Make one flatbread base into four different easy breadsticks and serve with three different tomato sauce dips for the perfect game day appetizer idea! I am so excited to be partnering with Ragu® to bring you delicious recipes for breadsticks and tomato sauce to dip them in! All opinions and content are 100% honest and my own.
Every time I go visit my family in Kansas City we go to one specific restaurant that has a combination of salads, soups, and other comfort food. One of my favorite things there is a breadstick bar where you can choose from a bunch of different types of breadsticks and dipping sauces. I’ve always wanted to take that idea and use it at one of my parties and with the big game coming up this Sunday, I thought it would be the perfect time!
I’m a big of fan of easy recipes (and football!), so I kept all four of these breadstick recipes simple. They all start with a flatbread base topped with a little melted butter and garlic cheese and then the toppings change from there. The pizza breadsticks get topped with mozzarella cheese and pepperoni; the five-cheese breads get topped with Italian cheeses and shredded parmesan, and my favorite the parmesan and pine nut gets topped with just that – parmesan cheese and toasted pine nuts.
There are so many other flavor combinations that would go great with the flatbread and garlic base, but I chose these four in particular because they also go well with my favorite breadstick dipping sauce – Ragu® traditional tomato sauce. I picked up a three pack of the Ragu® Traditional Sauce – 3/45 oz at Sam’s Club this past weekend because my family LOVES their dipping sauce, maybe even more than the actual bread. I love knowing that because of Ragu®’s long-standing tradition of quality ingredients, I can feel good about putting out the tomato sauce without having to do much to it. And having the larger jars on hand is perfect for watching the big game because you’ll never run out and have to serve the breadsticks without dip. I just poured the sauce straight from the jar into a microwave safe bowl to warm it up and served warm.
While the Ragu® traditional sauce is great on its own, I love to serve a couple of different dips to go along with the breadsticks as well. Keeping with the simple theme, I just added a little honey to one bowl of the dip, a little fresh parsley to another, and topped the final with some shredded parmesan to add a little cheesiness. The pizza bread is perfect with the cheesy tomato dip, the sweeter dip is perfect with the pine nut and parmesan bread, and the parsley dip is great with all of the above. And all of the combinations make the perfect appetizer for any big game party!
Easy Breadsticks Four Ways
First, top the flatbread with melted butter then sprinkle lightly with garlic butter and salt.
- Garlic Bread – Bake as is.
- Pizza Bread – top with mozzarella cheese, pepperoni, and more mozzarella cheese.
- Four Cheese – top with Italian cheese blend and shredded parmesan cheese
- Parmesan & Pine Nuts – Top with shredded parmesan and lightly toasted pine nuts.
Once your flatbread is topped, bake in the oven on a pizza stone or baking sheet at 400 degrees for 6-8 minutes or until flatbread is crisp. Cut into strips with pizza cutter.
Ragu® Tomato Dipping Sauce Three Ways
- Sweet Sauce – Microwave 1 cup sauce and 1/4 cup honey, covered, in one minute increments until heated thoroughly. Stir to combine.
- Perfect Parsley – Microwave 1 cup Ragu® traditional sauce in one minute increments until heated thoroughly. Once heated, stir in fresh parsley to add a little fresh and bright flavor.
- Cheesy Sauce – Microwave 1 cup sauce and 1/4 cup grated parmesan, covered, in one minute increments until heated thoroughly. Stir to combine. Top with another 1 Tbs shredded parmesan to add a final bit of cheesy flavor.
For more great recipes to use up any leftover Ragu® Pasta Sauce, check out the Ragu® recipes page.
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Ragu®. The opinions and text are all mine.
