Chili Garlic Pizza Bread

Chili garlic pizza bread uses simple pre-made ingredients to create a cheap and easy meal.

Canned chili is mixed with bell pepper, mushrooms, onions and tomatoes. Added to garlic bread, sprinkled with parmesan and mozzarella cheese and baked in the oven. The result is a fun meal idea the whole family can enjoy.

This recipe is included in our Meal Plan #2. Inside that meal plan, there are 5 delicious recipes, including a free meal plan and a video showing how to make them all. Click here to get Meal Plan #2.

Why We Love This Recipe

• This chili garlic pizza bread is easy, cheap and fast. There’s not a lot of fuss here. Just a few ingredients are heated in a frying pan and then baked in the oven.
• This recipe is similar to our pizza sloppy joes recipe but uses quicker pre-made ingredients like canned chili. It's perfect for busier nights when you don't really feel like cooking.
• This recipe is very family-friendly! The ingredients are simple and it’s something most people tend to enjoy, kids included. But feel free to adapt to your family's tastes.
• If you need a cheap meal, this is it! It's meatless which is usually the most expensive ingredient. Having meatless meals occasionally can help cut down grocery bill costs.
• Garlic bread and Canned ingredients keep the costs lower. Look for a cheese that's on sale and freeze it in blocks for future meals.
• We love pizza! For more pizza-inspired recipes try our easy homemade pizza pockets, a side dish of twisted pizza breadsticks, quick and healthy pizza chicken breasts, the easy kid’s pizza lunchables, or a family favorite pizza pasta bake.

Recipe Ingredients

Ingredients here are cheap and simple. When mixed together, it creates a delicious recipe. Here’s an overview of what you’ll need plus variations:

• GARLIC BREAD: A 16 oz garlic bread loaf or garlic texas toast will both work for the recipe. You could also try using french bread with or without any herbs and flavoring already added.
• CHILI: One can of chili is used as the base for this recipe. You can also use 2 cups of a homemade chili recipe if preferred.
• VEGETABLES: Chopped bell pepper, canned mushrooms, and canned diced tomatoes make this recipe easy. Feel free to add more veggies! See our variation ideas below.
• CHEESE: A bit of parmesan cheese is added to the chili and some freshly grated mozzarella is sprinkled on top.
• VARIATIONS: Add soft veggies like chopped asparagus, frozen broccoli florets, peas or corn to the chili base. Add in cooked ground beef or pork for more protein. Add hot sauce for more spiciness.

How To Make This Chili Garlic Pizza Bread

You'll need a frying pan and a baking sheet for this easy recipe. Here’s a quick overview with the full detailed instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

1. Sautee chopped onion. Add in chili, mushrooms and bell pepper. Bring to a boil and simmer until softened.
2. Add garlic bread to a baking sheet. Top each side of the bread with chili mixture. Sprinkle with parmesan and shredded mozzarella cheese.
3. Broil or bake according to garlic bread instructions on the middle rack until the cheese is melted and the toast is crispy.

This recipe is best served hot and fresh. The garlic bread can get a bit soggy when stored as leftovers. If you do have leftovers, I recommend storing the garlic bread and chili mixture separately. When ready to serve, assemble them and bake.

Need more cheap meal inspiration? Try our 109 Cheap Easy Meal Ideas which are simple, perfect for busy nights, and budget-friendly.

Recipe Tips

• This recipe is easy to adapt. Add ground beef to the chili. You can use spaghetti sauce or pizza sauce: cheddar cheese or marble cheese instead of mozzarella. Add black beans kidney beans, chickpeas, or lentils for added protein. Use hamburger buns instead of garlic bread. Basically, you can use this recipe as a guide but create your own unique variation.
• Bake it according to the garlic bread package instructions to ensure that it is toasted.
• Watch the recipe carefully when using a broiler. Things can burn quickly, so it’s best to keep an eye on them. You only need a minute or two for toasting the bread. And another minute or two to melt the cheese. I prefer to cook on the middle rack when using my broiler. The top rack burns too easily in my oven.
• The chili mixture makes delicious leftovers! Just store it separately from the bread so that it doesn’t get soggy.

More Cheap Meal Ideas

I love to share cheap easy meal ideas here on the blog! Please also check out my free meal plans!

• Pizza Sloppy Joes are similar to this recipe but using ground beef and burger buns.
• Beans and Franks is an easy family favorite.
• Cream of Chicken Soup with Chicken Breasts made with only six simple ingredients.
• Tortellini Cheese Casserole is quick to make with pre-made ingredients.
• Parmesan Ground Pork Quiche uses protein from eggs and ground pork.