This is a clever riff on Stouffer’s frozen pizza, using store-bought ingredients that you assemble. Preheat oven to 350. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil, place a baking rack on top of the foil, then lightly spray the rack with oil (the rack will stabilize the uneven baguette crust and the oil will make clean-up from spilled cheese easier). Place a baguette (cut in half crosswise, then cut in half lengthwise, resulting in four long pieces), cut side up, on a cookie sheet in the middle rack of the oven for 5-7 mins. Then spread 1 ½ to 2 cups (13 oz) store-bought pizza sauce such as Rao’s on the cut side of the baguette (about ¼-½ cup per piece). Layer on 2 oz pepperoni slices (about 6 slices per piece, plus more for garnish), 8 oz sliced fresh mozzarella (about 2 oz per piece), ½ cup grated Parmesan (which we skipped), and ½ tsp dried oregano (we used some fresh marjoram leaves instead). Garnish each piece with about 3 pepperoni slices, then sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper. Bake on center rack for 20 mins, then switch oven setting to broil. Move the cookie sheet to the top rack of the oven, letting pizza pieces brown on top (1-2 mins), then serve immediately. (Note: try to keep the baguette pieces steady on the cookie sheet so that the toppings do not slide off.) We served our pizza with a simple salad. Recipe from Sheet Pan Suppers by Molly Gilbert. (July 2015)
Note 1: We also have added mushrooms. You need only 4 medium cremini or white mushrooms, cut into ¼ inch slices. (Aug. 2018)
Note 2: In homage to Rhode Island, we sauteed ¼ lb minced beef (85/15) in a teflon pan until browned. We used that as topping in lieu of pepperoni. (Jan. 2020)
Cooking Adventures 