Have you been getting “husbandly complaints about cold lunches” recently?
Treat the man of the house to a nice thick slice of Pizza Loaf on this Father’s Day!
- 1 long (1 lb.) loaf French bread or 4 long Italian rolls
- Butter or margarine, softened
- 3/4 lb. ground beef
- 1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 tsp. dried oregano leaves
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1/8 tsp. pepper
- 1 1/2 tblsp. minced onion
- 1 1/2 (6 oz.) cans tomato paste
- 1/4 c. sliced olives (optional)
- 2 ripe tomatoes, thinly sliced
- 8 slices process cheese
- Cut bread loaf or rolls in halves, lengthwise. Spread with butter.
- Combine beef, Parmesan cheese, seasonings, onion, tomato paste, and olives. Spread mixture on cut sides of bread loaf or rolls.
- Place unwrapped loaves or servings, meat side up, on cookie sheet. Top with tomato slices.
- Bake in moderate oven (350°) for 20 minutes. Remove from oven; top with cheese slices. Return to oven until cheese is melted, about 5 minutes. Makes 8 to 10 servings.
Oh, and this is also “especially nice to serve guests who come over for an evening of cards or square dancing.” Hungry farmers and square dancing visitors, this is one flexible food!
That isn’t breadcrumbs you see in this meatloaf-esque mixture. That’s Parmesan cheese.
I laughed, too.
The black olives are optional, but we all like them and it felt more like pizza with olives in the mix.
I was really having a hard time picturing this as even vaguely related to pizza. There’s no sauce, a very thick layer of meat, and it’s topped with American cheese.
At least the “loaf” part is accurate.
Buzz came in after a Saturday morning of yardwork — which is as close to farming as he generally gets — and was rewarded with a hot lunch. (Ironically, it’s a bit less appealing after dealing with South Carolina summer heat.)
“Is that a disappointed face?”
“No, this is a lot better than it looks. I can’t even taste the cheese.”
Verdict: A lot better than it looks.
From the husbandly tasting notes:
The Parmesan, oregano, and tomato actually made this taste pizza-like. Actually, it tasted more like a cheap Italian meatball on toast. The American cheese was almost completely undetectable, and the olives didn’t make much of an impression either.
Completely off topic but I love your tree print!
I would be a bit leery of baking raw hamburger on a loaf of bread, hamburger being so greasy and all. I am old enough to remember when this recipe was in vogue, but don’t recall eating it.
This was surprisingly un-greasy when cooked — either the Parmesan and dried minced onions did a pretty decent job absorbing the fat, or it was lean enough meat to start.
It looks pretty good!!! I 'd be happy with that. Another great post Erica. xx