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Pull Apart Garlic Bread

This Pull Apart Garlic Bread will sure to be a hit with it’s herby flavors! Learn how to make cheesy pull apart bread in just a few steps.

a loaf of pull apart garlic bread on parchment paper on a cutting board

Pull Apart Garlic Bread

Making appetizers for friends and family must be some sort of love language because this Pull Apart Garlic Bread recipe might be a new favorite!

You may have heard of Pull Apart Garlic Bread as ‘Crack Bread’ – both for it’s signature ‘x’ pattern, but also because you can’t stop eating it once you start!

It’s a perfect loaf of bread that has cuts in it that don’t go all the way through the bread. That’s key to making sure that all of the yummy cheese, bacon, herbs, and butter don’t slip through to the bottom.

The pull apart bread works great for tailgating or get togethers, too! It’s the perfect addition for those events. The reactions you’ll get with the cheese pulls are the best!

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small bowls with olive oil, diced green onion, melted butter, minced garlic, chopped parsley, and dried mustard

What ingredients do I need to make Pull Apart Garlic Bread?

You’ll just need a few ingredients to make this pull apart garlic bread recipe –

  • A loaf of crusty bread
  • Shredded Monterrey Jack cheese and shredded White cheddar cheese
  • Real Bacon Bits
  • Salted butter
  • Minced garlic
  • Olive oil
  • Fresh parsley
  • Green onions
  • Dried mustard

Ingredient Substitutions

If you only have unsalted butter, add in some salt or garlic salt to make up for the missing amount.

Garlic powder can be added to the butter mixture to make a garlic butter for more flavor, or in case you’re missing fresh or minced garlic.

Should I use a block of cheese or shredded cheese?

You can use either! Using shredded cheese kept the prep time down and the cheeses are usually pretty easy to find at your local grocery store.

BUT using a block of cheese is a great option, if you can find them! You’ll just want to cut the slices thinly and put them into each crack of the bread so it can melt all together.

I’m excited to join back up with my friends over at the Freaky Friday blog hop where we get to try making recipes from another blogger’s site. It’s all a surprise until Friday morning where everyone gets to see the fun recipes we’ve all made.

Michaela from An Affair from the Heart has done an amazing job coordinating the whole thing and has created such a fun experience for everyone involved. It’s definitely one of my favorite blogger events I’ve gotten to take part in!

Speaking of Michaela, I had the honor of creating a recipe of hers this time! She loves entertaining and has plenty of simple and yummy recipes that help you do that with ease.

When picking out a recipe for today, I spotted all sorts of Tailgating recipes that I can’t wait to try this fall! Like check out this Jalapeño Popper Dip, Reuben Burger, and Breakfast Sliders (yum!?)

See all of our 2022 Freaky Friday Summer Edition Recipes

Hosted by – An Affair from the Heart
  1. An Affair from the Heart – Moose Munch Popcorn
  2. Aunt Bee’s Recipes – Breakfast Egg Bites
  3. The Culinary Compass – Pull Apart Garlic Bread
  4. Devour Dinner – BBQ Nachos
  5. Family Around the Table – Grilled Teriyaki Chicken Salad
  6. Feast + West – Peach Whiskey Smash
  7. Home Cooked Harvest – Strawberry Cheesecake Bites
  8. Hostess at Heart – Peanut Butter Cookie
  9. Kathryn’s Kitchen Blog – Cilantro Lime Shrimp Recipe
  10. Life Currents – Jalapeño Poppers Puffs
  11. Off the Eaten Path –  Cheerwine Bourbon Slush Cocktails
  12. The Speckled Palate – Lemon Cooler Cookies
  13. Sue Bee Homemaker – Fruit Dip Without Marshmallow Cream
  14. The Wimpy Vegetarian – How to Make Enchilada Sauce
diced bacon and shredded cheese between square cuts into a sourdough loaf

Can I make my own bread for this recipe?

Definitely! If you’re a lover of baking, this would be a great way to highlight your talents.

Michaela from An Affair from the Heart has this No Knead Crusty Dutch Oven Bread that would be perfect to make for this recipe!

All you need is all purpose flour, salt, active dry yeast, and room temperature water to make an easy dough!

