The Ultimate Appetizer: Olive Cheese Bread
This is the recipe you need to have in your appetizer arsenal. It is the perfect appetizer for any of your get together’s! It is so simple and easy to make, but completely crave-worthy.
This Olive cheese bread combines all the brine-y flavors I love, in a gooey cheese filling, on top of a crusty bread. This might be as close to appetizer perfection anyone will ever get.
Olive Cheese Bread, Your New Go-To Crowd Pleasing Appetizer
I originally published this recipe as a holiday appetizer, but this is a great appetizer any time of the year. I love making it for super bowl parties, where it is always a huge hit.
Olive cheese bread comes together super fast! I love low stress and easy recipes that can be made quickly so I can get out of the kitchen and get back to the party with my friends and family. All you need to do is chop some olives & green, mix some butter and mayo, and stir in cheese. Slather it on top of French bread, bake, and you have an appetizer that will have your guests coming back for seconds.
Olive Cheese Bread
For those of us who park ourselves in front of the relish tray at holiday gatherings? You will absolutely LOVE this! Cheesy & brine-y and the appetizer can not be beat.
Ingredients
- 1 loaf French Bread
- About 25 Spanish Queen Pimento Stuffed Olives
- 6 ounce can of Black Olives drained
- 2 stalks Green Onions (scallions)
- 1 stick Butter, Room Temperature
- 1/2 cup Mayonnaise
- 3 cups Monterey Jack Cheese, Grated
Instructions
- Roughly chop both black olives and pimiento-stuffed olives. Slice green onions into thin pieces.
- Combine butter, mayonnaise, cheese, olives and green onions in a mixing bowl. Stir together until thoroughly combined.
- Spread mixture thickly onto French bread that has been sliced lengthwise.
- Bake at 325ºF for 25 to 30 minutes or until cheese is melted and browning.
Notes
The olive cheese mixture can also be made in advance and refrigerated for up to two days.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1 sliceAmount Per Serving: Calories: 211Total Fat: 19.5gSaturated Fat: 10.7gSodium: 275mgCarbohydrates: 48gProtein: 7.1g
Recipe source: Pioneer Woman
This appetizer does have a strong briny/
Can you serve this at room temperature? Make ahead and take to a party or is it best served immediately?
Made this for dinner and served with baked chicken and baked potatoes. Big hit! Thanks for sharing this recipe.
I made this for an app today at our Christmas Eve gathering. Phenomenal! I made the spread ahead of time and would recommend taking it out and letting it come to room temp before putting it on the bread. Everyone said this is a keeper. We had tons of leftovers from dinner because we all filled up on this. 😂🥰
Very good recipe. Everyone commented how good it was.
This was stellar! It’s not like any of the usual appetizers I make or encounter at get togethers. It was easy to make ahead & pop in oven. This is now my go to. It was delicious!! Everyone loved it
This recipe is ABSOLUTELY YUMMY! I make this all the time for get togethers and it is always a hit! 2 thumbs up!!!!
This is absolutely delicious served on a grilled hamburger served on a toasted bun. It reminds me of an olive burger I had in the UP.
What can you sub for the mayo? I have some sort of complex about using mayo in cooking HA! I just don’t like it and shy away from recipes that have mayo. I really want to make this. It looks delicious!
@Cathy,
Another recipe very similar used sour cream . It was amazing !
This is our favorite recipe for a great snack to serve company. However, we also have made this several times just as our main dish for dinner. It’s amazing!! I wouldn’t change a thing!!
I am making this 4 days in advance. What would happen by exceeding your recommendation of making only 2 days in advance?
OMG this was amazing. I followed the recipe with what I had on hand(Texmex shredded cheese and no black olices) and added some minced garlic. Loved it and will add this to my collection
Thanks for all the great recipies Jenn, can’t wait to try the cheese bread. I made your Polish Christmas cookies and everyone loved them!I also tried to make your Grape pie I have concords in my yard. Lets just say i have to keep trying.I’m a fellow Upstate New Yorker and love your site.
This recipe is to die for and you can add/subtract to fit your needs.
