Dinner at our house tonight was a marriage of two things I love: Costco and Cooks Country Magazine. One thing I always look forward to in Cooks Country is the recipe card insert they have every month. There are eight cards with a simple but delicious recipe on one side, and a photo of said recipe on the back. I've made many of these recipes over the past year or so and for simple recipes, most of them have been pretty good.
A DamFam favorite is the French Bread Pizza recipe. I've made it many times, but never posted about it because I think of it as sort of a no-brainer -- I mean, who needs instructions to make French Bread Pizzas? But since I'm all about kid friendly (and the few people who read this blog are too), I decided to tell you about it. Also, there's an interesting little twist you'll see when you read the recipe.
Perfect for personal pizzas are these delicious ciabatta sandwich rolls (squares!) that I love to buy at Costco. If I time my shopping trip right, I'll find a bag that's still warm and toasty from the oven. I slice the tops off and freeze them for another day; usually I grind them up in my Cuisinart and use their crumbs for meatloaf or meatballs. The bottoms are of course the 'crust' for our pizzas.
Since the five of us cannot agree on much of anything with regard to food, these pizzas are a perfect option. I made tomato, basil, and mozzarella for myself and my husband, plain sausage for one, sausage and pepperoni for another, sausage and olives (ONLY GIVE ME SEVEN OLIVES, MOM!) for another. The rest I just got creative with, and there are enough leftovers for R to take for lunch tomorrow. Whipped up a big garden salad, and voila....dinner was on the table and no one was whining....not even me!
French Bread Pizzas
Serves: 5-6
Source: Cooks Country Magazine
1/4 c. olive oil
4 T. fresh basil, chopped
1/4 t. red pepper flakes
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 large French baguette (or 8 Costco ciabatta sandwich rolls), halved lengthwise
3/4 c. (or so) Parmesan
1 c. tomato sauce (they recommend Contadina, which I like too)
An assortment of toppings - browned Italian sausage, pepperoni, olives, diced bell pepper, diced red onion, quartered grape tomatoes, Buffalo mozzarella
Shredded mozzarella
Additional basil for garnish if desired
Preheat the oven to 475. In a small bowl, combine the olive oil. 2 T. fresh basil, red pepper flakes, and garlic. Microwave on high for 30-60 seconds. Place bread (cut sides up) on a cookie sheet. Brush bread with olive oil mixture. Sprinkle with Parmesan. Bake bread for 3-4 minutes, or until Parmesan is starting to turn golden. Remove from oven.
Combine any remaining olive oil mixture with the tomato sauce. Divide the sauce mixture over the bread, spreading evenly. Top with the shredded mozzarella, and then with your toppings of choice. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes, or until cheese is melted and pizzas are hot throughout. Remove to a platter and serve.
