Meatball Ciabatta Bread Pizza is a crunchy, satisfying pie that evokes memories of childhood.
I can remember when I was growing up, pizza was something my family ate once a week. Friday night was usually pizza night. We didn't go out to eat much, but Fridays were special; we got to enjoy pizza from the local pizzeria. I loved pizza so much that once a week was not enough.
I liked pizza so much that I even enjoyed the pizza served in the cafeteria in high school! Now looking back,it probably wasn't really that good. Meatball Ciabatta Bread Pizza takes me back to the popular French bread pizza found in the freezer section at the local grocery store. I used to covet Stouffer's French Bread Pizza. I don't believe it was a national brand, but in Ohio it was a name you grew up loving.
Don't get me wrong, on rare occasion I will pick up a frozen pizza in a pinch for a quick meal, but this recipe is an elevated version of the my childhood favorite. When we found fresh baked Ciabatta at our local market, I knew it would be a good “cheat” for this special recipe. Any fresh baked, crunchy bread and fresh ingredients (like our 15 minute tomato sauce) make this meal a perfectly crunchy and flavorful version of a childhood memory. This is our favorite version, however be creative and customize it to your liking. Serve it with a Grilled Romaine Caesar Salad for a complete meal.
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Meatball Ciabatta Bread Pizza
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Cook Time: 15 min
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: entrées
Description
A super crunchy crust is where its at! Every bite of this Meatball Ciabatta Bread Pizza reminds us of our childhood favorite frozen French Bread Pizzas.
Ingredients
1 large loaf of ciabatta bread
8 oz mini fresh mozzarella cheese balls
1 C roasted red and green pepper strips
½ C pesto sauce
½ C olive oil
½ C arugula
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 375°.
2. Slice loaf of bread in half horizontially.
3. Spread sauce on both cut sides of bread and top with meatballs, cheese and peppers.
4. Place bread on sheet pan and put in oven. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until cheese has melted.
5. As soon as pizza is removed, dollop pesto sauce and garnish with arugula.
6. Drizzle olive oil over pizza and enjoy.
Keywords: pizza, pie, tomato sauce, ciabatta, French bread, crunchy, easy, fast, meatball, pesto
nicole triebe says
Meatballs on pizza?? Best idea ever!!
★★★★★
Jackie says
Thank you SOOOO much Nicole! We are so glad you like it!