Cheesy Garlic & Herb Pull-Apart Bread {with Maryland Crab Dip}

It’s Super Bowl Sunday and I had resigned myself to the idea that I wasn’t going to put on a big spread, even though this is the 2nd biggest eating holiday of the year, after Thanksgiving.  Nope, wasn’t going to do it.  Although, somehow a roast chicken dinner just didn’t scream Football the way I was starting to feel Football.  So as any good coach would do….let’s drop back and punt.  We have no stake in the outcome of this game so really it’s got to be about the food (and the commercials).  Paying tribute to both teams for making it to the Big Game…we are having Sourdough (in honor of the San Francisco 49ers) Cheesy Garlic & Herb Pull-Apart Bread with Spicy Maryland Crab Dip (in honor of the Baltimore Ravens).

Any time we’re melting this much butter, yep you guessed it…we add fresh sage and in this case scallions, roasted garlic and shallot.  Here is a step-by-step picture version of how this Cheesy Garlic & Herb Pull-Apart Bread breaks down.

Cheesy Garlic & Herb Pull-Apart Bread

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Course Appetizer

Servings 4

Ingredients

  

• 1 small Sourdough Bread bread bowl size
• 4 Tbl. butter
• 4-6 fresh sage leaves
• 2 Tbl. roasted garlic chips or 2 fresh garlic cloves, minced
• 2 Tbl. roasted shallot chips or 1 fresh shallot, minced
• 2 scallions thin sliced
• 2 cups shredded cheese Mexican blend
• 1 cup prepared crab dip optional

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a piece foil with cooking spray and set aside.
• Lay a wooden spoon to one side of the bread and cut a 1/2″ grid into the top of the bread, cutting down to the spoon, without slicing all the way through. Move the bread onto the foil.
• In a small skillet, melt butter, add in fresh sage, garlic and shallots. Cook over low heat until garlic is tender and sage if fragrant. Add in sliced scallions and stir to combine. Remove from heat.
• Carefully separate the bread with your fingers, spooning in the butter mixture between all cuts. Wrap the loaf in the foil and place on a baking stone or directly on the oven rack and bake for 10 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and increase the oven temperature to 425 degrees.
• Sprinkle the shredded cheese on top of the bread and in between the slices, pushing it in as much as possible. Leave the foil open and return it to the oven. Bake until the cheese is completely melted, bubbling and starting to brown on top, about 10 – 12 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.