Cheesy Pull Apart Bread is one of my favorite appetizers. With a great presentation, it literally oozes cheesy goodness to wow your dinner guests! Made with garlic, Italian herbs, and three types of cheese, this dish is delicious and comforting!
Recipe adapted from Savory Experiences
This Cheesy Pull Apart Bread recipe is loaded with fresh garlic, Italian herbs, and of course, lots of cheese! Quickly turn any round Italian loaf into heavenly bites in just 25 minutes!
We make cheesy pull apart bread as an appetizer if we have a fancy dinner party, but you can serve it as a side dish too.
It's made with only a handful of simple ingredients, so it's easy enough for making as a snack on Game Day and parties!
With a handful of ingredients, melt the butter and seasonings together, pile it all into your scored loaf, and let your oven do the magic.
It's so versatile, you can make it your own by changing up the herbs and cheeses, or adding a bit of spice to it if you want!
Some of our other favorite cheesy appetizers are these Cheese Stuffed Breadsticks, this Trader Joes Charcuterie Board, and my Easy Cheese Fondu.
And don't forget to serve with some Marinara Sauce, Alfredo Sauce or enjoy just how it is.
Ingredients Needed for Cheesy Pull Apart Bread
- Bread. The best bread to use for this is a round Italian Loaf as it will hold up well with all the melted cheese and butter, and it looks impressive in the middle of your dinner or buffet table!
- Cheese. Using a winning combination of Monterey Jack Cheese, Mozzarella Cheese, and Parmesan Cheese to bring you the most flavorful and stringy cheesy yum!
- Garlic. Use fresh garlic cloves to make the garlic butter seasoning mixture. You can use garlic powder in a pinch.
- Butter. Unsalted butter is best here to better control the salt content.
- Mustard. Try Dijon Mustard for an extra pop of flavor.
- Italian Seasonings. Use a premade Italian seasoning mix to bring some amazing Mediterranean flavors here.
- Salt & Pepper. Use Kosher Salt & freshly ground Black Pepper to enhance all the flavors of this cheesy loaf.
How to Make Cheesy Garlic Pull-Apart Bread
Preheat the oven to 350 F Degrees. Cut 2 large sheets of aluminum foil. Stack on top of each other and seam together by folding the long edge over a couple of times creating a seam and 1 large sheet of foil. Set aside.
Slice the loaf ¾ the way through lengthwise and also crosswise in 1-inch thick slices, making 1-inch diamond shapes or cubes. Do not cut all the way through, you want the bottom of the loaf to remain intact so it all stays together.
Place the sliced loaf on top of the large sheet of foil.
Combine the grated cheeses in a bowl and toss them together. Stuff the cheese into the slices of the cut loaf evenly, making sure to get the cheese down into the crevices of each slice.
In a separate bowl, melt the butter and add dijon mustard, salt, pepper, crushed garlic, and Italian seasonings. Mix to combine.
Spoon the seasoned butter mixture over the bread, allowing the bread to absorb the mixture. You may want to brush some of it onto the top of the loaf too.
Wrap the loaf in aluminum foil and bake at 350 F Degrees for 20 mins. Unwrap the loaf and continue to bake for additional 5 minutes until golden brown on top, or until all the cheese is melted. Serve warm with dips if you wish.
Storage & Freezing
Store: Store leftover bread once it has cooled to room temperature in a sealed container, covered in plastic wrap, or put leftover bits in a Ziploc bag for 3-5 days. Bread does not need to be stored in the refrigerator.
Reheat: Reheat this cheesy bread by placing it in the microwave for 15-30 seconds to warm up.
Freeze: You can freeze Cheesy Pull Apart before baking it if you're wanting to make it ahead of time, prepping for another day. When you want to bake it, remove it from the freezer about an hour or more before baking then bake as normal.
Substitutions & Variations
- Bread. Use a homemade bread loaf if you have one. A crusty sourdough loaf of bread or another dense type of bread is ideal.
- Cheese. You can use almost any kind of cheese for this recipe. A Mexican cheese mix, cheddar cheese, or Pepper Jack cheese would also work well. It just needs to be able to melt well.
- Spice. Add some spice to this bread by adding red pepper flakes on top, cayenne pepper to the seasoning mix, or even some diced jalapenos with the cheese!
- Herbs. You can change the types of herbs you use for this recipe, or even use fresh herbs if you like! Serve with a sprig of thyme or rosemary or even some finely chopped green onion on the top for a fancy presentation and even more flavor.
- Meat. Add some shredded chicken, crispy bacon, or sausage inside the slices to make this a fuller dish!
Pro Tips
- Instead of melting the butter, you can cream it instead, then put it on your knife as you cut into the bread. The seasoned creamed butter mix will then make its way into the newly made cuts. It will save you a bit of time, but the seasoning and butter won't necessarily be spread as well.
- Serve with some marinara sauce, pizza sauce, alfredo sauce, ranch dressing, or a blend of olive oil and balsamic vinegar on the side for a delicious appetizer!
- Don't be afraid to make up two loaves - it'll get devoured quickly!
Have you tried this Cheesy Pull-Apart Bread recipe?
Please leave a comment below if you have tried making this recipe. I love to hear from you and enjoy reading about what you think. Be sure to tag @devourdinner when posting to social media. I can't wait to see your photos!
More Homemade Bread Recipes
- Artisan Bread
- French Bread
- Fluffy Breadsticks
- Quick and Easy Cornbread
- Bisquick Biscuits (Sour Cream Biscuits)
Garlic Cheese Pull-Apart Bread
Ingredients
- 1 Italian Loaf Round
- ¾ cup Monterey Jack Cheese shredded
- ¾ cup Mozzarella Cheese shredded
- ½ cup Parmesan Cheese freshly grated
- 3-4 Garlic Cloves crushed
- ½ cup Unsalted Butter melted
- 1 tablespoon Dijon Mustard
- 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F Degrees. Cut 2 large sheets of aluminum foil. Stack on top of each other and seam together by folding the long edge over a couple of times creating a seam and 1 large sheet of foil. Set aside.
- Slice loaf ¾ the way through lengthwise and also crosswise in 1-inch thick slices, making 1-inch cubes. Do not cut all the way through. The bottom of the loaf should remain intact so that it all stays together.
- Place the sliced loaf on top of the large sheet of foil.
- Combine the grated cheeses in a bowl and toss together. Stuff the cheese into the slices of the cut loaf evenly, making sure to get the cheese down into the crevices of each slice.
- In a separate bowl, melt butter and add dijon mustard, salt, pepper, crushed garlic, and Italian seasonings. Mix to combine.
- Spoon the seasoned butter mixture over the bread, allowing the bread to absorb the mixture.
- Wrap the loaf in aluminum foil and bake at 350 F Degrees for 20 mins.
- Unwrap the loaf and continue to bake for additional 5 minutes until golden brown on top, or until all the cheese is melted.
- Serve warm with dips if you wish.
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