas, or even tortillas! It’s such a great way to use up the leftovers in your kitchen.
Freeze Your French Bread Pizzas
The only thing better than throwing together a quick French Bread Pizza is having them already pre-made in the freezer, ready to pop into the oven. To freeze your French Bread Pizzas, just top them as usual, press the toppings into the bread a bit, and freeze them on the baking sheet for an hour or so, or until solid. Once solid, transfer them into a gallon-sized freezer bag. They’ll keep for a few months and you can bake them as usual, straight from the freezer, adding just a few extra minutes of baking time.
Want to try making your own Pizza Sauce? My Thick & Rich Pizza Sauce is super quick and easy, and freezable so you can always have it on hand!
Easy French Bread Pizza
Servings 4Ingredients
- 1 French loaf ($0.99)
- 1/2 cup pizza sauce ($0.42)
- 4 oz. shredded mozzarella (about 1 cup shredded) ($1.04)
- toppings of your choice (variable)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Cut the French loaf in half lengthwise, then cut each half open into two pieces. Place the pieces of French Bread, cut side up, on a large baking sheet.
- Top each piece of bread with about 2 Tbsp pizza sauce and 1 oz. (or 1/4 cup shredded) mozzarella. Add any additional toppings you desire.
- Bake the pizzas in the preheated oven for 10-15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly, and the bread is slightly brown and crispy on the edges. Serve hot.
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Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!Want to try more fun variations on pizza? Try my Pizza Melts, Pizza Roll Ups, or Pizzadillas!
How to Make Fast French Bread Pizza – Step by Step Photos
Start by preheating your oven to 400ºF. You’ll need one loaf of French bread, about 12-16 inches long. French bread is perfect for pizza because it’s crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. YUM!
Cut the loaf of French Bread in half lengthwise, then cut each half open. Place the pieces of French Bread on a large baking sheet, cut sides facing up. Spread about 2 Tbsp pizza sauce over top of each piece of French Bread.
Add about 1/4 cup shredded mozzarella to each piece of French Bread.
I like to try to use up any leftovers in my refrigerator for pizza toppings, but I also like to grab small amounts of several different items from the salad bar. This allows me to have a lot of variety with my pizza toppings, without having to buy a bunch of different items or having a ton of leftovers!
Once your pizzas are topped, you can either bake them right away, or freeze them. To freeze them, press the toppings down into the bread slightly to help them stick, then freeze them for an hour or so on the baking sheet, or until they’re solid. Once solid, transfer to a gallon-sized freezer bag for longer storage. Bake the frozen pizzas just as you would the fresh pizzas, with a few extra minutes of baking time added.
Bake the French Bread Pizza in the preheated oven for 10-15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the edges of the bread are brown and crispy. Serve hot! Sometimes I like to add a pinch or two of crushed red pepper flakes, too. ;)
Fast pizza doesn’t have to be a freezer-burned cardboard disc! Make it fresh, but make it fast!
I call this one of your magical recipes. As I make it over and over, it became different according to my taste, as you say. I use slices of sourdough and butter them first. The pizza sauce with butter is so delicious. The salad bar idea is genius. I’ve been able to buy pizza sauce in a jar, so it’s handy in the fridge. Thanks again Beth!
LOVE this recipe! I usually eat it fresh the first night, and while the few slices I need are baking, I assemble the rest and freeze them. Fantastic for the nights when even though you’ve meal planned, you get home late and are starving! I use the pizza sauce recipe from the website also – and I prefer fresh mozz.
need advise on breads for sandwiches
Kris, the recipe calls for French Bread but also take a look at the section of the blog post called “Use a Different Bread” for some other suggestions! — Marion :)
So I am sitting here, a newly enrolled PhD student, living on a very small stipend, starving, debating ordering $16 worth of Chinese food for dinner. Instead, I check your site, I throw together this recipe in two minutes, and I now have a lovely pizza browning in the oven and I couldn’t be happier. Thank you for this. So simple. So good. So cheap. It’s everything.
That makes me SO happy to hear! :)
I put butter, garlic, and herbs on the bread before adding toppings just to add some extra flavor, then I put some oregano on the cheese. Love it.
We loved these french bread pizzas and they are so much cheaper and fresher then the frozen ones. Like that the amount of sauce and toppings can be adjusted for personal taste and everyone does not have to eat the same thing on their slice. I had sausage, green pepper, and chopped tomato on mine and the hubby made his favorite sausage, mushroom, and pineapple. Kids would have fun helping chop toppings if old enough but definitely making their own. Next time we want pizza this is what we will be making. Made and reviewed for the Alphabet Tag Game.
