Texas Toast Pizza starts with garlic-infused Texas toast and is piled high with saucy ground beef, melty mozzarella, and miniature pepperoni. A family-favorite, simple meal!
This speedy and simple Texas Toast Pizza is part of our Back-To-School Lifesavers — a series of recipes that are intended to have little (or no) veggie chopping, minimal prep time, around 10 ingredients or less (not including pantry staples), and use kid-friendly ingredients. Click here to see all the recipes in the series!
Texas Toast Pizza
My college roommate actually introduced me to Texas toast back in my sophomore year of college and I may or may not have immediately phoned my mom and drilled her on why we didn’t ever have it growing up. Of course, I was immediately hooked — and garlic flavor or bust!
So today it’s a throwback to those good old college days– and we’re using Texas toast to make a family-friendly dinner of Texas Toast Pizza. It doesn’t get too much easier than this recipe! Additionally, this recipe will ensure that you don’t get an aggrieved phone call from your kids one day questioning why they weren’t introduced to it any sooner. 😉
Shortcuts
Texas Toast Pizza Shortcuts
- Texas toast. This is a huge shortcut — it’s the base of our pizza and there is no preparation on your part –the pieces of toast are already seasoned and cut!
- Pizza sauce. Our favorite pizza sauce is made by Rao’s® (not sponsored) — either the plain or Margherita versions. It’s got an amazing depth of flavor and some great texture to it. This pizza sauce is a big shortcut because it eliminates the need for a lot of additional ingredients.
- Pre-diced onions. Most grocery stores sell diced yellow onions in the produce section of the store. Alternatively, frozen diced onions are often found with the other frozen veggies and can be used in this recipe. Or, use a food processor to quickly chop an onion.
- Pre-minced ginger. For the quickest option, use refrigerated minced garlic.
Texas Toast Pizza Tips
- Make sure to purchase the freshest ground beef possible. (Check for the furthest expiration date when purchasing.)
- To avoid steaming (we want to brown the meat!), use a cast-iron pan, and wait for it to be HOT until you add in the meat.
- In order to brown (and become more flavorful), the beef has to maintain contact with the pan for a little while. Remember that as you break the meat into smaller pieces, the moisture evaporates and can cause the meat to steam instead of brown. Avoid this by giving the meat a few minutes to cook and develop a brown color before breaking it up with a wooden spoon.
- Enjoy immediately. These Texas Toast Pizzas are best right out of the oven; the bread will get soggy the longer these pizzas stand. Right before pulling them out, yell for your family to get around the dinner table. Serve them right off the tray!
These Texas Toast Pizzas come together so quickly so we don’t want to spend a whole bunch of time on sides. But if you like, here are a few suggestions.
Texas Toast Pizza Serving Suggestions
- Side of veggies. These veggie recipes are all fairly quick to throw together and they all roast at the same oven temperature as the Texas Toast Pizzas: Roasted Broccoli, Roasted Sweet Potatoes, Roasted Asparagus, Roasted Brussels Sprouts, or Roasted Vegetables. Use the air-fryer to whip up a veggie side even quicker!
- Quick side salad. These salads pair nicely and whip together fairly quickly (especially if using a store-bought dressing): Olive Garden Salad, Panzanella Salad, Greek Salad, or this Quinoa Salad. A pre-made salad kit (like a Caesar salad) works great here.
- Side of fruit. A good watermelon, cantaloupe, and/or grapes are all great (and quick) sides for these Texas Toast Pizzas.
Variations
Texas Toast Pizza variations
- Not sure about Texas toast? We’ve made this recipe on toasted brioche buns and also loved it that way!
- Leave off the mini pepperoni or replace it with other pizza toppings that will pair with the beef mixture — think cooked sausage, peppers, mushrooms, olives, and/or onions
- Try a different cheese or a blend of different cheeses
More pizza recipes
- Pesto Pizza with sweet corn
- Flatbread Pizza with chicken and veggies
- Margherita French Bread Pizza with tomatoes and basil
- Caesar Salad Pizza with Caesar salad dressed topping
- Blackberry Pizza with Italian sausage
Texas Toast Pizza
Texas Toast Pizza combines garlicky Texas toast with saucy ground beef, melty mozzarella, and mini pepperoni for a quick, family-favorite meal!
Equipment
- large sheet pan,
- Large pan
Ingredients
- Cooking spray
- 1 (11.25-ounce) package frozen garlic Texas toast 8 slices
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup diced yellow onion
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 pound lean ground beef 93/7
- 1 (13-ounce) jar Rao’s® pizza sauce see note 1
- 2 cups grated mozzarella cheese
- Miniature pepperoni optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Lightly grease a large sheet pan with cooking spray and place Texas Toast on the pan, giving each piece plenty of room. Bake for 5 minutes.
- While oven is preheating, prepare the meat sauce. Add olive oil to a large pan and heat over medium-high. Once hot, add in onion and sauté, stirring occasionally, until becoming golden, about 5–7 minutes. Add garlic and sauté another 30 seconds or until fragrant. Add beef and cook, breaking up and crumbling as you go, until browned through. Season to taste. (I add 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.) Add pizza sauce and Italian seasoning and cook, stirring constantly, until warmed through. Taste and adjust for seasoning, adding more salt/pepper if needed. Remove from heat.
- Divide meat sauce evenly among each piece of bread. Sprinkle cheese on top, about 2 tablespoons of cheese per pizza. If desired, add mini pepperoni on top. Bake 5–10 minutes or until cheese is nicely melted on top. Remove and enjoy immediately!
Video
Recipe Notes
Note 1: I highly recommend Rao’s® pizza sauce, which makes all the difference for this recipe! This sauce has a deep, intense flavor, tastes homemade, and is thick and hearty. We also greatly cut down on ingredients because this pizza sauce has so many additions included (whole peeled tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, olive oil, onions, carrots, oregano, garlic, fresh basil, etc.).
Nutrition Note: Nutrition information does not include pepperoni or other optional toppings.
Storage: Store leftover Texas Toast Pizza in a gallon-sized bag or airtight container in the fridge for 3–4 days. Reheat in the oven or air fryer.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 846kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 57g | Fat: 50g | Saturated Fat: 23g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 164mg | Sodium: 1239mg | Potassium: 569mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 802IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 621mg | Iron: 15mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
As your sister these are so easy and fun! These are my daughters favorite meal!