Can I make Pull Apart Garlic Bread ahead of time?

To keep the bread from getting too soggy, I would avoid assembling the whole dish until you’re ready to serve it.

If you’re making it later the same day, you can prepare the bread and ingredients so you’re ready to assemble when the time comes!

a close up of herbs and bacon peeking out of the cuts of a sourdough loaf

Serving Pull Apart Bread

Depending on the event you’ll be serving it, you can take it out of the oven and place it right on a platter so your friends can tear into it themselves.

Another option would be to cut through the rest of the bread so it’s easy to pick apart. This option might give you less dramatic cheese pulls, but is definitely the easiest way to serve it!

Pull Apart Bread Variation

If you’re feeling like you’re in a pizza mood, you can replace the bacon bits with pepperoni and serve it with some pizza sauce or marinara for dipping!

This would also be great with using fresh pizza dough as your bread! Just roll it into small balls squished next to each other and fill it up the same way with the toppings! Maybe swap out the Monterrey jack for some Parmesan cheese for even more of a pizza flavor.

a piece of garlic bread being pulled from the loaf with a string of cheese attached

How to make Pull Apart Garlic Bread

Preheat your oven to 375°F.

With a serrated knife, diagonally cut the bread without cutting all the way through, leaving about 1-2 inches between cuts. Do the same going the other direction to get an “X” pattern leaving small squares.

Place bread on a large sheet of foil on a cookie sheet.

Sprinkle the cheeses in between each cut using a knife or your fingers to push it all the way down. Do the same with the bacon pieces.

In a microwave safe bowl, melt the butter. Add in the garlic, olive oil, finely chopped parsley, green onions, and dried mustard to the small bowl with the melted butter.

Stir it up then drizzle it over the bread, taking care to get it down inside the cracks.

Wrap the foil around the bread and bake it for 10 minutes. Unwrap the top and bake for another 10 minutes for cheese to get bubbly.

Serve warm and enjoy!

a loaf of pull apart garlic bread on parchment paper on a cutting board

Pull Apart Garlic Bread

Yield: 1 loaf
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes

This Pull Apart Garlic bread will sure to be a hit with it’s herby flavors! Learn how to make cheesy pull apart bread in just a few steps.

Ingredients

  • 1 loaf crusty bread
  • 8 ounces each of shredded Monterrey Jack and White Cheddar Cheese
  • 1 package real bacon bits
  • 1 stick salted butter, melted
  • 3 cloves minced garlic
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
  • ¼ cup sliced green onions
  • ¼ teaspoon dried mustard

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
  2. With a serrated knife, diagonally cut the bread without cutting all the way through, leaving about 1-2 inches between cuts. Do the same going the other direction to get an “X” pattern leaving small squares.
  3. Place bread on a large sheet of foil on a cookie sheet.
  4. Sprinkle the cheeses in between each cut using a knife or your fingers to push it all the way down.
  5. Do the same with the bacon pieces.
  6. In a microwave safe bowl, melt the butter.
  7. Add in the garlic, olive oil, parsley, green onions, and dried mustard.
  8. Stir it up then drizzle it over the bread, taking care to get it down inside the cracks.
  9. Wrap the foil around the bread and bake it for 10 minutes.
  10. Unwrap the top and bake for another 10 minutes for cheese to get bubbly.
  11. Serve warm.

Notes

  • You can use blocks of cheese and cut them into slices as well!
  • Crusty French bread or a sourdough loaf work great.
  • Making your own bacon is an option, too!
  • Add in slices of garlic cloves to the bread to make it even more garlicky.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 10 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 403Total Fat: 22gSaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 47mgSodium: 604mgCarbohydrates: 39gFiber: 2gSugar: 4gProtein: 12g

Nutrition provided is only an estimate.

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Sam Ellis

Hey there! I'm Sam and if there are two things I love most in this world, it's food and travel... and my dog, Tucker. I'm using my little corner of the internet to explore everything I love and I'd love for you to join me!

Susannah

Monday 18th of July 2022

Okay I am obsessed with bread of any kind but THIS looks like heaven. Can we make this next time we hang out?!

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