Super Bowl viewing requires something a little heavier than just dip and chips, and this bread bake, stuffed with bacon and cheese is a good place to start for a heartier appetizer. The outside of the bread bakes seasoned with the tang of dry Ranch mix and melted butter and the inside softens with slices of sharp Cheddar and bacon. An easy prep, only five minutes frying the bacon halfway then layering it into  the bread along with the cheddar slices, and just 25 minutes in the oven and you’ve got a hearty appetizer on the table, ready for sharing. The bacon will get crisper as the bread bakes and it is a sublime little bite you get along with buttery seasoning and the sharp melted cheddar.

Today I halved the recipe as given in my cookbook because I bought only a small loaf of sourdough but do use a pound loaf to feed a hungry and appreciative bunch.  Serve it up warm, add a few cold beverages and you’ve got ‘game on’ here!

Bacon & Cheddar Bread Bake

Ingredients

3 slices bacon
1 lb. loaf of round sourdough bread
(8 oz.) block sharp Cheddar cheese, sliced
1/2 stick butter, melted
1 T. Ranch dry seasoning mix

Directions

Preheat oven to 350.  Place bacon in a large skillet and cook over medium heat, turning occasionally, until halfway cooked, about 5 minutes. Drain the bacon slices on paper towels; cut crosswise into 1/2-inch wide strips.  Cut slits halfway through bread in two directions creating a checkerboard pattern. Slip Cheddar cheese slices and bacon pieces into the slits.  Mix butter and ranch dressing mix in a small bowl; pour over bread, allowing to drip into the slits. Wrap entire loaf in a sheet of aluminum foil and place on a baking sheet.  Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes. Unwrap bread and return to baking sheet; bake until cheese is melted and bacon crisped, about 10 minutes more.

Direction Preheat oven to 350.  Place bacon in a large skillet and cook over medium heat, turning occasionally, until halfway cooked, about 5 minutes. Drain the bacon slices on paper towels; cut crosswise into 1/2-inch wide strips.  Cut slits halfway through bread in two directions creating a checkerboard pattern. Slip Cheddar cheese slices and bacon pieces into the slits.  Mix butter and ranch dressing mix in a small bowl; pour over bread, allowing to drip into the slits. Wrap entire loaf in a sheet of aluminum foil and place on a baking sheet.  Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes. Unwrap bread and return to baking sheet; bake until cheese is melted and bacon crisp, about 10 minutes more.