Make Cheesy Bread

Whether you need a tasty side to dish to go with your pasta dinner or an appetizer to wow guests at your next party, cheesy bread is the ideal dish. There are several ways to prepare it and ingredients that you can add to it to customize the recipe to your tastes. Best of all, though, it's extremely easy to make so you can whip it up whenever the mood strikes.

Ingredients

Basic Cheesy Bread

  • 1 cup (100 g) shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 2 cups (200 g) shredded cheddar cheese
  • ¼ to ½ cup (25-50 g) green onions
  • ¼ cup (60 ml) mayonnaise
  • 1 tablespoon (15 g) sour cream
  • ½ stick (57 g) butter, softened to almost melting
  • 1-2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 loaf Italian or French bread

Grilled Cheesy Bread

  • 1 French baguette
  • 4 tablespoons (57 g) butter, softened
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • ½ cup (50 g) mozzarella cheese
  • ½ cup (50 g) fontina cheese
  • 1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil
  • ¼ teaspoon (1.25 g) red pepper flakes

Pull Apart Cheesy Bread

  • 1 round loaf artisan bread
  • 1 ½ to 2 cups (150 to 200 g) shredded cheese, such as mozzarella, provolone, swiss, cheddar, or a combination
  • Optional mix-ins, such as ½ cup (50 g) chopped green onions or chives, ¼ teaspoon (1.25 g) red pepper flakes, ¼ teaspoon (1.25 g) chili powder, and/or 1 cup (80 g) cooked, crumbled bacon or sausage
  • ¼ cup (57 g) unsalted butter, melted

Steps

Preparing Basic Cheesy Bread

  1. Combine the cheeses, green onion, mayonnaise, and sour cream. In a large mixing bowl, stir together 1 cup (100 g) shredded mozzarella cheese, 2 cups (200 g) shredded cheddar cheese, and ¼ to ½ cup (25-50 g) green onions to your taste. When they’re well mixed, add in ¼ cup (60 ml) mayonnaise and 1 tablespoon (15 g) sour cream and stir until the ingredients are thoroughly combined.[1]
    • You can substitute your favorite cheeses, such as monterey jack, colby, provolone, or swiss, if you aren’t a fan of mozzarella and cheddar. Any combination will work.
  2. Mix the butter and garlic together. In a separate, smaller bowl, combine ½ stick (57 g) of butter that’s been softened so it’s almost melting with 1 to 2 cloves of minced garlic. Blend together until the mixture is smooth.[2]
    • To soften the butter, cut it into small pieces and place it in a microwave-safe bowl. Start heating it at 10% power in the microwave for intervals of 20 seconds until it just starts to melt.[3]
    • If you don’t have fresh garlic, you can substitute for the cloves with ⅛ to ¼ teaspoon (approximately 1 g) of garlic powder.[4]
  3. Add the butter mixture to the cheese mixture. Once the butter and garlic are combined, stir them into the cheese mixture. You’ll wind up with an extremely thick paste-like texture, but blend well so all of the flavors are combined.[5]
    • A wooden spoon or a spatula works best for mixing the butter mixture and the cheese mixture together.
    • You can add other toppings to the cheesy bread’s spread, such as chopped black olives or chopped artichoke hearts.
  4. Preheat the broiler. After you’ve combined the topping ingredients, make sure that your oven is ready for the bread. Preheat the broiler in your oven. In most cases, the broiler heating element is at the top of the oven, so place the oven rack in the highest position.[6]
    • Most broiler controls are separate from the oven temperature settings, so make sure that you set your oven correctly.
  5. Cut a loaf of bread in half, place on a pan, and spread the cheese over it. Take a loaf of long crusty bread, such as Italian or French, and slice it in half lengthwise. Line a cookie sheet or baking pan with foil, and place the two halves of the bread, crust side down, on the sheet. Use a spatula to spread the cheese mixture over both pieces of bread until completely covered.[7]
    • You can use any type of bread that you like. Just make sure that it’s thick enough to support the weight of the topping spread.
  6. Broil the bread for several minutes. When both slices of bread are covered in the cheese spread, place the cookie sheet under the broiler. Allow the bread to broil for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the cheese melts and starts to brown.[8]
    • It usually helps the broiling process if you leave the oven door slightly ajar while you broil the bread. Check your oven’s instructions to see if that’s recommended for your model.
  7. Allow the bread to cool before slicing. Once the bread is finished broiling, allow it to sit for approximately 5 minutes or until it’s cool enough to handle. Use a bread knife to slice the two halves into pieces for serving.[9]

