Viva Italia!
Not a week goes by without a good home-cooked Italian meal appearing on my dinner table. Italian is a family favorite and always brings a smile to everyone’s face. Usually I make pasta, but last weekend I tried something totally different, and made these Supreme Pizza Bread Bowls.
I slow-cooked some homemade meat sauce, then combined it with ricotta and Italian cheeses and ladled everything into the soft, freshly baked insides of some petite crusty French bread bowls.
I’m telling you… heaven.
And those mini bread bowls were made from Pillsbury Refrigerated Breads, specifically, Crusty French Loafs. It was such a time saver, and they were absolutely delicious in this recipe!
I cut each French loaf into three sections and then formed them into balls. I experimented with round and oval, and oval worked much better because I could fit more yummy ingredients inside that way.
See?
Soooo good.
I am delighted with how these turned out, and I can’t wait to make them again. And again.
Pizza Supreme Bread Bowls
Ingredients
Meat Sauce
- 1 15 oz can tomato Sauce
- 1 14.5 oz can diced Tomatoes with Spicy Red Peppers
- 4 oz cooked Italian sausage crumbles
- 8 oz ground beef cooked and drained
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp sugar
Cheese Mix
- 1 green bell pepper chopped
- 1/2 small onion chopped
- 25 slices pepperoni
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 1 cup shredded cheese Italian blend plus 1/2 cup for topping
- 1/3 cup Kraft Grated Parmesan cheese
Bread Bowls
- 2 Pillsbury refrigerated Crusty French Loaf
Instructions
- In large frying pan, combine meat sauce ingredients. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat, then cover and simmer over low heat for 1 1/2 hours. Remove from heat. Reserve 1 cup meat sauce; set aside.
- Fry peppers on high heat for 3 minutes in a dash of olive oil. Add onion, and saute until onions are translucent. Add pepperoni; saute another couple of minutes. Remove from heat. Add to cooked meat sauce mixture. Add cheese mix. Blend well, and continue simmering on low.
- Heat oven to 350°F. Spray cookie sheet with nonstick cooking spray. Remove dough from cans. Cut each loaf into 3 pieces; shape each into ball, placing seam at bottom so dough is smooth on top. Place dough balls, seam side down, on sprayed cookie sheet. Bake at 350°F. for 22 to 26 minutes or until golden brown.
- With sharp knife, cut small portion off top of each loaf. Lightly press center of bread down to form bowls. Place each bread bowl on individual serving plate.
- Spoon meat/cheese sauce mixture into bowls. Top with reserved sauce and a sprinkling of shredded Italian cheese. Broil for a minute to melt cheese.
Nutrition
Enjoy!
