Cheesy Pesto Pull Apart Bread

This Cheesy Pesto Pull Apart Bread features freshly baked bread layered with two types of cheese and basil pesto. It’s perfect for tailgating or game nights with friends!

This Cheesy Pesto Pull Apart Bread post is sponsored by Cabot Creamery, but the recipe and opinions are entirely my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that support Spiced!

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You can’t ever go wrong when you start with cheesy bread. Warm pull apart bread mixed with 2 types of cheese? Count me in! But then go and add some pesto, too? Yes, please! This Cheesy Pesto Pull Apart Bread is packed with flavor…and you won’t have to worry about leftovers.

Over the years, we’ve pared our garden down a bit. There was a time we tried growing corn and carrots in the backyard. Now? We’ve narrowed it down to tomatoes, jalapenos and several types of herbs. The garden is a bit more manageable this way…and we don’t have to worry about a bear turning our garden veggies into dinner.

I get a little overzealous with the herbs every year, though. This year, we have 3 rather large pots of fresh basil. To be fair, they started as 3 small pots of basil…but apparently basil grows well here in the NC mountains. Now we have a lot of basil. And what do you do with a lot of basil? Make pesto of course!

A chef friend of mine shared his basil pesto recipe with me years ago, and it’s become a household staple. We make a batch near the end of every summer, and it goes into the freezer for future meals. This year, I left some of that pesto out for this Cheesy Pesto Pull Apart Bread. Holy cow!

Cheesy Pesto Pull Apart Bread

As we start to wrap up the summer and head into the fall, football will soon return…and that means lots of tailgating parties. Whether you’re tailgating at the game or just in your backyard with friends, this Cheesy Pesto Pull Apart Bread is a great party appetizer!

This bread starts with a soft bread dough. It’s not difficult to make at all, although you could use store-bought pizza dough in a pinch. From there, add in 2 different types of Cabot cheese along with some basil pesto. Then just get ready for a lot of ooo’s and aaah’s when you serve a warm loaf of this pull-apart bread!

For this tasty appetizer, I went with 2 of my favorite types of Cabot cheese. Now picking my favorite Cabot cheese is downright impossible. If you asked me to pick my favorite, I’d be stuck puzzling and puzzling until my puzzler was sore. Cabot makes fantastic cheeses! No matter the occasion, there is always a Cabot cheese that is perfect for the situation.

When it comes to baking with cheese, my go-to is a combination of Cabot Seriously Sharp cheddar and Monterey Jack. The sharp cheddar adds that classic cheddar flavor while the Monterey Jack adds a superior melting factor. Together they make the perfect combination for all sorts of cheesy recipes!

If you aren’t familiar with Cabot Creamery, then check them out. Take a look at their website and see what Cabot products are available near you. Cabot is a co-op which means that it is owned by hundreds of farm-families throughout New York and New England. The farmers who raise the cows also own the company. The pride and commitment to making quality cheeses really shows, and we always keep multiple types of Cabot cheese in our fridge.

Ingredients for Cheesy Pesto Pull Apart Bread

The ingredients needed to make this pull apart bread are pretty simple:

• Bread dough. I’ve included a homemade bread dough in the recipe below, but store-bought pizza dough will work in a pinch.
• Cheese. A combination of Cabot’s Seriously Sharp cheddar and Monterey Jack is used for ultimate flavor and ultimate creaminess.
• Butter. Adds flavor – butter makes everything better!
• Pesto. The basil pesto adds a bright flavor to this cheesy bread. It’s delicious!

How to Store Leftovers

If you serve this cheesy pesto bread to a group, you probably won’t have any leftovers to worry about! If you do have leftovers, they should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. To reheat, just wrap the bread in foil and heat at 350°F for 10-15 minutes or until warmed through.

If you’re looking for a fun and tasty cheesy appetizer, then put this pull apart bread on the list. It’s fantastic, and it would be great for a get-together with friends! Happy baking!

Did you make this Cheesy Pesto Pull Apart Bread recipe at home? Leave a comment, or snap a photo and tag me (@Spicedblog) and Cabot (@CabotCreamery) on Instagram – we’d love to see your version!

Cheesy Pesto Pull Apart Bread

This Cheesy Pesto Pull Apart Bread features freshly baked bread layered with two types of cheese and basil pesto. It's perfect for tailgating or game nights with friends!

5 from 4 votes

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes

Rising Time: 1 hour hour 45 minutes minutes

Total Time: 2 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 16 servings

Calories: 243kcal

Ingredients

For the Dough

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp active dry yeast
• 1½ Tbsp granulated sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• ¾ cup + 2 Tbsp whole milk warm
• 1 large egg yolk
• 5 Tbsp unsalted butter softened

For the Filling

• 1 cup shredded Cabot Seriously Sharp Cheddar Cheese
• 1 cup shredded Cabot Monterey Jack Cheese
• 4 Tbsp unsalted butter melted
• ½ cup prepared pesto

Instructions

For the Dough

• Using a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, add all of the dough ingredients (flour, yeast, sugar, salt, warm milk, egg yolk and softened butter).
• Mix on low speed for 2 minutes. Increase speed to medium and continue mixing for 3-4 more minutes.
• Transfer dough into a large oiled bowl; cover with plastic wrap
• Place dough in a warm place for 60-75 minutes, or until dough has approximately doubled in size. (Tip: I typically let dough rise in the oven with the oven off, but the oven light on.)

For the Filling

• Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gently press air out of dough.
• Divide the dough into 16 equal pieces. (Tip: If you have a kitchen scale, it will be helpful to ensure each piece of dough is the same size. Each piece should be ~1.5 oz.)
• Spray a 9” round baking pan with nonstick cooking spray; set pan aside. (Note: The pan should be at least 3” deep. I used a 9” springform pan for this recipe.)
• Using a medium bowl, add the shredded cheddar cheese and Monterey Jack cheese; stir until well combined.
• Using a separate bowl, add the melted butter and prepared pesto; stir until well combined.
• Working with one piece of dough at a time, gently flatten out dough and add ~½ Tbsp of shredded cheese in center. Gently fold dough around the cheese and pinch seams to seal into a ball.
• Dip dough ball into butter-pesto mixture and place into the prepared pan. (Tip: Place dough balls ~½” apart to allow room to rise.)
• Repeat process for all pieces of dough. (The remaining butter-pesto and shredded cheeses will be used later.)
• Cover dough lightly with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for ~30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350°F. (Note: If using the oven as your warming location, make sure to remove the pan before you preheat!)
• Sprinkle ~½ of the remaining shredded cheeses in between dough balls.
• Brush the remaining butter-pesto on top of the dough balls.
• Sprinkle remaining shredded cheeses in between and on top of dough balls.
• Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until top is light golden brown.
• Serve warm.

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