cheesy garlic pull-apart bread;
Originally posted September 14, 2016. Updated June 8, 2024 for content and clarity.
Cheesy garlic pull-apart bread is one of my favorite go-to party recipes! You can get as fancy or as simple with the spices as you want to, and I will never say no to cheesy garlic bread. I made this myself for my birthday party this weekend! I’m turning 25 whoo!
In spite of turning a quarter century old, somehow my parties are still the same vibes as usual: drinks and games, and of course, yummy munchies. In addition to this cheesy garlic pull-apart bread, I also made roast beef horseradish party sandwiches, and a friend brought a delicious corn salad!
I feel like this recipe barely warrants a recipe. It does for the seasoned garlic butter, but it’s essentially:
- Get bread
- Cut bread
- Butter bread
- Stuff cheese in
- Bake
There I just saved you some scrolling to the end of this post. But really, it is super easy. I’m a sucker for easy appetizers, because I love making multiple things for people to snack on when I host parties.
It does start with the loaf of bread. Pick your favorite–mine is sourdough, but a nice round french loaf is also so delicious. You can also adjust the size of your loaf and the ingredients to feed a crowd. Just be sure to adjust the cheese as well! Every single bite has to have some cheesy goodness. It’s mandatory.
Good bread comes down to freshness. You just can’t beat that barely crisp, flaky outside, and soft pillowy insides. I really prefer round loaves because it makes it easy to cut roughly into 1″ crosshatching, and it looks stuffed full and expanded when you stuff all the toppings in.
When it comes to toppings, my recipe here is for my first and favorite recipe–cheesy garlic pull-apart bread. Garlic powder and a tad of dill, topped with fresh green onions makes a perfect pairing for sharp cheddar or mild colby jack cheese. That said, you can absolutely pick your favorite flavor combinations.
My recipe here is for my first and favorite recipe, but you can absolutely pick your favorite flavor combinations.
secret to success
Try Italian seasoning and a mix of mozzarella and parmesan, and serve pasta sauce for dipping! (Or if you’re willing to work a little harder, try this pepperoni pizza loaf). Or go a Mexican theme and grab some cheddar cheese and stuff some grilled corn kernels (I like the frozen ones from Trader Joe’s) into the loaf itself, and then sprinkle cojita cheese on top. Or skip all the seasonings and just use some chopped deli ham and swiss cheese.
When it comes to cheese for your pull-apart bread, you can use pre-shredded store-bought stuff for ease. If you do though, I recommend rinsing it quickly first to remove some of the anti-caking agents (usually cornstarch or the like). This will help retain some of the stretchy gooeyness when you pull apart the bread.
I prefer to grate my own cheese, but I fully admit that when you’re going for simple, pre-shredded is the way to go.
secret to success
If you’re willing to take a few minutes to grate block cheese though, you’ll definitely get more gooeyness and it really adds a little extra fatty goodness to your cheesy garlic pull-apart bread. I prefer to grate my own cheese, but I fully admit that when you’re going for simple, pre-shredded is the way to go.
I also like a little bit of freshness, which is why I like to include green onions. Or sometimes I’ll melt another 4 Tbsp of salted butter and mix with fresh minced garlic. Brush over right before serving and man, does it make that garlic pop!
To serve during a party I like to pre-bake, and then reheat to finish baking right before serving.
secret to success;
To serve pull-apart bread during a party I like to pre-bake, and then reheat to finish baking right before serving. I follow the recipe instructions below, but bake for only 10-15 minutes and then let it rest. Pop it back into a 400°F oven for 5-10 minutes right before serving.
secrets to success;
Want all the best tips and tricks to make this recipe a success? Check out the blog post above to find out more!
more recipes;
Looking for other party hits? Check out these delicious options:
- I served cheesy garlic pull-apart bread at my 25th birthday party alongside roast beef party sliders as well as cookie dough pretzel bites for a little sweet snack.
- Try this at-home alpine cheese fondue for all my cheese lovers out there. The Alpine cheese fondue is my favorite from the melting pot, so making it at home for a special occasion is so much fun!
- Miso biscuits are an umami blast of homemade, buttery, flaky goodness that I just can’t get enough of! Or try a sour cream and chive biscuit that’s simply to die for.
cheesy garlic pull-apart bread;
Ingredients
- 1 round sourdough loaf
- ½ cup butter softened
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp dill
- 3 scallions
- 3 cups cheese shredded (colby jack or cheddar or use your favorite)
Instructions
- In a small bowl add ½ cup softened butter. Add 2 tsp each of salt, garlic powder, and dill. Mix together until combined and set aside.
- Cut a crosshatch pattern on the bread, not cutting all the way through. You want to leave roughly ½" – 1" remaining so the loaf stays together, but someone can easily tear the pieces. I like roughly 1" pieces. (To cut the crosshatch pattern, slice one direction, then turn and cut slices perpendiculat to the first cuts.)
- Use a knife to generously slather the seasoned butter between each of the slices of bread. Stuff the cheese in between the cuts in the bread, making sure to poke it down deep. It can help to use a knife or a chopstick if your fingers aren't quite cutting it.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes at 350°F or until cheese is melted and bread is crisp.
- Slice scallion greens and top before serving. Serve warm.
1 Comments
dinner review: space bar; – tipsychocochip
July 7, 2017 at 8:05 am
[…] both parties approved of the other! In addition to the multitude of food that I made (recipes like pull apart bread), we made it to this little dive bar in Falls Church I’ve heard about from several friends: […]