I affectionately dub this olive cheese bread as “weekend food”! It’s a delicious combination of salty, savory and cheesy flavors. If you’re a fan of cheesy bread, this makes for an excellent party appetizer or accompaniment to your favorite main course.
Over the years, my journey as a host has seen significant growth, largely because I’ve prioritized keeping my stress levels low, allowing me to truly enjoy the company of my friends. A crucial aspect of this “new-to me” way of entertaining is making sure there are easy appetizers fresh from the oven, so even if I happen to lag behind on the main course, I can rest assured my guests won’t go hungry.
I will serve this olive cheese bread instead of an antipasto tray. It’s easy to prep ahead of time and loaded into the oven right before everyone arrives.
Why I Love This Recipe
- My devotion to olives started at a very young age and it has grown over the years. This not only includes the taste of olives, but the agricultural side too.
- I would never say no to a slice of cheesy bread!
- I’ve served this bread with olives and cheese as an appetizer and a side dish. It’s great for both.
If you love cheesy bread in all its variations, you’ll have to give my cheesy French bread spread or garlic and parsley bread a try. This Monterey ranch bread is also packed with flavor, but if you’re looking for something totally unique, this cheesy kimchi butter-ranch bread is amazing.
Ingredients
- French bread: I like French bread for its hard crust and chewy texture. In a pinch you could use an Italian loaf, but the crumb is going to be more tender, making it harder to spread on the olive-butter mixture.
- Unsalted butter: Stick with unsalted butter. Olive brine, cheese and mayo already provide enough of a salty background flavor for this olive bread.
- Mayonnaise: Mixed with butter, mayo adds to the creaminess and richness of the spread.
- Black olives: I prefer Kalamata olives for their intense flavor. You can use regular black olives if you choose.
- Green olives: Pimento stuffed green olives add a nice pop of color, but my favorite green olives are Castelvetranos. These bright-green olives come from Sicily and taste the way I wish all green olives did, buttery, meaty and mild. It’s a great pairing with the intensity of Kalamata olives.
- Monterey Jack and mozzarella cheese: These are my favorite melting cheeses when it comes to bread.
- Green onions and parsley: Adds a little bit of fresh flavor to the bread, as well as color.
How To Put It Together
Find the complete recipe with measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- I preheat the oven and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- I slice the French bread in half lengthwise, opening it up and placing it on the lined baking sheet.
- I mix together the softened butter and mayo in a mixing bowl, before stirring in the chopped olives, cheese and green onion.
- Using a silicone spatula, I spread the butter-olive mixture on each side of the bread, before baking for twenty minutes until the cheese is visibly melted and bubbling.
- Once the bread is out of the oven, I garnish it with more green onion and minced parsley and cut into slices.
Recipe Notes
- To make this olive cheese bread I use a large loaf of French bread I purchase from a local bakery. The long, slim loaf is easily halved lengthwise and has the perfect sturdy crust for a recipe like this.
- I used a combination of Kalamata black and pimento stuffed green olives to make this recipe. You can use whichever olives you prefer, but opt for ones that are already pitted to save time prepping this recipe. Simply add all the olives to a chopping board and run
your knife through them to chop them roughly. - For my cheese selection I went with a mix of Monterey Jack and mozzarella. Both of these cheeses are well known for their melting properties, which makes them excellent choices for this type of recipe. You could use all of one or the other depending on your preference. In testing, I found this recipe works best with a milder, creamier cheese as opposed to a stronger cheddar, which can be overpowering and doesn’t melt in the same way.
Leftovers and Storage
- I have found this olive cheese bread is best eaten as soon as it’s prepared as eventually the cheese will harden as does the bread.
- You can reheat it for a few minutes in a hot oven to re-melt the cheese, but I wouldn’t recommend doing this more than once.
Serving Suggestions
Make this bread a side dish and serve it alongside a flavorful main course.
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Olive Cheese Bread
Ingredients
- 1 large loaf of French bread
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 6 oz. Kalamata black olives or regular black olives
- 6 oz. pimento stuffed green olives or other green olives
- 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- 1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
- 3 green onions, finely sliced plus more for garnish
- fresh parsley, minced for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Cut the French bread in half lengthwise. Open it up and place it on the lined baking sheet.1 large loaf of French bread
- In a large mixing bowl add the softened butter and mayonnaise. Mix together with a hand mixer for the best result. (You can do this by hand if your butter is soft enough.1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened, 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- To the mixing bowl, add chopped olives, cheese and green onion. Give everything a really good mix, making sure all the ingredients are coated in the butter-mayo mixture.6 oz. Kalamata black olives, 6 oz. pimento stuffed green olives, 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese, 1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese, 3 green onions, finely sliced
- Spread half the mixture on one half of the bread and repeat with second half.
- Place bread in the oven, uncovered, and bake for 20 minutes or until cheese is bubbling and melted.
- Remove from oven and sprinkle with more green onions and parsley.fresh parsley, minced
- Cut bread into slices and serve while warm.
Notes
Nutrition
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