Making Grilled Cheesy Bread

  1. Preheat your gas grill. To ensure that your grilled cheesy bread cooks properly, it’s important to preheat the grill. Set the temperature gauge to medium high heat. It usually takes 10 to 15 minutes for the grill to reach your desired heat, so plan ahead.[10]
    • Make sure to keep the grill’s lid closed while you’re preheating. That will allow it to reach the right temperature more quickly.
  2. Cut a loaf of bread in half and spread the butter and garlic over it. Take a loaf of long, crusty bread, such as a French baguette, and cut it half lengthwise with a bread knife. Spread 4 tablespoons (57 g) of softened butter over the two pieces, and then sprinkle with 2 garlic cloves that have been minced.[11]
    • The best way to soften butter is to set it out at room temperature for about 30 minutes.
  3. Add the cheese, olive oil, and red pepper flakes to the bottom piece of bread. Take the bottom piece of bread, and cover it with ½ cup (50 g) mozzarella cheese and ½ cup (50 g) fontina cheese. Drizzle 1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil over the cheese, and sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon (1.25 g) red pepper flakes.[12]
    • If you don’t like the heat that comes with red pepper flakes, you can omit them or replace them with another seasoning, such as parsley or green onion.
  4. Close the two halves and cover with foil. Place the top piece of bread over the cheese-covered bottom as if forming a sandwich. Take a sheet of foil, and wrap the entire loaf of bread so all of the ingredients are contained inside.[13]
  5. Grill for approximately 10 minutes. Place the foil wrapped bread on the heated grill, and allow it to cook until the cheese melts and the bread becomes toasted. That usually takes about 10 minutes.[14]
    • Be sure to check the bread often. It’s okay if it gets a little charred, but you want to avoid allowing it to actually burn.
  6. Let the bread cool before cutting it. When the bread is finished grilling, allow it to sit in the foil for a minute. Next, unwrap the bread and allow it to cool for about 5 minutes or until you can handle it comfortably. Use a bread knife to slice the loaf crosswise for serving.[15]

