By Becky Hardin
Published Nov 15, 2022
Pull Apart Cheese Bread is an easy to make appetizer that the whole party will love! It’s just what it sounds like – a loaf of crusty bread is sliced to pull apart and baked to perfection with two different kinds of cheese. There’s also plenty of garlic butter to really send it over the top!
Cheesy Garlic Pull Apart Bread
Elevate your appetizer game with this Pull Apart Cheese Bread! Everyone at the party will be dying to get their hands on more than one bite, so you may even want to consider making a double batch. With a cheesy, garlicky bread this good, it’s pretty impossible to not go back for more.
A loaf of crusty bread is sliced into the perfect pull apart pieces before being stuffed with cheeses and smothered with a flavorful garlic butter sauce. It gets baked in the oven for just a few minutes to create what might just be the BEST finger food ever! This is an easy recipe you’ll love making for just about any occasion.
And of course it’s great for pizza night or paired with your favorite pasta and wine.
Why You’ll Love this Pull Apart Bread Recipe:
- So Cheesy: Both mozzarella and fontina cheeses are stuffed in this bread to make it supremely cheesy. Be sure to really stuff it all into the bread for the best gooey pull!
- Perfect for Parties: This pull apart cheese bread is always a huge hit at birthday parties, game days, and all other fun celebrations! Guests of all ages will love it.
- Easy : Slice the bread, smother it with garlic butter, stuff it with cheese, bake, and enjoy. This is such an easy, cheesy, no-frills recipe!
The garlic butter is made delicious with ingredients like fresh garlic, aromatic parsley, and crushed red pepper flakes. It might just be my favorite part of the whole recipe… Well, except the cheese, of course. And the bread. Okay, I think I’m obsessed with the whole thing!
How to Make Pull Apart Cheese Bread
You can jump to the recipe card for full ingredients & instructions!
- Make the garlic butter.
- Slice the bread.
- Brush the bread with the garlic butter.
- Stuff the bread with the cheeses.
- Wrap the loaf in foil and bake.
Pull apart cheese bread is a fun, shareable appetizer made from bread sliced nearly all the way through and stuffed with garlicky butter and cheese!
Absolutely! I recommend using olive oil for the best taste.
I like to use a combination of mozzarella and fontina. I always recommend using mozzarella, but you could swap the fontina for cheddar cheese!
Absolutely! Using store-bought bread is a great time-saving hack, but you could use homemade bread instead!
Need to make this recipe a little more kid-friendly? Just omit those crushed red pepper flakes to make it better suited for younger guests. On the opposite side of that, you could always sprinkle in even more red pepper flakes to add a little extra spice!
Make Ahead Instructions
To make pull apart cheese bread ahead of time, use room temperature butter (NOT melted); mix it together with the garlic, parsley, and red pepper flakes; smear it into the bread; stuff it with cheese; and wrap the bread in plastic wrap. Store it in the refrigerator until ready to bake.
Storage Instructions
Store leftover pull apart cheese bread wrapped in aluminum foil in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave for 1-2 minutes, until the cheese has melted.
Freezing Instructions
Freeze pull apart cheese bread tightly wrapped in 2 layers of plastic wrap and 1 layer of aluminum foil for up to 6 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Substitutions
- You can use homemade bread in place of store-bought.
- You can use olive oil in place of the butter.
- Try another herb like thyme, basil, or dill in place of the parsley!
- You can use cheddar cheese in place of the fontina.
Tips for the Best Pull Apart Cheese Bread
- Use a dense loaf of bread, such as sourdough, so that the bread won’t fall apart too easily.
- Make sure not to slice all the way through the bread; otherwise, the butter will leak out and pool at the bottom.
More Cheesy Bread Recipes We Love
- Cheesy Garlic Bread
- Easy Three Cheese Focaccia Bread
- Garlic Cheese Bread Roll Ups
- Cheese Pastry Puffs
With just about 10 minutes of prep time needed, this Pull Apart Cheese Bread is definitely what I’d call hassle-free! Soft bread with crunchy crust is made delicious with lots of cheese and savory garlic butter. You’ll be tempted to lick your fingers after just about every bite!
