Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Pizza Boats - Frugal and Fast!



Pizza boats are one of the easiest and most frugal meals you will ever put on the table.  They are also great to make with ingredients you can keep on hand, either in your freezer or in your pantry. 

Pizza boats are made with only four basic ingredients:  bread, sauce, cheese & toppings.  You can keep bread rounds, hamburger or hot dog buns, sections of French bread, or an assortment of any of these in your freezer.  I usually keep either pizza sauce or those small, 8 ounce, cans of tomato sauce in my pantry.  I also usually keep either grated or blocks of mozzarella in my freezer since there are so many things I can do with it.  Pepperoni, mushrooms, peppers, olives, all are optional.  Great if you have some but not required.

Last night I made pizza boats and garlic cheese rounds for supper along with a salad.  It was great, cheap, and better yet, fast!

This recipe is really not a recipe.  It's just using some stuff you may have on hand to make a great meal, snack, or lunch.  We loved it and I'm betting you and your family will also.

Here's how I made pizza boats AT HOME MY WAY:

Pizza Boats

  • French bread (I had about a half of a loaf.)  (I also had some thick slices of baked, homemade Grandmother Bread in my freezer which I used to make the garlic cheese rounds.)
  • Pizza sauce (I had homemade that I canned last summer, but I sometimes use canned pizza sauce-generic; sometimes I just spread on some canned TOMATO sauce and sprinkle with garlic powder and oregano.  We actually prefer that tangier sauce for homemade pizza)
  • Mozzarella  (I have found that grating a block of cheese works best.  None of that weird powder stuff on there that is on grated, bagged cheese)
  • Pepperoni (mushrooms, sliced peppers, olives, or any other toppings would also be great!)
Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and get out a cookie sheet.

Slice French bread lengthwise or use hamburger/hotdog buns, thick slices of French bread, sliced bagels - whatever you have.

Place bread on cookie sheet and toast for about 5-10 minutes just until toasted but not browned.

Spread each section with sauce, add cheese, and toppings.

Place back in the oven for about 10 minutes, or until cheese is all melted and edges are browning.


Toast the bread before saucing it up.  For the garlic cheese bread (slices), I buttered and sprinkled with garlic powder before toasting.


Sauce them up after toasting, add cheese and toppings.  Then back in the oven they go!


That's it!  Call the family.  It's time to eat!

For future pizza boat eating pleasure I will:

  • Keep all leftover buns, bread, rolls, bagels for making pizza boats.
  • Make some loaves of homemade Grandmother Bread as French Bread and freeze for future pizza boats!  Recipe HERE!
  • Keep cans of tomato sauce in my pantry for using as sauce.
  • Put a few extra blocks of cheese and packages of pepperoni in the freezer.




Enjoy!

Gina