This cheesy pull-apart bread appetizer is a cheese lover's dream and is guaranteed to be a crowd-pleaser at any party!
This bread makes a great centerpiece for a game day party menu. I'd serve it with this Instant Pot Beef Chili, some Caramelized Onion Dip and Black Bean Taco Cups. Or check out the entire Game Day Recipe Index for more ideas!
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Cheese and bread are always an awesome combination, and melty cheese and bread, well who can resist that! There are lots of flavor combination options when it comes to pull-apart bread, and of course, they always include cheese. This one combines swiss cheese and mushrooms for an extra special taste. Throw in a few mix-ins like poppy seeds and Dijon mustard and you have perfection. Just one bite of this warm, toasty bread and you'll be wanting more!
I often bond with people over food....it creates an instant common connection. The original recipe for this bread was shared with me by a co-worker at my first job out of college. Some of the original ingredients do still remain, however, it was the idea of the cheesy warm bread that kept me making and tweaking it year after year. It has always been one of my favorites for game-day parties.
Contents:
Ingredient Notes
The full list of ingredients and quantities can be found in the recipe card below.
- Swiss cheese: I recommend a block of standard Swiss cheese that you grate yourself.
- Sourdough bread: An oblong-shaped loaf is ideal (similar to what you see in the image below) but a sourdough round works as well. An Italian loaf with a good, hearty crust will work too. It needs to be able to hold up to all the slicing! The loaf should weigh about a pound. It's ok if the size isn't exact - you might just have a little bit of cheese left over!
- Mushrooms: I use sliced baby bellas for this recipe.
- Green onions: You'll need one or two onions.
Tips for Success
- Grate your own cheese! Use a block of cheese and shred the cheese with a grater. Pre-grated cheese is drier and tends to have additives to prevent the cheese from clumping in the bag, which means it won't melt as well as freshly grated cheese.
- Take your time stuffing the bread. You really want to get the cheese down into all the sliced areas. The further down you stuff the cheese, the better the end result!
Step-by-step instructions
I'm not gonna lie, there is a lot of cheese in this, and once you start eating, it's a little hard to stop. But it's totally worth it!
Step 1 | Slice the bread. You'll be cutting the bread in a grid pattern, making sure you don’t cut all the way through the bottom. You want the loaf to stay together so you can pull out those cheese bites! I recommend using a serrated bread knife for the best results. Slice the loaf in one direction first, I usually do it lengthwise if I'm using an oval loaf. Then slice across at a 90-degree angle to create cubes. If a few pieces fall out, just pop them back in. Once the cheese melts it will hold it all together.
Step 2 | Make the cheese mixture. In a large bowl, you'll mix the cheese, mushrooms, green onions, poppy seeds and butter. The more fully everything is mixed, the easier it is to stuff the bread.
Step 3 | Stuff the bread. This step is a little bit messy so I recommend you do this on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. You want to get the cheese as far down in the bread as possible while being careful not to break it apart. Check out the video above to get a better idea of how to best stuff it.
Step 4 | Bake and enjoy. This bread is best served straight out of the oven. I normally transfer it to a large serving dish and serve immediately.
Make-ahead tip: The bread can be stuffed a few hours ahead of when you plan to serve it. If you are going to stuff it ahead of time, wrap it in foil and store it in the refrigerator until you are ready to bake it.
Storing leftovers
Any leftovers can be tightly wrapped in foil and refrigerated for a day or two. When ready to reheat, leave it wrapped in the foil and put in a 325°F oven for about 20 minutes.
More appetizer recipes
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Cheesy Pull-Apart Game Day Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 large loaf sourdough or crusty Italian bread
- 2 ½ cups grated swiss cheese
- ½ cup sliced mushrooms
- ⅓ cup sliced green onions
- 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 3 tablespoons butter, (melted)
Instructions
- Heat the oven. Preheat oven to 350° F.
- Slice the bread. Using a serrated bread knife, slice the bread lengthwise and crosswise, forming cubes, making sure NOT to slice all the way through the bottom. The bread "cubes" should still be attached at the bottom of the loaf.
- Make the cheese mixture. Mix cheese, mushrooms, onions, poppy seeds and mustard in a large mixing bowl. Add the melted butter and mix until well combined. Stuff the bread with the cheese mix, being sure to stuff it all the way down to the bottom of each slice in the bread. Don't worry if a few of the bread cubes pop out while you are stuffing the cheese in, just push them back in. Once the cheese melts it will hold everything together.
- Bake the bread. Place the loaf on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 30-35 minutes until cheese is melted and bread is golden brown.
- Serve. Remove from oven and serve immediately.
Notes
- While I recommend serving this bread right out of the oven, any leftovers can be wrapped in foil and reheated in a 325°F oven for about 20 minutes.
