Chile Cheese Pull Apart Bread

Last Updated January 4th, 2024 at 11:22 pm by Lisa

Chile Cheese Pull Apart Bread is also famously called "Crack Bread" because people can't stop eating it! A simple loaf of storebought bakery bread is magically transformed into cheesy goodness with garlic butter and green chiles. It can be a hot appetizer or a dinner side dish.

Melty gooey cheese is tucked into the nooks and crannies wrapped in a golden brown crust. You will love the cheese pulls as you grab a piece of this decadent garlicky bread...

Pull Apart Bread Recipe

This cheesy garlic bread is also great during football season game day parties, family gatherings, and even the holidays.

Just a few simple ingredients make this incredible chile cheesy pull-apart garlic bread. My Mom always made green chile cheese bread in the oven toasted on French bread halves under the broiler, so I took her basic recipe and created one of the best bread recipes in a pull-apart cheese bread style...

Cheesy Bread Ingredients

• 1 whole crusty loaf of bread sourdough bread or French bread
• 3 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese or mozzarella cheese
• 2 four oz cans canned mild green chiles (1 cup)
• ¼ cup mayonnaise
• ½ cup salted butter
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic 1 whole clove finely minced
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley
• ½ teaspoon sea salt

Chile Cheesy Pull Apart Bread Instructions

1. Using a small serrated knife, cut the bread loaf into diamond shapes in a diagonal grid pattern. Make 1" cuts, and be careful to not cut down all the way through the bottom of the loaf.

2. In a small bowl, mix the grated shredded 3 cups of Jack cheese, 8 ounces of canned green chiles (1 cup), and ½ cup of mayonnaise. Hand-grated cheese gives you better cheese pulls!

3. In a medium saucepan on medium heat, melt ½ cup butter (one stick), add 1 teaspoon finely minced garlic, 1 tablespoon dried parsley (you can also use fresh parsley), and ½ teaspoon sea salt. Stir until just combined, then turn off the heat. Pour the garlic butter into a measuring cup with a spout.

4. Now it's time to fill the pull apart cheese bread. Using a teaspoon and your fingers, pull each of the sections open, and pour in the garlic butter inside. Use a pastry brush, and dab leftover butter all over the top of the bread.

Next, fill in the chile cheese mixture. The best thing to use is a teaspoon. push plenty of cheese mixture down inside each crack. Some of the cheese will pop out of the crevices and that is great, it will melt beautifully and make nice cheesy edges on your pull apart garlic bread!

5. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Wrap the stuffed bread in aluminum foil and bake on a baking sheet pan for 20 minutes, then unwrap and finish 5-10 more minutes until the cheese is melty and the bread is golden brown.

6. Serve it hot on a breadboard with a small knife and lots of napkins!

Cheesy Pull-Apart Bread Top Tips

Best Types of Cheese To Use

The best cheese tip is to grate your own cheese. It melts so much better! Pregrated has an additive that doesn't get the gooey cheese all melty. Good choices are Monterey Jack, sharp cheddar cheese, or pepper jack cheese for your cheesy garlic pull-apart bread.

Best Bread To Use

Buy or make a homemade bread loaf. Look for a good quality baked loaf (not bread dough), a dense loaf like a Sourdough (best choice), or rustic Italian, or French Boulle. The bread needs to be strong to hold all these ingredients, so avoid soft bread.

Make Ahead Tips

One of the best parts of this recipe is you can make it before you need it. Mix softened butter with the garlic, salt, and dried parsley instead of melted butter. Spread the butter with a small spatula, and push the grated chile cheese mixture in all the cracks. Wrap with plastic wrap, then a piece of foil, and refrigerate. Bake within a day. Remove the plastic wrap, rewrap with foil, bring to room temperature, and bake.

Flavor Variations

For a cheesy ranch pull-apart bread, swap in good Ranch Dressing in place of the mayonnaise!

Another idea is to add a marinara sauce for dipping the cheesy warm bread.

Leave out the green chiles, and swap in green onions or a tablespoon of finely minced jalapeno peppers are a great choice but they can be hot so taste a piece first.

You can try other fresh herbs in place of the parsley, like sage, rosemary, or thyme. If you don't have minced garlic, use garlic powder. And in a pinch use some parmesan cheese in place of grated cheese, it will be delicious.

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