If you’re looking for a simple dinner kids will love, try my French Bread Pizza. This tasty meal comes together in less than 40 minutes, perfect for sports nights! Fancy pizza has its time and place, but sometimes you need something hot and fast. This dinner bubbles to perfection in the Traeger Timberline 1300.
You can customize my French Bread Pizza to use up extra leftovers hanging around the fridge. Top it with your family's favorites, like olives, peppers, and onions. Your kitchen, your rules! If you need some inspiration, I’ve included instructions for one of my favorite variations. Aside from being a good family meal, this simple pizza is a great appetizer for game day or work potlucks.
Some of the best memories are made in the kitchen. This recipe is an excellent way for kids to play chef. Let them customize a pizza with their favorite toppings. They’ll feel like mad scientists, and you’ll get a few minutes of peace. Who knows, they might be serving you French Bread Pizza in a few years!
The Ingredients
Dinners requiring less than ten ingredients keep life simple, especially on busy weeknights. Here’s what you need to add to your shopping list.
- French bread. I purchased my bread from a local grocery store. Bread made in the bakery section holds up best. I sliced my French Bread loaf in half to make topping it a breeze.
- Pizza sauce. This ingredient is flexible, as there are so many different sauces on the market. You can even make your own sauce if you like. I prefer using one with plenty of herbs.
- Shredded mozzarella cheese. I recommend using high-quality mozzarella cheese so it doesn’t get oily on the pit. Tillamook is my favorite brand because it tastes fresh and has a great texture.
- Shredded or grated parmesan cheese. Adding multiple types of cheese gives the pizza a well-rounded flavor. Just because this pizza is fast doesn’t mean it can’t be gourmet! You can use shredded or grated cheese and achieve a similar result.
- Heath Riles BBQ Garlic Butter Rub. Garlic and pizza go together like peas and carrots! This delicious rub features multiple notes of garlic, red bell pepper, onion, and a dash of heat on the back end. Use it on veggies, pork, beef, chicken, and popcorn.
- Cheshire Pork Pepperoni. Once you try Cheshire Pork Pepperoni, you’ll never return to the old stuff! You have to slice this pepperoni yourself, a perk for most people. You get thick slices you’d never see in the store!
The Smoker Setup
Here’s the main setup I used for this cook. You can find more of my grilling favorites in the Equipment and Tools section.
- Pellet grill/smoker. I used a Traeger Timberline 1300 to create crisp pizzas. This pit is incredible because you can use it to grill or smoke. The Traeger Timberline 1300 has many excellent features like a pellet sensor, a super smoke button, and easy transportation.
- Pellets. For this cook, I used Traeger Hardwood Hickory Pellets. This option added rich smoke with a mild flavor.
The Process for Making French Bread Pizza
You can see this recipe's detailed demonstration in the video and recipe card. Here’s a quick rundown of how I pulled this tasty dinner together.
- Fire up the Traeger Timberline 1300. I stoked the Traeger Timberline 1300 with Traeger Hickory Pellets and fired it up to 400℉.
- Prep the pepperoni and bread. I used shortcut ingredients for almost everything in this recipe, keeping prep work simple. I sliced the pepperoni to my liking, then cut the French bread in half.
- Add sauce. To keep all my toppings afloat, I mashed the French bread to create a boat shape. I went light on this step as I wanted my pizza to have plenty of soft texture. Then I spread pizza sauce evenly over my French bread.
- Season. I sprinkled shredded mozzarella cheese over the pizza sauce, followed by a little shredded parmesan. To top off the cheese, I put down a generous layer of Heath Riles BBQ Garlic Butter Rub. I finished my hearty pizza off with some pepperoni.
- Cook and serve. I laid the French Bread Pizza directly on the grill’s grates and let it cook for 15 minutes. I knew the pizza was done when it had a golden crusty edge. The only thing left was to dig in!
The Results
These French Bread Pizzas came off the grill smelling like an authentic pie! The pizza itself was the perfect balance of doughy and crisp. The toppings were simple, yet they hit the spot. I know this dinner will be a hit with your family!
Serving Suggestions for French Bread Pizza
Serve this delicious pizza with a side salad and a glass of wine. You can also serve it with additional condiments like red pepper flakes and powdered parmesan.
Storing Leftover French Bread Pizza
If you have leftovers, you can store them in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can also make this meal in advance and freeze it for up to 4 months. To reheat, place straight in the oven and cook at 400℉ until crisp.
Equipment and Tools
Traeger Timberline 1300, Traeger Hardwood Hickory Pellets, disposable cutting board, Victorinox Fribrox Boning Knife, Nechtik BBQ Gloves, aluminum sheet pan.
