Garlic French Bread Pizza is filled with all the delicious flavors of pizza piled high on flavor-loaded garlic bread and ready in no time! Pile this pizza high with your favorite pizza toppings, this recipe comes together quickly and is great for young helpers in the kitchen. Perfectly customizable for picky eaters, this makes a great fast dinner idea, or can be made quickly for a snack, or easily scaled party appetizer to feed a hungry crowd.
Garlic French Bread Pizza – The EASY Way!
French bread pizza is just an awesome, kid-approved meal- but make it on garlic bread and you get a flavor explosion!
This super quick version can be turned into any of your favorite pizzas! We frequently make french bread pizza in this variety and our BBQ Chicken French Bread Pizza or BBQ Chicken Flatbread as well.
The best part about this pizza is that it comes together in 30 minutes and doesn’t require messing with finicky pizza dough. With this pizza on french bread recipe, you can use fresh French bread and homemade garlic butter or store-bought garlic bread to speed it up. Everything about this recipe is intended so you have dinner on the table quickly and stress free!
Why I LOVE this recipe!
- Easy – This oven-baked french bread pizza is so darn easy! It uses french bread as the crust and you can use rotisserie chicken on top so there is no hassle of cooking or making anything fancy!
- Quick – This quick and easy french bread pizza only takes a few minutes from start to finish only requiring topping the bread and baking, nearly all hands off!
- Kid-Friendly – I have never met any kid who doesn’t like pizza. Plus, pizza is easy for little hands to grab and fun to pull apart the gooey cheese on this garlic toast pizza.
- Customizable – For an extra fun family event, try cutting the French bread into 4 pieces and letting each person top their slice with whatever toppings they love! This way everyone gets to make their own pizza of garlic bread recipe! Make sure to check out my MEGA list of pizza topping ideas!
Recipe Notes
This French bread pizza recipe is as simple as promised! Just 10 minutes of prep for a family-friendly meal.
In this section I am going to go through a few tips and tricks I use when making this recipe to get the absolute best and most delicious results.
Make sure to scroll to the bottom for the FULL recipe card.
Ingredients + Substitutions
Garlic Butter
While I love to make my own garlic butter mixture and believe it really takes this garlic bread crust pizza to the next level, you can shortcut it by using store-bought or using just butter, garlic salt, and Italian seasoning.
- Butter – Of course, we need good butter for garlic butter! I prefer unsalted butter since we add salt to the mixture.
- Seasonings – What really amps up the flavor and makes this the best garlic butter is the combination of seasonings. I use fresh parsley, dried basil, dried thyme, salt, pressed garlic or garlic paste, and a pinch of red pepper flakes. So good!
Pizza
- French Bread – Any store-bought french bread will work for the pizza base. You can also use sub rolls to make smaller “personal-sized” pizzas which are great for getting the kids involved in the process!
- Marinara Sauce – I like to use marinara for my pizza sauce since it is so readily available and affordable. Feel free to use any marinara you love, store-bought or my homemade marinara sauce.
- Mozzarella Cheese – I prefer to use shredded mozzarella for this recipe but you could also use an Italian blend cheese, or any cheese you like.
Pizza Toppings
You can make this Garlic Pizza Bread with any toppings you would like on your regular pizza! If you need some new ideas, check out my Mega list of Pizza Topping Ideas here. I have listed a few of my favorites below:
- Pepperoni
- Sausage
- Bell pepper
- Onion
- Fresh herbs- Basil, rosemary, oregano, etc
- Black olives
- Spinach
- Mushrooms
- Anything else your family loves!
Recipe Step by Step
Create the garlic bread base for the pizza by cutting the french bread in half and spreading on butter with garlic and seasonings.
Toast the bread, then add marinara sauce over the garlic bread.
Cover the marinara sauce with shredded mozzarella cheese.
Add your choice of toppings. We used pepperoni, olives, and green bell pepper. Then bake in the oven until the cheese is melted.
Recipe Tips
- Make it a family affair – Pizza is great not only because it tastes delicious but because everyone can help make it. Get the family involved by letting them top their pizza or their part of the pizza with their favorite toppings.
- Toast the bread – By toasting the bread and butter first, this french bread pizza will not be soggy and it will have an overall better texture. This easy tip makes it so much tastier!
You can even broil it right at the end if you like even a crispier crust. - Mix it up! You can get creative with toppings. Maybe you like pineapple or alfredo on your pizza or want to add some spice with jalapenos. Whatever you and your family likes can be used on this pizza. If you need ideas, check out my post on pizza topping ideas!
- Watch it – Like, with any pizza and any oven-baked recipe, you should keep an eye on it. Oven temperatures can vary so how long to cook french bread pizza can vary slightly. By watching it, you will keep it from becoming too browned, or turn it up to get those crispy edges if needed.
Recipe Short Cuts
If you need to make this recipe but are extra short on time, here are a few ideas that can help make this recipe even faster!
- Use store-made garlic bread– To speed up this pizza, you can use garlic bread found in the freezer section, bakery, or bread aisle. You can use a full loaf similar to this recipe, or make individual pizzas using the Texas Toast garlic bread.
Simply start adding toppings once the garlic bread is toasted. This is the beauty of pizza made with garlic bread – homemade or store-bought both work! - Simplify the butter– To do this either you can take a couple of routes. First, you can mix the garlic butter as noted in the recipe and store it in the fridge, sealed for up to a week, and then use it when ready. You can also make a batch of my garlic herb butter in advance. Or, you can simplify it down to just butter, garlic salt, and Italian seasonings or use store-bought garlic butter.
