Simple French Bread Pizza

Many of you know that I have a house full of children. A combination of teenagers, one tweener and two little kindergarten boys are what we are dealing with here on a regular basis. Needless to say there is never a dull moment. Sometimes I find my self wondering how a girl like me got so lucky to be the mom of these five. Other times I feel like hiding under my covers with a sturdy pair of earplugs. Five kids make a lot noise, dirty laundry and dirty dishes you know. Like, on a regular basis. 🙂 Though having a growing family is a lot of work, there are so many times that I can’t believe it is all going by so fast.

The past few months MyTeenSonMark has been learning how to drive.

A CAR!!!!

Hide your kids, hide your wife.

We’ve spent a lot of time together, he and I, in our family vehicle. He at the wheel and me watching carefully for pedestrians with their very lives at risk. (Don’t tell him I told you about the pedestrians putting their lives at risk with him at the wheel…he is getting tired of that joke. At least that’s what he says). Anyhow, there we are together with me saying things like “Woah, now…try to turn smooth and steady, man. I think I have whip-lash. For crying out loud…smooth and steady!!!!” And he tries. He really does. And he’s getting better.

At least a little bit at a time.

Which is really all a parent can ask for isn’t it?

Improvement.

Just a little bit at a time.

This Simple French Bread Pizza is so easy to put together, and puts a smile on the face of every person living at my house. Love it when that happens, I truly do. I like to make it with Homemade Pizza Sauce. It makes all the difference. Hope you enjoy it !

Now, let me show you just how easy it is….

Simple French Bread Pizza
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Time: 15 minutes
Yield: 5-6 servings
Recipe for sauce adapted from Mels Kitchen Café

1 (14 ounce) can Italian Stewed Tomatoes
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1 t sugar
1 t oregano
1 t basil
1/2 t granulated garlic
1/2 t salt
1/2 t lemon juice
pinch red pepper flakes
1 loaf French bread
4 C mozzarella cheese, grated
1 C parmesan cheese, grated
pepperoni, red onions, greed pepper, olives, mushroom…what ever suits your fancy

1. Preheat your oven to 500 degrees.
2. Grab one can of Italian Stewed Tomatoes and one can of tomato paste. Open them up and pour the contents into a small food processor, or blender. (I used the small pitcher of my Ninga blender).

3. Add 1 teaspoon sugar, 1 teaspoon oregano, 1 teaspoon basil, 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice and a pinch red pepper flakes.

4. Blend everything well to combine.

5. Take a nice loaf of French bread

and slice it in half, right down the center.

6. Spread half of the yummy red sauce over the top of the sliced French bread. You don’t need all of the sauce you made. Lucky for you and I, it freezes like a dream. Simply pour the remaining sauce into a quart size, freezer safe Ziploc bag and pop it into your freezer.

7. Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese and most of the parmesan cheese over the top of the sauce. (I like to save a bit of the parmesan cheese to sprinkle over the top at the end.)

8. Lay your toppings out over the cheese. Pepperoni…

mushrooms, green pepper, olives…what ever you like best. Then sprinkle a little bit of the grated parmesan cheese over the top of everything.

9. Pop the pan in the oven and let your pizza bake away. Watch for the cheese to get melted, bubbly and a bit golden. This should take about 5-7 minutes.
10. Take the pan out of the oven and let it rest for a few minutes. Then cut the loaves and dig in.

Enjoy!