Pull-Apart Pizza French Bread

I usually pack Eric a lunch for work during the week, and I'm the one who cooks dinner pretty much every night (sometimes that's a frozen pizza or a can of soup, but hey--I'm still the one heating it). On the weekends, I may make dinner, but he has to fend for himself for lunch. Well, last weekend I found him standing in front of the fridge, door open, trying to figure out what to make for lunch. I decided to take pity on him and made him this bread. He loved it! Of course, he loves pizza anything.

Recipe adapted from here.

Ingredients:
1 loaf French bread (store bought or homemade)
1 1/2 cup mozzarella, shredded
1/4 cup pepperonis, cut in half
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 cup marinara sauce or pizza sauce

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Using a bread knife, slice your bread making each slice about 1-inch thick, but DO NOT slice bread all the way through; do not slice through the bottom crust of the bread.

In a small bowl, mix together melted butter and Italian seasoning. Carefully drizzle about 1/2 teaspoon of butter mixture into each cut. Next, gently stuff the mozzarella and pepperoni between the bread slices. Be careful not to accidentally tear the bottom crust. Brush or drizzle the remaining butter mixture over the top of the bread.

Wrap bread completely in tin foil and place on a cookie sheet.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the bread browns lightly. Warm sauce in the microwave and serve with bread.

Enjoy!

~Krissy

More Bread Recipes:
Chocolate Chip Banana Bread in a Mug 
Grandma Betty's Banana Bread
Homemade Bread Sticks 
Homemade Flour Tortillas
Homemade Pita Bread
Only the Best Homemade Cinnamon Rolls 
Parmesan Onion Rolls 
Pull Apart Pizza Bread  
Pull-Apart Spinach and Cheese Bread
Pumpkin Bread!
Sour Cream Dinner Rolls 

Pull Apart Pizza Bread

Dinner the other night was an interesting mixture--sweet and sour chicken (three or four chicken breasts, a small jar of sweet and sour sauce, a couple tablespoons of soy sauce, and a healthy dose of garlic powder in the crockpot for 5-6 hours on low) and pull apart pizza bread. I had planned on making my Tomato and Artichoke Chicken, which would have made at least a little more sense with the pizza bread. But the husband loved the random meal--sweet and sour chicken just happens to be one of his favorites (I feel eh about it) and he definitely loves anything pizza. I may have been indifferent about the chicken, but I think I loved the pizza bread just as much as he did.

Recipe adapted from my Pull-Apart Spinach and Cheese Bread recipe.

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, divided

1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup mayo

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese 

64 pepperonis 
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

2 cans of crescent rolls

Pizza sauce or marinara sauce for dipping

 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a bundt pan with cooking spray. (I used a loaf pan but only because I couldn't find my bundt pan).

 

Combine melted butter and 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder in a small bowl and set aside. In a medium bowl, mix together the mayo, cream cheese, Parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese, oregano, pepper, and 1 teaspoon of garlic powder. Set aside.

 

Separate crescent roll dough into 16 triangles then cut each triangle in half lengthwise so you have 32 small triangles. Roll out the triangles to make them slightly bigger. You may want to lightly sprinkle your work area with flour to prevent sticking. Place 1 pepperoni on the dough then spoon approximately 1 tablespoon of cheese mixture into the center of each triangle, place a second pepperoni on top of the cheese mixture, and pull the dough around the filling to form a ball. Press the edges of the dough together to seal. Dip each ball in the butter mixture then place in the bundt pan.

 

Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until the bread turns a golden brown. Allow to cool for about 5 minutes. To remove the bread from the pan, place your serving plate upside down over the pan then turn the plate and pan over. Serve with pizza sauce or marinara sauce.

Enjoy!

~Krissy

More Pizza Recipes:
Buffalo Chicken Pizza
Cauliflower Pizza Crust
Homemade Pizza Rolls
Ricotta, Basil, and Sun-dried Tomato Pizza 
Pizza Inspired Chicken
The Pizza Quiche
Pizza Zucchini Boats