MoreEasyAppetizer Recipesto Try:
- Pizza Cupcakes
- Everything Bagel Pigs in a Blanket
- Naan Bread
- Mini Pizza Bagels
- Homemade Tortilla Chips
- Homemade Nacho Cheese Sauce
- Trashed Wings
If you make this recipe be sure to upload a photo in the comment section below or leave a rating. Enjoy!
Ingredients1x2x3x
- ▢ ½ cup unsalted butter melted (1 stick)
- ▢ 4 cloves garlic minced
- ▢ 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- ▢ ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ▢ 1 loaf crusty bread
- ▢ 1 cup freshly shredded mozzarella cheese
- ▢ 1 cup freshly shredded fontina cheese
Video
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In a bowl, stir the butter, garlic, parsley, and red pepper flakes together. ½ cup unsalted butter, 4 cloves garlic, 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Being careful not to slice all the way through the bread, use a bread knife to cut it into a 1 inch grid pattern. Slice strips in one direction and then rotate 90 degrees and slice strips in the other direction. 1 loaf crusty bread
- Brush the garlic butter into all of the cracks.
- Stuff the cheese in between the slices. 1 cup freshly shredded mozzarella cheese, 1 cup freshly shredded fontina cheese
- Wrap the bread in foil and place on a baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes.
- Unwrap and bake for another 5-10 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and beginning to brown. Serve immediately!
Equipment
- Baking Sheet
Becky’s Tips
- You can use homemade bread in place of store-bought.
- You can use olive oil in place of the butter.
- Try another herb like thyme, basil, or dill in place of the parsley!
- You can use cheddar cheese in place of the fontina.
- Use a dense loaf of bread, such as sourdough, so that the bread won’t fall apart too easily.
- Make sure not to slice all the way through the bread; otherwise, the butter will leak out and pool at the bottom.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Pull Apart Cheese Bread Recipe
Equipment
- Baking Sheet
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter melted (1 stick)
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 loaf crusty bread
- 1 cup freshly shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 cup freshly shredded fontina cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In a bowl, stir the butter, garlic, parsley, and red pepper flakes together. ½ cup unsalted butter, 4 cloves garlic, 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Being careful not to slice all the way through the bread, use a bread knife to cut it into a 1 inch grid pattern. Slice strips in one direction and then rotate 90 degrees and slice strips in the other direction. 1 loaf crusty bread
- Brush the garlic butter into all of the cracks.
- Stuff the cheese in between the slices. 1 cup freshly shredded mozzarella cheese, 1 cup freshly shredded fontina cheese
- Wrap the bread in foil and place on a baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes.
- Unwrap and bake for another 5-10 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and beginning to brown. Serve immediately!
Video
Notes
- You can use homemade bread in place of store-bought.
- You can use olive oil in place of the butter.
- Try another herb like thyme, basil, or dill in place of the parsley!
- You can use cheddar cheese in place of the fontina.
- Use a dense loaf of bread, such as sourdough, so that the bread won’t fall apart too easily.
- Make sure not to slice all the way through the bread; otherwise, the butter will leak out and pool at the bottom.
Nutrition
By Becky Hardin
Published Jul 12, 2017
This Essential Grocery List is an absolute life saver for my family on the busy weeks. When I started this journey to learn how to cook, I quickly realized that the first step in cooking is having staple ingredients on hand. I want to avoid having to run out to the grocery store every single time I prepare a new recipe. Having a well-stocked pantry has made my life in the kitchen so much simpler, because when it’s time to cook, I have what I need.
Essential Grocery List
It’s so helpful to have a basic grocery list to help me remember which foods to buy at the store. This food shopping list is my go-to!
It’s better to stock up on things like grains, seasonings and spices, baking essentials, oils, condiments, canned and frozen foods, etc. so I can just grab them when I need them. These things have a long shelf life , so I keep them in my kitchen for convenience.
However, I do have to go to the supermarket sometimes, and there’s a way to make that trip easy and hassle-free: I keep a grocery list! If I go in blindly, I’ll leave with things I don’t need, and nothing that actually helps me prepare a good meal.
