by Meghan Nosal

This recipe is the perfect appetiser for entertaining a crowd or staying in and watching a movie. It tastes great with beer or wine, and you can pick as many cheeses and mix-ins as you would like!

Ingredients:

1 round loaf of artisan bread

230g grated cheese 

Optional mix-ins (diced bacon, sausage, olives, onions, chives)

60g unsalted butter

Preheat your oven to 175C. Slice the top of the bread loaf into a criss-cross pattern, making sure not to cut all the way through. The bottom of the loaf must remain intact. 

Combine the grated cheese with your choice of mix-ins so the ingredients are evenly distributed, then gently stuff the cheese mix into the bread, first between the cuts from left to right then from top to bottom.

Melt the butter in a saucepan over a medium heat and pour evenly over the loaf, then wrap it tightly in aluminium foil and bake for 20 minutes. 

When the time is up, uncover the top of the loaf and bake another 10 minutes until cheese is melted and top is crispy.

Serve immediately while the bread is hot.