This Recipe is part of the Prairie Feast Pioneer Woman Cooks Menu
Oh, how I love this cheesy, flavourful bread, which I whip up several times a year. It’s not only a crowd pleaser, it’s exceedingly easy to make and can be prepared and frozen several days before your dinner. Sliced into big chunks, it can be accompany a salad for a nice, filling lunch, and it’s perfect alongside lasagna, spaghetti, or any meat dish.
I once made this cheesy bread for hundreds of cattlewomen at an annual luncheon. Though I’d prepared roast beef tenderloin, tomato-basil pasta salad, and grilled asparagus as well, it was the olive cheese bread that went the fastest. Cattlewomen from far and wide called in the coming weeks, asking for the recipe. I told them all to take a hike.
Just kidding, here’s the recipe I gave ‘em:
Ingredients
One 14.5-oz can black olives, drained
One 6-oz jar pimento-stuffed green olives, drained
2 green onions
1/4 lb (1 stick) butter, softened
1/2 cup mayonnaise (real mayo, no substitutions)
1 lb Monterey Jack cheese, grated
1 loaf crusty French bread
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 325˚F.
2. Place the black olives on a cutting board.
3. Chop them roughly until most of the large pieces are broken up.
4. Place the green olives on the cutting board.
5. And give ‘em a rough chop.
6. Slice the green onions, then chop them up roughly.
7. In a large bowl, combine the butter, mayonnaise, Monterey Jack cheese, chopped olives, and green onions.
8. Stir until thoroughly combined. At this point, grab the nearest cracker and take a taste. Repeat as needed.
9. Slice the French bread loaf in half lengthwise. Spread the olive-cheese mixture in an even layer on each half.
10. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the cheese mixture is thoroughly melted and beginning to turn light brown and bubbly. Cut into diagonal slices and serve immediately.
Helpful Hints
Here are some make-ahead tips:
- Prepare the olive/cheese mixture up to two days ahead of time. Store tightly covered in the fridge.
- Or, spread the olive/cheese mixture on the bread and freeze, tightly wrapped, up to six months. Thaw before baking.
- Variation: Substitute drained, chopped artichoke hearts and grated Parmesan cheese for the black olives and Monterey Jack cheese. Yum!
Serves 8
Recipe and photograph excerpted from Pioneer Woman Cooks by Ree Drummond. Published by HarperCollins Canada. Copyright 2009 by Ree Drummond. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher. Buy the book now!
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