Wow.   This was my first time preparing bread this way, and I can confidently say that it won’t be the last.  The Fella and I may or may not have eaten half of this between the two of us.  Okay, whatever, we totally did.

Ingredients: 

• 1 loaf of bread (whole, not sliced, Italian, sourdough, or other sturdy, crusty bread).
• 1 stick of butter, melted
• 1 (8 ounce) cheddar cheese block, thinly sliced
• 2 tsp dry ranch dressing mix (like Hidden Valley)
• bacon pieces

Preparation:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Cut your loaf of bread in both directions to create the square pattern and bite-sized pieces like you see in the picture.  Don’t slice all the way through.  You want the grooves to be made, but the bread still needs to stay together.
• Place the bread on a piece of foil large enough to wrap the entire loaf.
• Mix the melted butter and the ranch seasoning.
• Place the thin slices of cheese between each groove in the bread.  You want good coverage.
• Sprinkle the bacon pieces over the bread, making sure to separate the grooves to ensure that the pieces get to the bottom.  Use as much bacon as you like.
• Drizzle the ranch and butter mixture evenly over the whole loaf, making sure to get in between each groove.
• Wrap the bread in the foil, place directly on the oven rack, and bake for about 20 minutes or until the cheese has melted.
• Remove from the oven, carefully unwrap the foil, and NOM.

You can use shredded cheddar if that’s what you have on hand.  The slices are just easier and neater to work with.  We used pre-packaged real bacon pieces.  You can make your own bacon and crumble it yourself if you’d like.  Please don’t use fake bacon bits.  Not just in this recipe, but ever.  That isn’t real bacon, and it’s kind of scary to think about what they really are.

You can also mix it up by using different meats and cheeses (like pepperoni and mozzarella for a pizza variation…YUM).  You really can’t go wrong with this one.  It’s easy to throw together, and makes a great appetizer or side dish.  It would even be an awesome addition to a potluck or cookout.  Place it in a crock pot on the warm setting if needed to keep it warmed up and ready to go.  Who am I kidding?  This probably won’t be around long enough to need that.  😉