Pesto and Tomato French Bread Pizza

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Make delicious homemade pizza in minutes! It’s easy and fun and makes for a great appetizer, too.

You know those chubby loaves of French bread that the grocery sells? They are usually sold in baskets near the checkstands. They cost about a buck fifty?

Well, while they may not be the cat’s meow when it comes to French bread, they make pretty fabulous bases for pizza.

What?! You’ve never cheated for pizza? This is your week then!

While I love making traditional pizza dough, I also love the convenience of pulling together a pizza in less than 30 minutes. You can do this with pizza dough; the result will be more of a cracker crust than a light and fluffy bread base. But, for those days when I’m in a hurry, I prefer to use some alternative bases.

I’ve used pita bread, English muffins, tortillas, and bagels with great success. My new favorite is using the big puffy, not-really-French, French bread loaves. Slather on some pesto, sprinkle on cheese and tomatoes, and you’ve got a rocking awesome pizza in minutes!

I made a round of French bread pizzas when our in-laws were visiting this weekend. And even though FishPapa and Grampa Lee has already eaten lunch out, they devoured the crispy, crunchy pizzas.

Feel free to vary your toppings, but be sure to try this simple combo of pesto and fresh tomatoes. These little strips of pizza make great appetizers, too. Be sure to make them for your next party!

Recipe: Pesto and Tomato French Bread Pizza

Ingredients

1 loaf French bread
1/2 cup pesto, or more to taste
2 roma tomatoes, chopped
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
chopped parsley

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425F.
Cut the bread in half horizontally and place each half cut-side up on a baking sheet.
Spread the sauce over the bread; sprinkle the tomatoes, cheese, and parsley. Bake until the cheese is melted and has started to brown in spots, about 7 to 10 minutes.
Cut and serve.

Preparation time: 5 minute(s)

Cooking time: 10 minute(s)

Number of servings (yield): 8

About Jessica Fisher

I believe great meals don't have to be complicated or expensive. There's a better way, and it won't take all afternoon.

Comments

amy says:
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That looks so delish! I’m definitely making getting a loaf of that bread and making that this week. Will be great to add into my meatless repertoire.
Thanks!
Andrea says:
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I make this all the time! French bread pizzas, a fresh salad, and fresh fruit are this mama’s savior when it comes to a fast, easy supper.
One thing I do differently (because I live in Wisconsin and fresh tomato season is so fleeting – use a can of tomatoes with basil, oregano, and garlic. That way, I don’t have to deal with insipid tomatoes from the grocery store. 🙂
Come August, we slice the tomatoes thick, layer on that pesto, add slices of buffalo mozzarella, and grill it! 🙂
- Jessica Fisher says:
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  Great idea on the tomatoes, drained?
  - Andrea says:
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    Yep! I just dump them in my little strainer, and squeeze them a bit to crush them up. I let them drain for a bit, and spread liberally on top of the pesto. I’ve never seen my people eat a meal I made so fast!
    Also, this post really has me wishing for fresh tomato season and our all time favorite dish here…TOMATO PIE! 🙂
Stephanie M. says:
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I make these too. The topping ideas are endless. If I have leftover chicken, I slice that and make a chicken pizza. Other times, I top it with sliced tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil for Pizza Marguerite. Sometimes, I top it with pepperoni, or if I have leftover sausage from a Sunday sauce that I made, I put that on it. And sometimes, I just feel like a plain pizza. Sometimes, I’ll buy French Bread just to make this because I have everything in the house other than the bread to make it. Then, if I make several loaves of it, I’ll freeze it for another time. No matter what’s on it, though, French Bread pizza is a wonderful way to put a fun, fast dinner on the table that everyone loves.
Heather @ My Overflowing Cup says:
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Thank you for the timely suggestion! We have a very busy day today so this would be the perfect dinner. I think I’ll grab a few loaves on my way home. 🙂
Carla says:
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Although not in the mood for pesto tonight, I have no meal plan for the week. Ran to the store on my lunch hour, grabbed some stuff for a few meal, ran by the house for the teens to put away groceries as I ran back to work (we live in a small town so all of this can be done during lunch if focused). I saw the french bread marked down to 70cents/loaf so went and grabbed some toppings. Will have to try the pesto/tomatoes some other time. Thanks for the reminder of a quick summer meal. 🙂
- Jessica Fisher says:
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  I’m thinking I need to stock the freezer with this kind of bread loaf. 🙂
AmyG says:
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A late comment, but I have been reading the through the archives. My teenage daughter’s favorite French bread pizza is Alfredo sauce (homemade or purchased), shredded cooked chicken breast (rotisserie works), vegetables like fresh spinach or steamed broccoli and carmelized onion topped with a good melting cheese (it is probably wrong but we love how Monterey Jack melts on pizza) and freshly grated Parmesan. I used to make this more when working full time, thus the purchased French bread, Alfredo and rotisserie chicken 🙂
- Jessica Fisher says:
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  Would you say that purchased Alfredo is a white sauce with cheese added? My alfredo is butter, cream, and parmesan so it would be too thin for a pizza. Going to try a sauce like this this weekend.
AmyG says:
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Yes, for a pizza sauce I make a standard white sauce and add Parmesan, so I really should have called it a Parmesan cheese sauce. For pasta I melt the butter, add cream, Parmesan, salt and pepper and gently toss with the hot cooked pasta, allowing the starch from the pasta to thicken the sauce.
- Jessica Fisher says:
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  We are on the same page. 😉

Pesto and Tomato French Bread Pizza