Ladies and gentlemen, I give you one of the messiest, but most delicious and satisfying appetizers you will ever taste. It’s so good, my fiance and I frequently make a meal out of it by eating several with a side salad.
Cheese. Garlic. Bread. Pesto. Artichoke. And more cheese.
Probably a good idea to grab the napkins for this one, folks.
Though simple by design, this appetizer is bold in flavor. I originally developed this recipe for Pillsbury.com, which is why the first ingredient is their crusty French loaf bread dough—feel free to use fresh French bread if that is what you prefer. Either way, you’ll hardly be able to wait for these piping hot cheesy breads to cool off before digging in.
Share your favorite cheesy bread below in the comments, and I look forward to seeing what you think about this spin on a classic favorite.
- 2 Pillsbury Crusty French Loafs
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 cup sun-dried tomato pesto
- 1 can (14 oz.) of artichokes in water, drained and chopped
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- Heat oven to 350˚F and grease 2 cookie sheets. Place the dough loaves seam side down on cookie sheets.
- Cut 4 or 5 half-inch deep diagonal slashes with a sharp knife on top of the dough.
- Bake 26-30 minutes or until deep golden brown. Let cool for 5 minutes.
- Turn oven up to 400˚ F. Cut the baguettes into thirds widthwise and then cut the smaller pieces in half lengthwise. Brush with the olive oil and set on cookie sheets.
- In a small bowl, mix together the minced garlic and sun-dried tomato pesto. Spread equal amounts on top of the bread and equally distribute the chopped artichoke hearts on top of the pesto.
- Top each with a handful of mozzarella cheese and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Bake for 8 minutes, then broil for 2 minutes, or until the cheese is golden brown.
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