Chicken Ranch French Bread Pizza

Maybe it's just that I'm overwhelmed a lot. . . or something.

But I'm really bad about trying new recipes.

As in. . . I don't.  Ever, really.

I know what the kids like.  I make what the kids like.  I make what I know we'll eat.  And I make a lot of it.

Scrolling through Pinterest is fun.  I like looking at the the yummy things other people make.  My kids have made a few of the recipes, but I've resisted.

Waste time on something "creative" when the troops are hungry and we have to head out the door to a basketball game?  Whatever.

But I did have a moment a few weeks ago.  And inspired by something similar I saw on Pinterest, I created something new.  To the troops, at least.

We had leftover french bread from meatball subs - I buy these in big bags at Sam's - six per bag.  They have wheat, too.

So just slice them in half and drizzle on some olive oil, sprinkle on a little garlic powder, then spread with Ranch dressing.  Like so.

I had leftover shredded chicken that I re-heated in the microwave, then spread on the bread.  Followed by bacon - the "real" bacon bit kind (also from Sam's).  But actual bacon (as my kids say, because I feed them turkey bacon, as well), crumbled up, would work well, too.  I sprinkled a little parsley for color.  Tomatoes would be yummy, but the troops would balk.

Cover thoroughly with shredded Mozarella cheese - which I also had left over from the meatball subs.  Some Parmesan would be a good addition, too.  I'll have to remember that.

Then bake for awhile.  Maybe 10-15 minutes at 350.  I just keep an eye on it.  Then broil for a minute or two to nicely brown the top.

These pictures are from the second time I made this.  It went over so well the first time, I put it in the meal plan a few weeks later.

Unfortunately, at this point in the documentation, while I was slicing it up, the troops descended and devoured every last bit as we rushed out the door to a basketball game.  So I didn't get a good picture of a piece close up.  On a plate.

It is what it is.

Good stuff.

All I had to add was a big salad.  At least I would have, if we had actually sat AT the table and eaten it like civilized human beings and not while rushing around and heading out the door.  

(And as a P.S., this amount was sufficient for 7 of us - no Coach or big kids home.  Which at some level is depressing to me.  Ha!)