Happy to hear it Lori!
Keep it simple guys! This is a quick meal and I love that it tastes way better than any frozen pizza you can buy.
Pizza is my husband’s number one food. I have made many different types of french bread, English muffin, tortilla and bagel pizzas. My current favorite is to go to Aldi and get the garlic naan bread as our base. I would advise to oil the pan and cook until just crisp but not too much because it gets a little dry, but the garlic flavor is excellent!
I’ve made so many of your recipes and they have all turned out to be wonderful — popular with my family and added to my dinner repertoire — however this recipe… hmmm. Not so popular. But I can’t wait to make that cauliflower potato cheese soup next week! Thanks for all the great recipes!!
mb
I think this is such a great idea for a budget dinner party or gathering. A lot of people feel like they can’t cook well or are too busy and can’t afford to invite people over but these would be so easy and low pressure. I have seen community potlucks where everyone brings a salad topping and they make a giant salad bar, people could even bring their favorite pizza toppings to add on. I wish I thought of these when I was in college!
I love that idea!
I know this comment might get deleted, but I just want to say that I’ve been kind of disappointed in your recipe posts as of late. I started following you because you had original ideas, but lately you’ve just been recycling your old ideas into “new” recipes. Also, you don’t update as often as you used to. I know inspiration gets a little dry at times but I’d expect some innovation at least, instead of the “I’m out of ideas so here’s something I haven’t done in a while.” Especially disappointing after purchasing your app which I think was the beginning of your downfall as a blogger. Just my honest opinion, take it or leave it.
I’m not going to delete your comment. :) I appreciate all insight. I am focusing about 50/50 on updating old recipes and creating new recipes now because with almost ten years of recipes, there are a LOT of old recipes that are good but don’t get the attention they deserve because I didn’t do such a good job the first time around (with either the writing, photography, or maybe even with the recipe itself). Rather than rushing to push out 3 new recipes per week, I’d rather do one or two that are better thought out and developed. This still might be a disappointment to you, but I wanted to explain the reasons behind the shift. It’s not because I’m running out of ideas. :)
Amber’s opinion is valid, but I wanted to offer a counter point! I am loving the revamped old recipes – I just make the tikka masala and really enjoyed it, whereas previously I was put off by the bad reviews and would always try something else. Additionally, I have been LOVING the meal prep series! I know that these use older recipes sometimes, but I find it so helpful when planning meals! As far as frequency… do people really cook a new recipe three times a week?? Just speaking for myself, I keep a steady rotation of tried and true meals, and then throw in one or two wild cards, so two new posts a week is plenty!
Not trying to say anyone is wrong, just that you can’t please everyone!
Beth, you are a ray of goodness in the abyss of the internet.
Great tips on how to freeze them! I always love a French bread pizza, but it’s almost like I forget about them and need reminded, lol. I love that you suggest using up leftovers in your fridge, and I will definitely check out your pizza sauce recipe. Thank you so much for the recipe !
Delicious. In Spain we call this type of pizza “paninis” this afternoon I ate one of this a cafe.
Had a few friends over and made us each our own French Bread pizzas with turkey pepperoni and black olives.Yum! I will be keeping this one in my back pocket for when I am not feeling up to complicated cooking.
I made these without cheese because I’m lactose-intolerant, and it totally satisfied my pizza fix. I loved how crispy the bread was.
The pictures makes it look so delicious! I ant to have one right now!
you are my hero. thank you for having this site!!!! this is really helping us live on a super tight budget.
I just wanted to say that I work at a pizza place, and it’s pretty easy to get a few servings of pizza sauce from a place like that for fairly cheap. Fifty cents gets a six ounce cup from us, and I know the pricing is similar at other places.
Great pizza.
Hi!!
This is a great idea to made it at home, is practical and easy.
Everybody love pizza and this is a excellent way to do it.
Thanks for the tip.
Jum jum…
Great staple recipe. I used to make them with bagels and use pasta sauce instead of buying separate pizza sauce (and most jarred pizza sauces are rather dull in flavor). I have got to try the antipasto mix since you can use it in so many ways!
Wow you brought back memories. My mom used to make these often, and I have forgotten all about them. Thank-you!
Laura