My family takes olives VERY SERIOUSLY. We often kid it isn’t a family gathering if there are not olives out! For Christmas this year we were doing hot appetizers rather than a full meal. Combining olives with a crusty loaf of bread sounded like an AMAZING idea to me! It did not disappoint and we managed to destroy the entire loaf! You could serve it with warm marinara for dipping as well.
What you need:
1 – 6 oz. Jar Green Olives (with or without pimentos)
1 – 6 oz. Jar Black Pitted Olives
1 stick softened butter
2 T. Mayonnaise
1 – 8 oz. bag finely shredded cheese (I used a fiesta blend)
1 round loaf of hearty bread (I used a sourdough loaf)
Make it:
- Preheat oven to 350°
- Cover a large baking sheet with parchment paper, then place a large piece of foil over it
- Using a bread knife or electric knife, cut the round loaf in strips in one direction, being careful not to cut all the way through the loaf. Rotate the bread 90 degrees and cut in the other direction. Take your time as to not cut all the way through or pull the loaf apart. This was pretty easy since the bread I choose was very sturdy and crusty.
- Finely chop the olives (I used a hand chopper/processor)
- Mix olives with butter and mayonnaise
- Fold in cheese
- Using a spatula stuff the olive mixture into the loaf between each cube. Be sure to press all the way to the bottom. The loaf will start to open as you work through each rows. Finely chopping the olives as opposed to just slicing will make this much easier to squish into the loaf.
- Wrap the loaf in the foil and place on parchment covered sheet. Bake for 15 minutes.
- Remove from oven and open foil covering. Return to oven for an additional 15 minutes or until brown and bubbly.
- Serve immediately
Note: You could leave the mayo out if it isn’t your thing! No one even noticed it at our get together. I think it just helps make the mixture more spreadable as you put it into the bread.
More snacks & appetizers to try:
Sweet & Savory Chicken Wings (The Secret Ingredient – Lemon Gelatin!)