Looks impressive? It’s really easy to make. 6 ingredients and 30 minutes are all you need for this cheesy garlic pull-apart bread. Serve it as a side, an appetizer, or a snack. Bring it to a potluck or tailgate party to knock everyone’s socks off!

Looks impressive? It's really easy to make. 6 ingredients and 30 minutes are all you need for this cheesy garlic pull-apart bread.

I remember that I shared my secret to cooking green vegetables – it’s garlic! Lots of it.

I remember that I pan toasted minced garlic until golden brown and sprinkled it all over some roasted brussels sprouts. That thing was delicious!

I also remember that recently, I put sliced garlic between each potato slit before these Hasselback potatoes were set in the oven. Oh, my!

…and if you open my fridge, you will always find homemade minced garlic in it.

Garlic Pull-Apart Bread

It’s pretty obvious that my love of garlic goes a long way.

This time, with this blooming bread, I got a little loose and put whole garlic cloves in the bread, hoping the garlic would come out roasted, tender, and even a little creamy. The pull-apart bread turned out so beautiful. The first thing I did (even before taking photos) was to dig out one of the garlic cloves, blew it, and threw it straight into my mouth, then started biting without even trying to feel the level of tenderness.

Garlic Pull-Apart Bread

How was it?

The whole thing was RAW. Holy crap.

I spit it out and immediately drank a boat load of milk straight from the bottle. (I couldn’t deal with the extra step to pour it into a glass like a normal person at that moment) That wasn’t effective enough to kill the strong raw garlic flavor in my mouth. What’s followed was brushing my teeth and rinsing my mouth with Listerine, repeatedly.

Garlic Pull-Apart Bread

Then I found out that it takes over 60 minutes to roast whole garlic cloves at 425°F. This pull-apart bread takes 30 minutes at 350°F. Of course, baking whole garlic cloves with the bread ain’t gonna fly.

Therefore, I don’t suggest you do that. Instead, let’s stick with what works. Sometimes it’s not a bad thing to be conservative, you know?

Onto today’s recipe now – Garlic Pull-Apart Bread.

Garlic Pull-Apart Bread

Since the whole garlic cloves don’t go nicely, the solution to fix the problem and make your bread perfectly garlicky is to either thinly slice the garlic or mince it. As butter is an essential ingredient in this recipe, why not infuse it with garlic? Stuff the bread with the garlic and other mix-ins such as chives, green onions, red pepper flakes, then finish with the garlic infused butter brushed all over prior to baking, just like what we did in these baked potatoes.

Garlic Pull-Apart Bread

I guarantee that you are going to be in love with this side dish, or appetizer, or snack! Just grab one piece and pull it. Just so you know that I ate the leftovers for breakfast.

So what do you say? Wanna give it a try? Please let me know how you make your mix-ins to stuff your bread if you do get a chance to make this recipe by leaving a comment below. I would love to hear your idea! By the way, to extend my love of garlic to infinity (maybe yours too), I’ve created a very garlicky Pinterest board. If that’s your cup of tea, follow the board here and I will send you an invite so that you can pin your favorite garlic dishes on it. Cheers! 🙂

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Garlic Pull-Apart Bread

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.9 from 7 reviews
  • Author: Sharon Chen
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes
  • Total Time: 45 minutes
  • Yield: 6 servings 1x
  • Category: Side
  • Method: Bake
  • Cuisine: American
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Description

Looks impressive? It’s really easy to make. 6 ingredients and 30 minutes are all you need for this cheesy garlic pull-apart bread. Serve it as a side, an appetizer, or a snack. Bring it to a potluck or tailgate party to knock everyone’s socks off!

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 Artisan bread loaf
  • 8 ounce Monterey jack cheese with jalapeño peppers, thinly sliced
  • 3/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1/4 cup chives, chopped
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter
  • 6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced or minced

Instructions

  1. Slice the bread horizontally and vertically into 1-inch cubes, leaving the bottom of the loaf intact with the bread pieces still attached.
  2. Slice cheese, then garlic.
  3. Combine red pepper flakes with chopped chives in a small bowl.
  4. Lay the bread on a piece of foil. (The foil should be large enough the wrap the bread.) Gently stuff the cheese slices into the bread between the bread slices. (The Kitchn recommends to stuff between the vertical slices first, then go back and fill in the spaces between the horizontal cuts — it’s a bit easier this way! It also helps to have a helper who can hold the slices apart while you stuff.)
  5. Next, add the red pepper flakes and chives right next to each cheese slice in the bread.
  6. Now, preheat oven to 350°F.
  7. Melt butter in a small skillet over medium heat on your stove top. Stir in sliced (or minced) garlic, switch to medium-low heat, and let the garlic cook in the butter for 2-3 more minutes until fragrant.
  8. Use a small spoon to stuff the garlic slices into the bread between the bread slices. Brush the infused butter all over the bread.
  9. Wrap the prepared bread with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Unwrap the top and bake for another 10 minutes until the cheese is completely melted and the top of the bread is crispy. Enjoy!

Notes

You can use any type of cheese for this recipe. Shredded ones work just fine. For a more meaty flavor, bacon bits, sausage, ham pieces can be mixed in into the stuffing. Other spice ideas include chipotle chili pepper, smoked Spanish paprika, garlic powder, etc.

About the Author

Sharon Chen, StreetSmart Kitchen
Sharon Chen

Sharon Chen is an Integrative Nutrition Health Coach, an author and a sous vide fanatic who believes food not only brings healing but also connection. As the creator of StreetSmart Kitchen, she's on a mission to help you find balance, ease, joy, and simplicity in the kitchen as you improve your well-being.