In the list below, I’ve compiled everything I always have on my stock-up grocery list.
I’ve got you covered! I created an easy grocery list filled with all of the essentials. Plus there’s a free printable version that you can take with you to the grocery store. It has everything you need to stock your pantry, your freezer, and your refrigerator.
Click to get my Free Printable Grocery List
What to Buy at the Grocery Store
This is the perfect grocery list filled with all the basics and essentials. It should help get you going if you’re new to cooking, or if you’re just left staring helplessly at an empty pantry and don’t know how to fill it.
When I first started cooking, things could seem overwhelming. I quickly realized that they more prepared I could be, the more confident I felt. If you already have the basics in your kitchen, then you can shop stress-free.
So print out our easy grocery list, stock up your pantry and fridge, and you’ll be cooking in no time!
Click to get my Free Printable Grocery List for the perfectly stocked pantry and freezer!
Fresh Produce
- Apples
- Bananas
- Strawberries
- Avocados
- Bell Peppers
- Carrots
- Broccoli
- Garlic
- Lemons/Limes
- Onion
- Parsley
- Cilantro
- Basil
- Potatoes
- Spinach
- Tomatoes
GRAINS
- Breadcrumbs
- Pasta
- Quinoa
- Rice
- Sandwich Bread
- Tortillas
MEAT/PROTEIN
- Chicken
- Eggs
- Ground Beef
- Sliced Turkey
- Lunch Meat
DAIRY
- Butter
- Sliced Cheese
- Shredded Cheese
- Milk
- Sour Cream
- Greek Yogurt
BAKING GOODS
- Baking powder
- Baking Soda
- Granulated Sugar
- Brown Sugar
- Flour
- Honey
- Vanilla Extract
- Dry Yeast
- Chocolate Chips
- Cocoa Powder
- Powdered Sugar
FREEZER
- Fruit and Berries
- Frozen Veggies (Corn, Peas, Broccoli, etc)
- Juice Concentrate
- Pizza or Other Convenience Meals
- Pie Crust
- Cookie Dough
CANNED/DRIED GOODS
- Chicken stock/broth
- Salsa
- Diced Tomatoes
- Jam/Jelly
- Peanut Butter
- Pasta Sauce
- Beans (Black Beans, Chickpeas, Baked Beans, etc)
- Soups
- Tuna
- Green Chiles
- Canned Veggies
- Coffee or Tea
Get more details on the best non-perishable and pantry foods
CONDIMENTS/SPICES
- Black Pepper
- Chili Powder
- Cinnamon
- Crushed Red Pepper
- Cumin
- Garlic Powder
- Ketchup
- Mustard
- Mayo
- Nutmeg
- Paprika
- Salt (Course Sea Salt and Kosher Salt)
- Soy Sauce
- Steak Sauce
- Hot Sauce/ Buffalo Sauce
- Salad Dressings
OILS/VINEGARS
- Apple cider vinegar
- Balsamic vinegar
- Coconut Oil
- Olive Oil
- Vegetable/Canola Oil
- Red Wine Vinegar
- White Vinegar
- Cooking Wine
- White Wine Vinegar
SNACKS
- Crackers
- Nuts
- Quick Oats
- Popcorn
- Tortilla Chips
- Cereal
Click to get my Free Printable Grocery List for the perfectly stocked pantry and freezer!
Click ☝🏻 for my FREE Grocery List Printable!
I hope this essential grocery list can help you buy what you need and make your home cooking so much easier!
Stock Your Kitchen
Find more ideas for your grocery list, stock up your kitchen, and print more cooking guides and charts to keep handy!
Non-Perishable Foods to Stock Up On
Frozen Vegetables to Stock Up On (and Recipes to Make)
Ultimate List of Cooking Herbs for Your Kitchen
Ultimate List of Cooking Spices for Your Kitchen
Cooking Oil 101: Types of Cooking Oils to Use
26 Types of Pasta and When to Use Them
What Fruits and Vegetables are in Season?
Meat Temperature Chart (Free Printable)
How to Meal Prep (Guide for Beginners)
Basic Cooking Measurements & Kitchen Conversion Chart
