A loaf of store-bought French, or Italian, bread can become so many things. It can be a main dish, as with French bread pizza;or a yummy side like garlic bread or even an appetizer, cubed and dipped in a dish of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Whatever you need, this bread can help you get a nice meal on the table for your hungry family. We will begin with a few recipes and add others soon.

French bread pizza is a great meal for first time visitors to our home. Everyone gets to pick their topping so there is no awkwardness surrounding personal likes and dislikes. We slice the loves in half lengthwise and vertically. The sauce and toppings are set out and everyone builds their pizza as desired. You can also do mini pizzas the same way but use slices instead of halves. After the pizzas are assembled, they get put on a parchment lined baking sheet then popped in a 350 oven for 15-20 minutes at 350, or until the bread is toasty and the cheese is melted.

Big Sandwiches is another family favorite around here. The original recipe comes from my sweet friend Gabrielle. This is a great way to use up leftover meats, like Thanksgiving turkey. We have this fairly often so I keep a good stock of lunch meat and sliced cheeses. Start by cutting your loaf in half lengthwise. Spread ranch dressing on one side and spicy or brown mustard on the other. Top one side with cheese and the other with meat. Place on a parchment covered baking sheet at 350 and toast in the oven until the cheese is melted. Take it out of the oven and cut into individual slices.

Garlic bread! Garlic bread can be done several ways, but we prefer the straightforward method. Cut the bread lengthwise and spread it with soft butter and sprinkle with garlic powder (not garlic salt!) and cheese. Place on a parchment covered baking sheet and bake at 350 for about 10 minutes. Mozzarella, Parmesan and Muenster are all good choices but are not the only options, do what works for you.

Over the next few posts we will be looking at more ways to use a basic loaf of bread. What are your favorite recipes?