Pizza Boats are a tasty party food perfect for birthdays, the Super Bowl, or a night kids have friends over for dinner. Pizza Boats can be customized with your favorite toppings!
I have a few go-to meals that I know my kids will eat no matter what. No fussing about not liking it before trying it. No moaning about not being hungry. No asking for snacks at bedtime because they didn't eat dinner.
Those meals are pizza and pasta. Can you blame them? Who doesn't love a simple yet delicious buttery parmesan spaghetti dinner or 5 minute tortilla pizzas on a busy night?
Pizza boats are also one of their favorites as an alternative to traditional take out pizza. This recipe is ready in only minutes and can be served as an appetizer, finger food or a complete meal. It's simple enough for the kids to help make and requires just 3 basic ingredients.
Ingredients
These pizza boats use good old fashioned pizza ingredients:
- Pizza sauce
- Mozzarella or Italian cheese
- Hoagie rolls: Italian bread or French bread work great, but a traditional hero roll is perfect too.
- Optional toppings: pepperoni, meatballs, sausage, extra cheese, etc.
I use mostly mozzarella cheese for my pizza bread boats, or a combination of cheddar cheese and mozzarella cheese. It really depends on what I have on hand, and we always have a few different types of cheeses. If I have a pizza blend I'll use that, too. Feel free to use whatever cheese you have. Mozzarella, cheddar, pizza blend, and asiago taste the best in my opinion. If you have Parmesan, sprinkle a little bit on top, too. This gives it a little something extra!
There is no one bread that is perfect for pizza bread boats. You can use your favorite hero or hoagie rolls. A full bread loaf, like ciabatta, Italian, French, or an artisan loaf work great too when cut into smaller pieces.
I choose the bread for pizza bread boats based on my mood. Do I want a crispy pizza tonight? Or a crust with a unique flavor? For an extra crispy pizza, go with ciabatta. For a softer pizza, go with Italian rolls. You don't need to choose a plain loaf. Garlic and herb bread or other seasoned breads work great too. Whatever bread you choose, your pizza bread boats will be fantastic!
How To Make Pizza Boats
STEP 1: Slice the bread in half longways and pull out most of the soft inner bread.
STEP 2: Sprinkle each slice with ¼ teaspoon each of Italian herbs and garlic powder. Then spoon ¼ cup of pizza sauce over the herbs.
STEP 3: Sprinkle with ½ cup of cheese each. If you're using pepperoni or other toppings, add them now.
STEP 4: Bake the pizza boats for 10-12 minutes, until the cheese is bubbly and golden brown, at 450 degrees Fahrenheit. You can bake them on a baking sheet or a pizza stone. Remove from the oven when done and let cool.
How To Serve
You should serve pizza bread boats soon after they finish cooking. They toast up beautifully in an air fryer or oven if you want to reheat any leftovers. I am a big fan of warming up pizza in the microwave and pizza boats are no exception.
If you are serving these as a party food, wait a few minutes for them to cool and then cut into pieces. You can serve them with extra pizza or marinara sauce, and your guests can dip them like breadsticks. Yum!
Enjoy!
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Recipe
Pizza Boats
Equipment
- pizza stone or baking sheet
Ingredients
- 2 long hoagie rolls
- 2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 cup pizza sauce
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- pepperoni or other toppings, optional
Instructions
- Slice the bread longways into 2 pieces and remove some of the inner bread to create a shallow hole.
- Sprinkle each side with ¼ teaspoon of garlic powder and Italian seasoning. Spoon on ¼ cup of pizza sauce and ½ cup of mozzarella cheese per bread slice. Add pepperoni or other toppings if desired.
- Bake at 450°F for 10-12 minutes, until the cheese begins to bubble and turn golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool. Serve warm.
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