- Make-ahead – Pizza is one of those meals that tastes just as good the next day (maybe better if I want to be controversial). You can make this pizza ahead of time and store it in the fridge until the next day when you want to eat it. I recommend making the pizza completely (including toasting the bread) in advance to make sure it doesn’t get soggy. When ready to eat, check out the notes below for reheating.
- Prep Toppings – I always like to prep toppings when I host because I don’t want to be crying over onions when my guests arrive. You can prep all of the toppings for this pizza and even toast the bread up to two days before. That way, when you want to eat it or guests are coming over, all you have to do is add it to the top of the pizza and bake. Easy!
Recipe Variations
Now that you have learned how to make garlic bread pizza, here are some fun ways to change it up for variety!
- BBQ Chicken French Bread – This is one of my kids favorite combinations!
- French Bread Pepperoni Pizza – For this classic take on the pizza, toast your garlic bread and then use red sauce, pepperoni, and mozzarella on top of the pizza.
- Buffalo Chicken French Bread Pizza – To make buffalo-style pizza, use a white sauce again, but this time toss the shredded chicken in buffalo sauce and top with mozzarella. Yum!
- Hawaiian Style Garlic Bread Pizza– Try adding pineapple, diced jalapenos, mozzarella, and Canadian bacon (or ham) to this easy french bread pizza recipe.
- Chicken Bacon Ranch – Talk about a favorite of the recipes for French bread pizza! Garlic bread with chicken, bacon, and ranch is so dang good! To make this, use a white sauce, top with bacon bits, rotisserie or leftover shredded chicken, and mozzarella. Bake and then top with a drizzle of ranch.
- Pesto Cheese Bread– This is a different take on a base with pesto. It is amazingly delicious and can still be loaded up with toppings.
Freezer Meal Instructions
Making this easy French bread pizza recipe into a freezer meal is simple! Follow the steps below and you can store this recipe in the freezer for up to 6 months.
- Make this french bread pizza as directed and let it cool completely.
- One cool, wrap in plastic wrap and place in an air-tight container. Store in the freezer for up to a month.
- When ready to eat, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Place the frozen pizza on a baking tray and bake for 15 to 20 minutes until heated through, crispy on the outside, and the cheese is melted.
What to Serve with Homemade French Bread Pizza
Since this dish is very similar to your favorite pizza, it will pair well with many of your favorite pizza night side dishes. There are both classic options and some healthy options to keep it light. The great thing is this pizza can be served as an appetizer alongside these recipes or as the main meal with these recipes.
Side Dish Ideas
- Italian House Salad– This side salad feels like you are out to eat at a restaurant, but it is so easy!
- Pesto Caesar Tortellini Salad
- Bacon Ranch Broccoli Salad– Fun twist on a traditional broccoli salad
- Antipasto Salad
- Meatball Pasta Bake – This is more of a hearty option that will pair well to make the meal stretch.
- Rotini Pasta Salad
- Roasted Vegetables– A light and healthy go-to side!
- Slow Cooker Tomato Soup – Garlic bread and tomato soup are, dare I say, better than grilled cheese and tomato soup…
- Ranch Dip- If you love to dip your pizza in ranch, you need to try my homemade ranch dressing!
You can choose one or add a few sides to make a wholesome, well-rounded dinner.
Garlic Bread Pizza Leftovers
If you have leftovers after making this super easy pizza, then it is your lucky day! They save and reheat well, and can make the start of another delicious dish.
To save leftovers, separate into meal-sized portions and then place them in an airtight container and store:
- in the refrigerator for 3-4 days
- in the freezer for up to a month
To reheat, place in an oven preheated to 350 for 6-8 minutes. Or heat in a covered skillet over low heat.
More Family-Friendly Pizza-Inspired Recipes
If you enjoyed this recipe, I really hope you will take a moment to grab a few more easy recipes for another busy night!
You can check out all of my family-friendly recipes here, or see a few of our reader’s favorite recipes below.
Garlic Bread Pizza
Ingredients
For the Garlic Butter
- 1/4 cup butter, softened
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 1/2 tsp dried basil
- 1/4 tsp dried thyme
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1 clove garlic, pressed, or 1 tsp garlic paste
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes
For the Pizza
- 1 loaf french bread
- 1 cup marinara sauce
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Topping Options
- 2 ounces pepperoni, sliced
- 1/4 cup diced bell pepper
- 1/4 cup sliced black olives
- 1/4 cup sliced mushrooms
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400˚F
- Combine all ingredients for the garlic butter and mix well. Set aside.
- Slice the french bread in half and spread the garlic butter over each side and then bake for 5-8 minutes or until the top is toasty and the edges are golden brown.
- Top the garlic bread with marinara sauce, mozzarella cheese, and your choice of toppings.
- Bake for 10-15 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the toppings are heated through. Cut each half into 5 pieces and serve immediately.
Recipe Notes
- French Bread – Any store-bought french bread will work for this. You can also use sub rolls to make smaller “personal-sized” pizzas which are great for getting the kids involved in the process!
- Marinara Sauce – Feel free to use any marinara you love, store-bought or homemade.
- Mozzarella Cheese – I prefer to use shredded mozzarella for this recipe but you could also use an Italian blend cheese.
- in the refrigerator for 3-4 days
- in the freezer for up to a month
- Make this french bread pizza as directed and let it cool completely.
- One cool, wrap in plastic wrap and place in an air-tight container. Store in the freezer for up to a month.
- When ready to eat, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Place the frozen pizza on a baking tray and bake for 15 to 20 minutes until heated through, crispy on the outside, and the cheese is melted.
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