1992 High School French Bread Pizza

As promised, this is the very pizza we waited through long lines for in high school. If you have read my “Before Cell Phones Chicken Fried Steak All The Way High School Sandwich”, you know exactly what I’m talking about. Imagine running from class to class across a high school campus the expanse of a decently sized college campus, working up an appetite, fueled by a breakfast of caffeine and a candy bar or bag or chips. The thought of that crispy-crunchy French bread pizza cracking under the pressure of your hungry-gnashing teeth, thick cheese snapping off as you bite down and that meaty tomato sauce that sends your taste buds to cafeteria Heaven. This is just as I remember it.

1/2 lb ground beef
2 tsp onion powder
2/3 tsp garlic powder
3 c sweet Spaghetti sauce
1 large loaf Italian bread or country French bread
16 slices provolone cheese

Preheat oven to 350

Slice the loaf in half widthwise, then slice both pieces in half lengthwise, giving you four equal pieces. Arrange on a sheet pan cut side up and transfer to oven. Toast for about 5 minutes, you want the bread to get crusty. Remove from oven and set aside.

Brown the ground beef in a medium sauce pot over medium high heat.  Add the onion and garlic powder and break the meat up as fine as you can get it. Add sauce and simmer for 30 minutes. Once the meat sauce is done, spread about 2 c over the top of each of the four halves. Top with 4 slices of cheese each and return to oven for 15 minutes or until the cheese has melted together. Remove from oven and serve immediately. Absolute flashback food.