Love the smell of fresh baked bread in your kitchen but don’t have the time to make it? Check out my easy hack for how to make a loaf of Olive Cheese Bread in only 15 minutes! It’s a great appetizer and also a side dish.
Here’s What You’ll Need
A full list of ingredients with measurements for beef pot pie is available in the printable recipe card below to make cheesy olive bread.
- French bread – My local grocery store sells them fresh. But if you prefer to make your own, by all means have at it!
- Garlic aioli – I like to make my own garlic aioli with mayo, fresh garlic, maldon sea salt and fresh lemon juice. But some delis or grocery stores might carry it pre-made. This can also be plain mayonnaise, other types of aioli or even just sour cream.
- Parmesan cheese – I much prefer to grate my own parmesan cheese. It melts much smoother that way, because pre-shredded cheese has an additive that prevents it from sticking, but also melting.
- Olive tapenade – This is a great recipe to make to use up leftover olive tapenade, but it’s super easy to make fresh too! Mine uses green olives with a rough chop (although you could use black olives or even kalamata olives if you prefer,) white onion, capers, roasted red pepper, carrots, garlic powder and olive oil. Alternatively, you can thinly slice the olives.
Some fun variations include changing up the type of cheese like monterey jack cheese or cheddar cheese, topping with green onions (scallions or chives), or using stuffed olives like blue cheese stuffed or pimiento-stuffed olives.
Get to Baking
Usually olive bread is a bread baked with salty olives baked inside the loaf. This Olive Cheese Bread is a little different and way easier!
- Toast bread. Place bread, cut side up, on a baking sheet and toast in preheated oven until lightly browned.
- Add garlic aioli, cheese and olive tapenade. Spread garlic aioli evenly over bread, top with Parmesan cheese and olive tapenade mixture.
- Return to oven until cheese melts. Parmesan is a hard cheese and doesn’t get super melty. It will be a little shiny, even with a little bake.
- Slice and serve. Remove, cut and serve!
5S Philosophy 👩🏻
- Salt – My olive tapenade is already quite salty with the capers, but if you feel that your olive cheese bread needs more, try adding some flakey sea salt on top!
- Seasonings – You can always add a little spice to your olive cheese bread by sprinkling some red pepper flakes or additional cracked black pepper.
- Sauces – The garlic aioli is a nice base sauce for this bread, but you could also dip it in some garlic butter sauce, garlic relish, or a herb lemon aioli.
- Senses – Picture crispy bread fresh from the oven, its edges crackling as you tear it apart. The rich aroma of melted cheese mingles with the briny bite of chopped olives and a hint of garlic butter. Each bite is a perfect harmony of crunchy crust, warm, gooey cheese, and bursts of salty, savory olive goodness.
Perfect Pairings
Olive Cheese Bread can be served as an appetizer to a dinner party, or even on its on with other appetizers or snacks. If serving it with dinner, try it with a nice pasta dish in place of your usual garlic bread.
This bread will quickly become your new favorite alternative to garlic bread. Easy to make but with loads more flavor and olives totally count as a vegetable. (Right?)
Storage and Freezing
How to Store
I would eat this bread the same day you make it. If you would like to prepare it ahead of time, just make the olive tapenade and store it in a bowl until you are ready to put the bread together and serve it.
Can I Freeze Olive Cheese Bread?
I don’t recommend freezing this bread. When the olive tapenade thaws, it will make the bread underneath quite soggy. And no one likes soggy bread!
More Delicious Bread Recipes
I am a firm believer that bread should be it’s own food group. Here are some of my favorite bread recipes.
Olive Cheese Bread
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 loaf French bread , cut in half
- 1/4 cup garlic aioli
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup olive tapenade
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Place the horizontally cut 1 loaf French bread, cut side up, on a baking sheet and toast for 5-7 minutes or until lightly browned.
- Spread the 1/4 cup garlic aioli evenly over bread, top with the 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese and 1/4 cup olive tapenade.
- Return to oven for 3-4 minutes or until cheese melts. Parmesan is a hard cheese and doesn’t get super melty. It will be a little shiny.
- If you’ve tried this recipe, come back and let us know how it was in the comments or star ratings.
Nutrition
Wow I am sold at the fact that this bread needs only 15 minutes. I am so tempted to give this one a shot!
this is easy to make and looks very delicious, will try this! Thanks for sharing
So easy to make and the flavors are just amazing! Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Love this Olive Cheese Bread recipe, a new way to make garlic bread, love olives, so will make this recipe soon. Looks delicious. Thanks for sharing 🙂
My family would love this! Can’t wait to try it.
I adore anything with olives getting everything set to make this for the weekend` love this!