Two Cheese Pull Apart Bread with Garlic Butter

Oh man... that gooey cheese and chewy bread. I can't stop. Let me warn you right now: Don't make this if you hate sharing. If you don't mind sharing, and if you like cheese, and bread, and all delicious things, make this. Like now. The bread is uber chewy on the inside, toasty-crisp on the outside, and each "pull" is drenched in cheese and garlic-herb butter. Seriously, how could you NOT make this?

When I served this to my boys, I noticed some serious "strategic" bread pulling. In fact, at one point, Kyle's hand was delicately hovered over one side, so Luke couldn't overstep his bounds. It was hilarious. And, there wasn't ONE crumb left on this baking sheet. Yep, I served it like this - on the baking sheet. Why dirty a serving dish?

I've made pull apart bread many times in the past, and there's almost always a little piece of bread leftover once everyone has grabbed their fill. Not this time. Perhaps it's because I sliced deeper into the loaf, so every square inch of the bread was shellacked with the melted herb butter. Or maybe it was the double cheese combo. Or the sprinkling of sweet green onions and fiery red pepper flakes. I can't be certain, but this was the winning loaf. By far.

And, you couldn't find a simpler recipe. Trust me.

Two Cheese Pull Apart Bread with Garlic-Herb Butter 

1 loaf round bread, such as baby boule, sourdough or ciabatta
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder or granulated garlic
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Chopped green onions for serving
Crushed red pepper flakes for serving

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Slice the loaf or baguette crosswise, making several slices about 1-inch apart - without cutting all the way through the bottom (keep the loaf intact). Now make the same amount of vertical slices, creating a cross-hatch pattern.
In a small bowl, whisk together the melted butter, oil, garlic, and basil. Brush the garlic-herb butter in between all the openings in the bread. Brush any extra butter all over the top and sides of the bread.
Fill the openings with both cheeses. I suggest filling all the openings in one direction (say, all the vertical openings), and then turn the loaf to fill all the openings in the other direction. That way you won't miss a spot!
Wrap the bread in foil and bake for 15 minutes. Unwrap and bake for 3 to 5 more minutes, until the top is golden brown.
Sprinkle the green onions and red pepper flakes over top and serve hot.

Makes 1 loaf (serves 4-6, depending on the size of your loaf)