Chef notes
It was around Christmas, and I had two loaves of French bread that I had planned to slice up, toast and drizzle with olive oil as a quick little appetizer. But then I remembered a recipe a friend had told me about that included French bread and cheese. For some reason, brie is the one cheese that goes untouched when I put it on my charcuterie boards. I can’t seem to figure out why. I love brie! I had two packages of it in my fridge, and I decided to look up if I could melt the brie over the bread. I started coming across all these delicious brie bread recipes, and I decided to try a combo of a few I had found. Over the years, the recipe I came up with has become a family favorite. I guarantee there will be absolutely none left, and you will be filled with joy watching people lick their fingers — it’s that delicious.
Reprinted from “Just Eat: More Than 100 Easy and Delicious Recipes That Taste Just Like Home.” Copyright 2023 Dey Street Books.
Ingredients
- 1 round loaf French bread
- 1 cup dried cranberries
- 2/3 cup pecans, chopped
- 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted bread
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- 1 tablespoon fresh orange zest
- 1 (16-ounce) wheel brie cheese, cubed
- 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Preparation
1.Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
2.Slice the bread both horizontally and vertically in 1-inch sections 2 to 3 inches deep to make a grid of 1-inch bread cubes. Do not slice all the way through! The loaf should still be intact.
3.In a small bowl, combine the cranberries, pecans, butter, brown sugar, and orange zest and juice until crumbly.
4.Place the sliced bread on a baking sheet and stuff with the brie, mozzarella and cranberry-pecan mixture. Try to fill every crease all the way to the bottom for the best results.
5.Bake until the cheese is melted and gooey, 15 to 20 minutes. Let your guests serve themselves by pulling apart pieces of the bread.
