This crusty Cheesy Pull Apart Bread with Pesto is the easiest party appetizer. It's made with only 3 ingredients and is crazy delicious, everyone will be coming back for more!
This pull apart bread is always the biggest hit whenever I've served it to my family and friends. I'm not kidding when I say it's devoured in minutes as soon as it hits the table! I mean who wouldn't love crusty bread that's been layered with pesto and oozing with melted cheese 😀. It's also a fun sharing plate, as everyone comes to 'pull apart' a piece of the bread.
True story, it's actually a recipe that has saved me on a few occasions as a last minute dish. I absolutely love pesto and always have some in my freezer. Whenever my basil plant is growing like crazy, I make a batch of my homemade pesto and store it for future. Then all you need is bread and cheese and you're done! Easy peasy right?
It's crazy to think you only need 3 ingredients to make such a show stopping dish. You can also use store bought pesto if that's what you have on hand. Another popular bread to serve for gatherings is my no knead focaccia with bread dipping oil.
Whilst I traditionally serve this cheesy pull apart bread as an appetizer, it's also a great side dish for many meals. I love it with a bowl of soup where you can dip that crunchy bread like a cheesy crouton. It works great with my Italian pastina soup, Tuscan white bean soup and of course the classic minestrone soup…mmmm yum!
Table of Contents
Why you'll love this recipe
- Quick and Easy: Made with 3 ingredients and easy steps anyone can make
- Crazy Delicious: The combination of pesto, mozzarella cheese and crusty bread makes the perfect dish
- Perfect for Sharing: This pull apart bread is ideal for sharing with friends and family, great for any party over the holidays, and even for football season
- Customizable: Feel free to experiment with different types of cheese or other flavors, such as my Sicilian or sundried tomato pesto or even a herb garlic butter mixture instead
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Bread loaf, a sturdy and thick crusty bread loaf is key for the perfect pull apart bread. You can either use a round bread loaf like I have or an oval long shape works great too. Sourdough bread is my personal favorite. Feel free to use gluten-free bread as needed
- Mozzarella cheese works great as it gets all creamy, stretchy and cheesy once melted. Ensure to choose a low moisture cheese which doesn't have excess water. I always buy a block of mozzarella cheese and grate it myself rather than using pre-shredded mozzarella. Provolone or cheddar cheese works great too
- Basil pesto is the secret ingredient to make this show stopping pull apart bread. You can use store bought but my homemade recipe will give it that extra yummy touch. It's super easy to make, with basil, pine nuts, parmesan cheese, olive oil, garlic and a touch of lemon juice
How to make Cheesy Pull Apart Bread with Pesto
This is an appetizer to remember! With only 3 ingredients it packs a punch of flavor and will be a crowd favorite. Follow my simple steps below.
Make your own pesto or skip this step if using store bought. Here is my easy authentic recipe
With a serrated knife make slits lengthways along one side (1.5 inches / 3 cms apart). Cut as deep as you can without cutting all the way through
Turn the bread and cut slits the other way to make a criss cross pattern
Preheat oven to 375℉ / 180°C. Spread the pesto evenly in between all the sides using a knife or spatula
Grate the mozzarella cheese with a box grater
With your fingers, stuff the mozzarella inside all the cracks
Wrap the bread with aluminum foil and place on a baking pan. Put in the oven for 20 minutes
Remove from oven and carefully open the aluminum foil to uncover the bread. Spray or brush with a drizzle of olive oil and put back in the oven for 5 - 8 minutes. Its ready!
Tips and Tricks
- When cutting into the bread, cut as deep as you can without going all the way through. This will make it easier to pull apart
- When stuffing the bread with pesto and cheese ensure to spread evenly into all the gaps so that each piece is the perfect bite
- Low moisture mozzarella cheese is important. Fresh mozzarella stored in water has too much liquid and will make the bread soggy
- To make the bread even more indulgent, top it with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese before baking
- Keep an eye on the bread for the second cooking time so it doesn't burn. You should see melty cheese and a golden bread crust
- Prepare in advance as this pull apart bread is best served hot so that cheese is still oozing. Feel free to prep ahead and then bake when your guests have arrived
Storage Instructions
- Store leftover pull apart bread in an airtight container or wrapped in plastic wrap in the refrigerator for up to 3 days
- To reheat, wrap the bread in aluminum foil and put in the oven or air fryer for 5 - 10 minutes until heated through. You can also reheat in the microwave, however the bread will be soft and will lose its crunch
- Freeze any leftover bread by wrapping it tightly in plastic wrap, then store in the freezer for up to 1 month. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating
FAQs
Once the cheese is all melty and the bread is golden brown it's done. Don't overcook it as you don't want burnt bread or rubbery cheese
It's a fun finger food, as the name suggests, simply pull apart the piece that you want
This bread is versatile and fun to serve as an appetizer for a party. You can also serve it as a side dish with soup or salads
You can make it a cheesy garlic pull apart bread with melted butter, minced garlic cloves, salt and herbs, such as fresh parsley or rosemary
More Easy Appetizers
More Bread Recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
I love seeing your creations and remakes, so be sure to rate the recipe, comment and share your Cheesy Pull Apart Bread with Pesto photo on Instagram so I can share the love!
Recipe
Cheesy Pull Apart Bread with Pesto (Easy 3 Ingredients)
Ingredients
- 1 large crusty bread loaf - mine was 8 inches in diameter
- ½ cup pesto store bought or homemade
- 6oz / 170g mozzarella cheese (low moisture)
Instructions
- If making your own pesto, proceed to make this first. You can use my easy authentic recipe
- Using a sharp bread knife cut slits lengthways along one side of the bread loaf (1.5 inches / 3 cms apart). Cut as deep as you can, however don't cut all the way through
- Turn the bread and cut slits the other way, to make a criss cross pattern. Once again, without cutting all the way through
- Preheat oven to 375℉ / 180°C. Carefully open the bread slits with your fingers and spread the pesto in between all the sides using a knife or spatula if easier. Make sure all sides of the bread have been spread evenly
- Grate the mozzarella cheese with a box grater. Using your fingers, stuff all the cracks with cheese, opening the bread carefully to be able to fill in all the edges
- Wrap the bread loaf with aluminum foil and place on a baking tray. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes
- Remove from oven and carefully open the aluminum foil to uncover the bread. Spray the top with olive oil spray as a light glaze, and bake for a further 5 - 8 minutes until the cheese is all melty and the bread is golden brown
- Serve your delicious cheesy pull apart bread with pesto while hot and fresh to family and friends and dig in!!
Comments
No Comments