I don’t know if you’ve noticed by now, but I have a thing for breakfast. I post a lot of breakfast recipes on the blog because it’s actually one of the easiest meals to make. Don’t even get me started with breakfast for dinner. I can get down with that 7 nights a week. For some reason, pancakes just taste better in the evening. Whenever I brainstorm recipe ideas for posts I always try to think of different ways to mash-up two distinct dishes into one, and then I try to fix everything by putting breakfast in the title. If I made this into breakfast, will it work? Most times the answer is yes. Even when you think the answer might be no, something like this Breakfast Ice Cream comes out of my mind. This time around, I was thinking of french bread pizzas and wanted to come up with new and exciting ways to reinvent this old classic. I never need an excuse to eat pizza for breakfast so transforming french bread pizza into breakfast french bread pizza didn’t take much convincing. Lucky for us all we can get our weekend started by making these for either breakfast or brunch. It’s the perfect way to Cheers to the Weekend!
Let’s begin by preparing the fillings and toppings for these french bread pizza boats. Brown some turkey sausage in a hot skillet over medium-high heat until crispy and golden brown. Use a wooden spoon to break up the sausage.
**Note: Since turkey sausage doesn’t have a lot of fat in it, you’ll want to help it out with a small amount of olive oil. You don’t want the sausage to stick to the bottom of the skillet.**
Once the sausage has browned, transfer to a plate or platter and set aside. Then add in the chopped bacon and cook until crispy and browned. Drain with a slotted spoon and transfer to the same plate as the sausage.
**Note: I’m using both bacon and sausage in these because I want them to be the ultimate breakfast french bread pizza boats and nothing screams breakfast more than bacon and sausage. If you want those, you can use one or the other!**
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs together with milk, salt, pepper and a couple dashes of hot sauce until evenly combined. Add as much hot sauce as you’d like. It’s really just to give the eggs a little kick.
**Note: I’m a firm believer that you have to season as you go when you cook, making sure to season every layer so that you have a well-seasoned dish.**
It’s best to make these with mini baguettes. Smaller loaves work better because you can’t really cut a larger loaf in half or else the filling won’t stay in. Using a sharp pairing knife, cut openings on the top of each, and then scoop out the center.
**Tip: You can keep the tops and centers of the bread and make homemade bread crumbs with it by toasting it in the oven and then chopping up in the food processor. No waste this way.**
Fill the centers of each boat with sausage and bacon, and then pour in the whisked eggs, dividing the eggs evenly between each. This is your chance to fill them with whatever you’d like! Canadian bacon or ham would be great too!
Sprinkle the tops with shredded Cheddar cheese, because what kind of pizza doesn’t have cheese right? Feel free to use whatever cheese you have on hand, anything will work on this. It’s not a precise recipe so you don’t have to follow it to the t. I won’t be upset. The whole idea is that you can and should use whatever you have on hand. It’s super easy to adapt it.
Bake in a preheated 350 degree F oven until the bread has toasted and the center has set and puffed up. You’ll know they’re ready when the eggs no longer wiggle in the center. If you have any more sausage and bacon left over, you can top the pizzas with it once they come out of the oven.
When you pull out the pizza boats from the oven, top them with sliced fresh chives or scallions. It’s for flavor but also for color because it’s all yellow and brown. I believe that you eat with your eyes first so adding that pop of green garnish makes a big difference. Plus chives are always awesome with eggs.
The boats are great just like that, but if you want to add a little bit more flavor on top, try topping them with diced avocado and salsa verde. It’s take them to the next level and everyone loves avocado so you can’t go wrong with it.
**Note: Think of these as traditional pizza in the sense that you can definitely go crazy with the toppings. Try adding diced tomatoes, pepperoni, or even store-bought salsa.**
These are filled with sausage AND bacon, but one or the other will work. You can also easily make them vegetarian by adding sautéed spinach and mushrooms or even different colored peppers and onion. Any and all pizza toppings will work in these. Use this recipe as a base and then let your imagination run wild.
These french bread pizza boats are best when eaten the day you make them, but any leftovers can be stored in the fridge and rewarmed in a preheated 350 degree oven. To rewarm, wrap the leftovers in foil and bake for about 5 to 8 minutes.
If you make this recipe, along with any other recipe from the site, be sure to snap a picture and share it on Instagram or Facebook and tag me and hashtag it with #CandidAppetite or #TheCandidAppetite. Once you start making these Classics recipes, be sure to also tag it with #TCAclassics! I’ll be monitoring it all closely and share my favorites throughout! Happy Cooking!
Cheers to the Weekend: Breakfast French Bread Pizza Boats
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/4 pound turkey breakfast sausage
- 4 slices bacon chopped
- 6 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons whole milk
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- couple dashes hot sauce
- 2 mini baguettes
- 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
- 1 ripe avocado diced
- 2 tablespoons store-bought salsa verde
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Brown the sausage in a skillet over high heat with the olive oil, breaking it up with a wooden spoon until crispy and fully cooked through, about 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to plate and set aside. Add the bacon and cook until crispy, about 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to the plate with the sausage.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, salt, pepper and hot sauce until well combined.
- Using a sharp pairing knife cut an opening on the top of each baguette, and then scoop out most of the filling, creating a boat. Sprinkle the inside of the bread boats with sausage and bacon. Pour the whisked eggs into each boat, and sprinkle with cheese on top.
- Bake until the bread has toasted and the eggs have puffed up and are set, about 18 to 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly. Top with chives, avocado, and salsa verde. Cut and serve warm. Enjoy!
May I have it for breakfast?? It’s got eggs. Surely that would count. It looks delicious. I’m pinning. Have a great weekend.