This post was originally published in January 2017. It was updated in November 2023 with some new information and photos. No changes were made to the original recipe.
valmg @ From Val's Kitchen
My husband would probably have tears if he saw this. He loved mushrooms until he found out he's become allergic and can't have them any more, he gets a bit sad when he sees a dish he would have enjoyed.
Vanessa Price
I love love love love mushrooms and swiss! What a fantastic idea to turn those flavors into a pull apart bread.
Sarah @ Champagne Tastes
I've got a friend who makes cheesy pull apart bread pretty often when we go over for dinner parties. It's really a ridiculously good combination! I love that this has mushrooms too! (Maybe I should just send this to her-- I prefer NOT to have the cheesy wonderful leftovers in my fridge later haha)
linda spiker
Seriously though!!! I am swooning over this bread!
Stephanie@ApplesforCJ
Yummm! This sounds amazing! I love anything involving lots of cheese and mushrooms. Loving the addition of dijon mustard in this. Need to put this one on the to do list for sure 🙂
Megan Marlowe
I have never made a cheesy pull apart anything but I've been dying to try. I LOVE mushrooms but my family hates them (they must be crazy!) Too bad for them, more cheesy mushroom pull apart bread for me!
Manila Spoon
That cheesy-licious bread will not last long in our house!! I can imagine it to be such a hit at any party!
Amy Katz from Veggies Save The Day
I keep seeing people on Instagram and Facebook posting pictures of pull-apart bread, but I have never tried it. Looks delicious!
Just Jo
Oh dang, this looks amazing! Yep, I reckon I could polish at least half of this cheesy deliciousness off by myself 😉
Sarah | Away From the Box
This looks so great. And I love all of your notes and tips, so I feel like I'll have no problem tackling this bad boy myself! Yum!
Byron Thomas
I've made these baked cheesy bread dishes before, but I do believe, you've taken it to a whole new level with the addition of mushrooms and mustard! Wow! I've never thought of adding extra ingredients/toppings before. That just opens up a whole new world of possibilities, doesn't it!?
FoodieGirlChicago
Thanks Byron! Adding the "extras" it definitely makes it even tastier, and there are so many options!
linda spiker
This recipe is so pretty I came back for a second look! Nothing better than melted cheesy goodness on warm artisan bread!
Kylee from Kylee Cooks
Oh my goodness. See, I'd make this - with the intention of sharing - then... devour the whole thing. That cheesy yummyness would be too hard to resist! Love that you shared how the recipe came to you!
FoodieGirlChicago
Thanks Kylee. I really had to restrain myself from devouring the entire thing the day I took these photos! 🙂
Ashley - Forking Up
I love how you took the popular pull apart bread schtick and made it your own! This looks right up my alley!
Anne Murphy
That just looks so rich and luxurious! Love the Swiss cheese and mustard - and, well, we like mushrooms in anything. (Somehow every appetizer I serve my family and friends seems to end up with mushrooms - they devour them.)
Oana@AdoreFoods
OMG! Never thought there is a recipe that can transform a loaf of bread into this melted cheesy amazingly looking dish! I love the addition of mushrooms and Dijon mustard 🙂
FoodieGirlChicago
Thanks Oana! I'm a pretty big fan of melty cheese!! 🙂
Sandhya Ramakrishnan
I make pull apart breads often, but I make the bread too from scratch. This sounds like a lot less work and is perfect for entertaining. Love the idea of store bought sour dough bread. Would work great with the mushrooms and the Swiss cheese
Julie | Bunsen Burner Bakery
I love this - it's like fondue, without the fear of losing your skewered bread into the big pot of melty cheese. The mushrooms sound like such a delicious addition, too. What a great appetizer for a party!
Shannon @ Pass Me Some Tasty
Cheesy bread is SOOO hard to say no too. So I'll just eat it all.
Kitty
This looks so rich and yummy!
Abra
Yeah... this... this is everything! Can't wait to make it 🙂
Amy
I can't believe I have never tried a cheesy pull apart bread before. I mean, it has all the things! This seriously looks delish!
Cathleen @ A Taste of Madness
I have always wanted to make pull apart bread, but my fiance hates it!! So I would be the only one eating it. But now that I think about it, would that really be such a bad thing?? 😉
FoodieGirlChicago
That definitely wouldn't be a bad thing!! 🙂
Cindy
We are always looking for new recipes to try as a family. It has helped our kids to expand what they eat being involved in this. We found your recipe and are adding it to next week's menu to try! YUM
Urban Foodie Kitchen
So nice to hear about families cooking together - it's such a great way for kids to learn to cook and love different types of food. I hope you all enjoy making it!