Green Chile Stuffed Cheese Bread
Delight your family with Green Chile Stuffed Cheese Bread! This tasty pull-apart bread stuffed with green chiles, garlic, and fiesta blend cheese is sure to be a hit. Enjoy it as an appetizer or snack – perfect for any time of the day! The best part, your kids will love it too!
To make your bread even more enjoyable, try serving it with some freshly made guacamole and a side of pico de gallo. For a full meal, add shrimp diablo or beef enchiladas for a protein-packed accompaniment.
Cheesy Fiesta Bread
Making cheesy fiesta bread is easy and fun! All you need to do is grab your favorite loaf, stuff it with green chiles, garlic, and fiesta blend cheese, then bake it in the oven.
In no time at all, you’ll have delicious cheesy bread that everyone will love.
Not only is this bread a cinch to make but it’s also versatile.
Add spicy jalapeños, queso fresco, a dash of chili powder, or even a sprinkling of cilantro. Customizing this pull-apart bread to your tastes couldn’t be easier!
How to Make Stuffed Cheese Bread:
Fiesta bread only takes about 15 minutes to prep and another 25 minutes to bake. Here’s a snapshot of the instructions. Keep scrolling further down the page for the full recipe.
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF, and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
- Grab a small bowl and mix together the butter, green chiles, garlic, and salt until combined.
- Cut the bread diagonally in rows about an inch apart but don’t cut all the way through. Only cut about ⅔ of the way through the loaf.
- Turn the loaf of bread around so that it is facing the other way. Repeat the cutting process, so that the slits form diamond shapes.
- Gently loosen the bread with your fingers. Then use a pastry brush to spread the butter mixture on the inside of the bread.
- Tuck small pieces of shredded cheese inside the open spaces.
- Wrap the bread tightly in foil and bake for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, unwrap the bread, and bake for an additional 5 to 10 minutes to crisp the outside.
- Serve warm!
Tips for Success:
- Use your favorite boule or oblong loaf. A smaller-sized loaf works best but almost any variety will work.
- Not a fan of green chiles? Add some heat with canned, pickled, or fresh jalapeños.
- Garnish this pull-apart bread with freshly chopped parsley, cilantro, chives, or green onions.
- Want to add even more flavor? Add a 1-ounce packet of ranch seasoning to the butter mixture, some crispy bacon, or red pepper flakes.
- Use your favorite shredded cheese. We love Kraft brand Creamy Melt variety. It’s melty, gooey and perfectly cheesy!
- Make sure not to cut through to the bottom of the loaf. Otherwise, the bread begins to fall apart and can’t hold all those delicious ingredients.
- Spray the aluminum foil lightly with cooking spray before wrapping the bread. This prevents the cheese from sticking to the foil when it is removed.
Storage:
Refrigerator: Keep your freshly baked and cooled fiesta pull-apart bread fresh in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the refrigerator.
Reheating: Microwave a little, or a lot, of cheesy bread for 10 to 15 seconds or until it reaches the desired temperature.
Which cheese is best for pull-apart bread?
Depending on the other ingredients being used, a blend such as a fiesta, Mexican, taco, or Italian blend work well. Each has a unique mix of cheeses that melt nicely.
When not using a blend, mozzarella cheese is a great choice for stuffed pull-apart bread as it melts easily and has a mild flavor. Other cheeses, like cheddar, Monterey jack, or pepper jack are good options.
Hard cheese like Parmesan, can also be used in stuffed pull-apart bread and will provide a more robust flavor. However, it may not melt quite as easily as mozzarella.
Experiment with different types of cheese to find what suits your taste!
Should you drain the green chiles?
Yes, you should definitely drain the green chiles before adding them to stuffed cheese bread. The liquid from canned chiles makes the bread soggy and alters the texture of the finished product.
Be sure to drain the chiles well before mixing them with the butter, and pat them dry with a paper towel if needed!
What if all the cheese doesn’t fit?
If you can’t get all the cheese stuffed into the bread, don’t worry. Depending on the size of the loaf, some of the cheese may not fit.
You can either leave it out, keep trying to stuff it into every nook and cranny or sprinkle it over the top. The goal is to have even distribution throughout so that each bite has a combination of flavors.
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Ingredients
- 8 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
- 4 ounce(s) green chiles, 1 can, well drained
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- ¼ tsp. kosher salt
- 1 loaf bakery bread, boule, oblong or shorter loaf works best
- 2 cups fiesta blend cheese, Mexican blend or taco blend will also work
- Freshly chopped parsley, cilantro, or green onions for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF, and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
- In a small bowl, combine the butter, green chiles, garlic, and salt.8 Tbsp. unsalted butter4 ounce(s) green chiles3 garlic cloves¼ tsp. kosher salt
- Use a sharp knife to cut the bread diagonally in rows about an inch apart. Don’t cut all the way through. Only go about ⅔ of the way through the loaf.1 loaf bakery bread
- Turn the loaf halfway, and repeat to form a crisscross (diamond) pattern. The bottom of the loaf should remain intact.
- Using your fingers, gently loosen the bread pieces without breaking them apart from the bottom. Use a pastry brush to apply the butter mixture to the inside of the bread.
- Stuff bits of shredded cheese inside the openings.2 cups fiesta blend cheese
- Wrap the bread tightly in foil and bake for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, unwrap the bread, and bake for an additional 5 to 10 minutes to crisp the outside.
- Serve warm! Scroll up into the post to see post for tips, FAQs, and storage options.