Making Pull Apart Cheesy Bread

  1. Preheat the oven. You want your oven to be ready when you’re ready to bake the bread, so it’s important to set it to the right temperature. Set it to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (177 degrees Celsius) to preheat.[16]
    • Pay attention to your oven so you know when it’s reached the right temperature. It should beep or turn on an indicator light when it’s fully heated.
  2. Score a loaf of bread in a crosswise fashion and set it on a cookie sheet. Take a loaf of bread, and use a bread knife to slice it horizontally and vertically in a checkerboard pattern without cutting all the way through the bread. The goal is to create 1-inch (2.54 cm) cubes across the top of the bread that are still connected to the bottom so the loaf remains intact.[17]
    • You want to choose an artisan bread that has a crunchy crust and some holes in its interior. Round loaves typically look more impressive, but you can also use an oblong-shaped batard or a flat loaf of ciabatta.
    • If any pieces of bread come loose while you’re cutting, don’t worry. Just stick them back inside, and once the cheese melts over them, no one will be able to tell that they’re loose.
  3. Mix the cheese with seasonings of your choice. In a bowl, toss together 1 ½ to 2 cups (150 to 200 g) of Monterey Jack, mozzarella, provolone, swiss, cheddar, or some combination of cheese with your chosen mix-ins. You can add ½ cup (50 g) chopped green onions or chives, ¼ teaspoon (1.25 g) red pepper flakes, ¼ teaspoon (1.25 g) chili powder, and/or 1 cup (80 g) cooked, crumbled bacon or sausage, depending on your preference.[18]
    • While one of the cheeses that you use should be a melting cheese, such as mozzarella or swiss, you can also add in cheeses that don’t melt as easily, such as blue cheese or brie.
  4. Stuff the cheese into the bread. When you’ve mixed the cheese and your other fillings, begin placing the mixture in the sliced bread. First add the cheese between the vertical cuts, and then add it between the horizontal cuts.[19]
    • It can help to have someone hold the bread cubes apart while you stuff the cheese between them.
  5. Drizzle melted butter over the bread. Transfer the stuffed bread to a piece of foil, and drizzle the top of it ¼ cup (57 g) unsalted butter that’s been melted. Work slowly so you can be sure to spread the butter evenly over the entire loaf.[20]
    • It’s usually easiest to melt the butter in a microwave. Cut it into pieces and place them in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave it on medium (50% power) for 30 second intervals until it’s completely melted.[21]
  6. Wrap the bread in foil and bake in the oven. Fold the foil around the bread, so the entire loaf is tightly wrapped. Place the bread in oven and bake for 20 minutes. Unwrap the top of the bread and allow it to bake for another 10 minutes, or until the cheese melts completely and the top of the bread is toasted.[22]
    • Don’t remove the foil from the bread entirely, or cheese may wind up melting onto the oven rack and bottom.
  7. Serve while hot. When the cheese is completely melted, remove the bread from the oven. Remove the foil, and place it on a plate. Serve to your guests while it’s still hot. There's no need to cut it because they can just pull at the individual cubes to tear off their piece(s).[23]

Tips

  • You can serve cheesy bread as an appetizer before your meal or as a side to your meal.

Things You'll Need

Basic Cheesy Bread

  • Large mixing bowl
  • Wooden spoon
  • Spatula
  • Small bowl
  • Cookie sheet
  • Foil
  • Bread knife

Grilled Cheesy Bread

  • Gas grill
  • Bread knife
  • Butter knife
  • Foil

Pull Apart Cheesy Bread

  • Bread knife
  • Large bowl
  • Wooden spoon
  • Foil

Related Articles

References

  1. ↑ http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/cheesy_bread/
  2. ↑ http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/cheesy_bread/
  3. ↑ http://thepioneerwoman.com/food-and-friends/how-to-soften-butter/
  4. ↑ http://www.healwithfood.org/substitute/garlic-cloves-convert-granulated-powder.php
  5. ↑ http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/cheesy_bread/
  6. ↑ http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/21/dining/how-to-use-a-broiler.html?_r=0
  7. ↑ http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/cheesy_bread/
  8. ↑ http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/cheesy_bread/
  9. ↑ http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/cheesy_bread/
  10. ↑ http://www.delish.com/cooking/recipes/a47425/grilled-cheesy-bread/
  11. ↑ http://www.delish.com/cooking/recipes/a47425/grilled-cheesy-bread/
  12. ↑ http://www.delish.com/cooking/recipes/a47425/grilled-cheesy-bread/
  13. ↑ http://www.delish.com/cooking/recipes/a47425/grilled-cheesy-bread/
  14. ↑ http://www.delish.com/cooking/recipes/a47425/grilled-cheesy-bread/
  15. ↑ http://www.delish.com/cooking/recipes/a47425/grilled-cheesy-bread/
  16. ↑ http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-pull-apart-cheese-bread-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-166432
  17. ↑ http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-pull-apart-cheese-bread-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-166432
  18. ↑ http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-pull-apart-cheese-bread-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-166432
  19. ↑ http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-pull-apart-cheese-bread-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-166432
  20. ↑ http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-pull-apart-cheese-bread-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-166432
  21. ↑ http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/cooking-tips-techniques/cooking-uses-for-your-microwave/
  22. ↑ http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-pull-apart-cheese-bread-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-166432
  23. ↑ http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-pull-apart-cheese-bread-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-166432
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