Cheesy Pull Apart Bread: Have you ever come across those tasty-looking French bread pull-apart bread loaves on Instagram? You know, the yummy, cheesy, garlicky loaves diced up so you can pull them apart? Well, you are in luck because this cheesy pull-apart bread recipe is going to show you how to make it yourself so you can stop drooling!
Bread recipes, especially those that are more of an appetizer, such as this pizza monkey bread, this French bread pizza, and this foccacia bread, are always a great choice!
Cheesy garlic bread pairs well with just about anything, but if I had to pick two recipes it would pair best with they would have to be this Sausage Pasta Bake and this Chicken Bolognese.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It uses easy ingredients: The recipe calls for easy-to-find ingredients that you won’t have to search all over the grocery store for.
- It’s deliciously cheesy: Packed with two blocks of cheese, this recipe will definitely fill your cheese craving.
- It’s totally customizable: This cheesy pull apart bread recipe serves as a good base for even more deliciousness. See the ideas below for how to add to this recipe.
Ingredients Needed
I’ve highlighted a couple of ingredients below with some relevant notes. Aside from this, the ingredients needed are pretty basic.
- Bread – We suggest a nice, dense loaf of bread for this recipe. We used a crusty Italian loaf.
- Cheese – This recipe calls for two blocks of easy-to-find cheeses; mozzarella and cheddar cheese!
- Garlic – We suggest 2 cloves of fresh garlic for this recipe but by all means, measure to your heart’s preference! Also, please go with fresh garlic. Garlic powder will not yield the same result!
Substitutions
Sometimes substitutions are necessary because of ingredients that are unavailable or needed for dietary restrictions. Here are some suggestions that can help:
- Bread – If you’d like to make this recipe Gluten-Free, opt for a GF variety of bread.
- Cheese – Feel free to use your favorite cheeses in this recipe! If you would like to make this recipe dairy-free as well, opt for DF cheese varieties.
Variations
As I mentioned above, this cheesy pull apart bread recipe can easily be added to. Here are some variation ideas for this recipe:
- Cheeses – This recipe could be kicked up a notch based on your cheese preference alone. Head to your local grocery store’s cheese department and try out some new varieties in this recipe such as provolone, muenster, or fontina.
- Bread – Another way to dress up this recipe would be with your bread choice. You know what sounds yummy? This recipe with a sourdough garlic loaf of bread. Yum! Or classic sourdough bread!
- Herbs – Add some Italian herbs to the butter mixture to enhance the flavor of this yummy cheesy garlic pull-apart bread. Or better yet, gather some fresh herbs to cook into this pull-apart cheese bread.
How to Make Cheesy Pull-Apart Bread
Making this recipe is pretty simple and is broken down into three parts:
- preparing the melted butter and cheese
- slicing the bread
- stuffing the bread
I suggest preparing this recipe right before you are supposed to be serving it. If you are making a pasta dish, prepare this cheesy pull-apart bread toward the end of the pasta’s cooking time.
*Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full ingredients list & instructions!*
To prepare, line a baking sheet with two sheets of aluminum foil, positioning one lengthwise and the other widthwise to create a cross shape. Cover the foil with a piece of parchment paper and set the baking sheet aside.
STEP 1. Shred. Grate the mozzarella and cheddar cheese and set them aside. (You can save time by using pre-shredded cheese). (Image 1). Chop up the green onion and set it aside as well.
STEP 2. Prepare Garlicky Butter Mixture. Finely dice the two cloves of garlic and place them in a saucepan. Add the stick of unsalted butter, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes to the saucepan. Put the saucepan on the stovetop and heat over medium heat until the butter just melts. Stir the mixture and set it aside while you prepare the bread. (Image 2).
STEP 3-4. Slice Bread. Position your loaf of bread on a cutting board and cut it diagonally with a serrated knife, going about ¾ of the way through the loaf without completely separating the slices. Be sure to not cut through the bottom of the loaf. Make cuts about 1 inch apart. After cutting diagonally in one direction, repeat the process in the opposite direction, creating 1-inch sections of bread that are still attached to the loaf. You’ll end up with a grid pattern. (Images 3 & 4).
STEP 5-6. Stuff the Bread with the Garlic Butter. Using a spoon or pastry brush, evenly distribute the butter mixture so that the butter and garlic get into each of the cuts. (Images 5 &6).
STEP 7-8. Stuff the Bread with the Cheeses. Sprinkle the shredded cheddar cheese evenly over the cuts and press it inside the bread loaf. Repeat this step with the mozzarella cheese. (Images 7 & 8).
STEP 9. Top with Green Onions. Top the loaf with half of the sliced green onions. (Image 9).
STEP 10-11. Cover the Bread. Close up the bread by bringing together the parchment paper and then one piece of foil. Secure the other piece of foil to cover the entire loaf. (Images 10 & 11).
STEP 12. Bake and Serve. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Then uncover the top of the loaf and bake for an additional 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and carefully unwrap the foil and parchment paper. Serve immediately with remaining green onions. (Image 12).
Recipe Pro Tips
- Serve Right Away. This ooey-gooey cheese-stuffed bread loaf is best straight out of the oven! The melty cheese will perform best this way.
- Refrigerate the Bread Beforehand. Refrigerating the loaf of bread overnight not only helped to keep it intact by firming it up slightly but also prevented the crust from becoming crumbly.
Recipe FAQs
Absolutely! But if you really wanna get that epic cheesy pull, grab some block cheese and shred it yourself.
Yep! If you want to reheat this bread, wrap it up in parchment paper and then aluminum foil. Pop it in the oven and set it to 350 degrees. Let the bread warm up as the oven does its thing. It should be good to go in roughly 10-12 minutes, but keep an eye on it after 8 minutes or so, as oven temperatures can vary.
Any kind of hearty bread you grab from the store will do the trick for this recipe. Think baguettes, sourdough, or those rustic, crusty loaves for top-notch results. Just steer clear of the squishy, soft-crusted breads.
To cut bread so that you can pull it apart you will start by cutting diagonally down one way and then criss-crossing another round of diagnal cuts going the opposite direction. For a visual, check out Image 1 from the recipe instructions.
Pull-apart bread is like a cozy, cheesy, garlicky bread that’s sliced into these bite-sized, finger-friendly pieces you can just pick up and enjoy.
For the ultimate cheese pull, go with mozzarella—it’s the champ and that is why it is one of the cheeses featured in this recipe.
What to Serve with Pull-Apart Cheesy Bread
Cheesy garlic pull apart bread is the ultimate side dish or a delicious appetizer. Pair this pull apart bread recipe with any yummy pasta dish or better yet, some Lasagna Soup!
Storage
You can put this cheesy pull-apart bread in the fridge for around three days, just pop it in an airtight container or a sealed bag.
More Bread Recipes You’ll Love
We have plenty of yummy bread-centered recipes you will love if you loved this cheesy pull apart bread recipe. Here are some of the best ones!
Did you make this? I’d be so grateful if you left a “star” rating below to let me know what you thought! Then, the next time you need a quick and easy recipe, come back to Fantabulosity to browse all of my easy recipes!
Recipe
Cheesy Pull Apart Bread
Ingredients
- 4 ounces Shredded Mozzarella Cheese about 1 cup
- 4 ounces Shredded Cheddar Cheese about 1 cup
- 1 Green Onion chopped
- 2 cloves Garlic finely chopped (8-14 g)
- 4 ounces Unsalted Butter
- ½ teaspoons Salt 1 g
- ½ teaspoons Pepper 1 g
- ½ teaspoons Red Pepper Flakes 1 g
- 1 Loaf Crusty Italian or Sourdough Loaf of Bread
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Line a baking sheet with two sheets of aluminum foil, positioning one lengthwise and the other widthwise to create a cross shape.
- Cover the foil with a piece of parchment paper and set the baking sheet aside.
- Grate the mozzarella and cheddar cheese and set them aside. (You can save time by using pre-shredded cheese).
- Chop the green onion and set it aside.
- Finely dice the two cloves of garlic and place them in a saucepan.
- Add the stick of unsalted butter, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes to the saucepan.
- Put the saucepan on the stovetop and heat over medium heat until the butter just melts. Stir the mixture with a whisk, spoon, or fork, and set it aside while you prepare the bread.
- Position your loaf of bread on a cutting board and cut it diagonally, going about ¾ of the way through the loaf without completely separating the slices. Make cuts about 1 inch apart.
- After cutting diagonally in one direction, repeat the process in the opposite direction, creating 1-inch sections of bread that are still attached to the loaf.
- Place the loaf on the prepared baking sheet (with the foil and parchment paper).
- Using a spoon or pastry brush, evenly distribute the butter mixture so that the butter and garlic get into each of the cuts (or slices).
- Sprinkle the shredded cheddar cheese evenly over the cuts (or slices) and press it inside the bread loaf. Repeat this step with the mozzarella cheese.
- Top the loaf with half of the sliced green onions.
- Close up the bread by bringing together the parchment paper and then one piece of foil. Secure the other piece of foil to cover the entire loaf.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.
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