I only used half stick of butter and added some artichoke but I had so many compliments. Several people asked for the recipe and said they couldn’t get enough. I will be adding this to my arsenal.
This is soooo good. The only thing I did different was I put some sliced jalapenos on the top
Best.appetizer.ever.
Hands down! I’m finally writing this recipe after having made this countless times! So easy, and so amazingly good! This is one thing that I have made that people actually ask me to bring to things!
I made this for a get together tonight and everyone loved it! I did make a few additions to the recipe. I added 1/2 C Ricotta cheese, 1 tsp garlic and 1 jar of artichoke hearts (in water – drained and rough chopped). Delicious!! Because the topping was plentiful, I pre-sliced the bread before adding the toppings and baking. It made it easier to serve and there was no mess from trying to slice it hot. We were saying that this is almost a meal and it would be fantastic with some sausage crumbles thrown in too
@Denise, Looks to me like you can easily turn this into a French bread pizza with your ricotta base. Mix in some Italian seasoning, minced garlic and ground black pepper, then go to town with toppings! Just cut the bread in 1/2 or 4ths and serve with a side salad. And yes! to the sausage crumbles!! And don’t forget the shredded mozzarella!!
My mouth is watering! 🤤👍😄
This truly my favorite bread! I can’t get enough of it!! It’s so easy to make!!
I felt I needed to leave feedback because this now my “go-to” food to take to everything! It is so easy and so delicious!! Definitely my most used pinned recipe! Thank you!!
This receioe is Amaxing! I always use unsalted butter bc the olives and cheese are pretty salty, just cut the better amount in half. This receipe is so versatile. Love it!
I made this on a beach trip and was delicious!
I am so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for stopping back and commenting 🙂
OMG! This was sooooo good! I took it to a party tonite. I added 1/2 jar of marinated artichokes from Trader Joe’s, and did everything that was in the recipe except I used only 1/2 stick of butter. YUMMMM. I did use a loaf of bread like you did, but I cut it in much smaller pieces. I ended up with 40 pieces . I cut the loaf in half. Spread the mixture on top, cooked it, and then cut each loaf in half long ways, then cut it so that I was able to cut 40 pieces Wish I could diagram it on the internet, but honestly, the pieces were great for finger foods, and OH SO delicious! Even though they didn’t remain hot, they were still warm and delish! I highly recommend this dish!
Do you wrap it in foil before cooking it ?
@Lisa, i don’t see the answer to this and this is what i am wondering. cook it open face or closed with foil?
I bought crostinis at Walmart ($1.47 for a HUGE bag) and made recipe with just a slight change based on previous comments: I used half stick butter instead of full stick. It was almost embarrassing fielding the rave comments from every person at a party last night. This is definitely a recipe that will be a go-to in my arsenal from now on. Just WOW!
This looks really good! Can it be baked ahead and served at room temperature? Thanks for your response!
Hi Robin,
This is really best served warm, but people seem to still eat it once it cools to room temp also.
What about adding artichokes and/or roasted red peppers??
Question – I really want to make this for Christmas but I would need to bake it at home and then drive 1 hour to my brother’s house and I am wondering if it will still be good if it cools down a bit? I will pack it really good to try and keep it warm but it will not be served right away. Will it still be good?
I made this today for Thanksgiving. It was fabulous. We all loved this bread. It tasted just as imagined. Even my daughter whom I did not think would eat green olives surprised me when she said “Mom, this bread is really good.” I was very surprised to hear she tried it and very pleased she did. Next time I will pull just a little bread out of the center as I was trying to slice it warm and my filling kept falling off. It was so pretty and so good we didn’t care. Just picked it up and threw it back on the piece it fell off of. Everyone loved it. Plus it is so nice to be able to do the filling the day before. Guess what, I just ate a piece cold and it’s still fabulous. My daughter took the recipe with her along with a large piece for her and her husband. Thank you for the beautiful recipe.
We will use it over and over again for special occasions.
Ihave made this several times and have always had tons of compliments.
I’ve made your recipe several times and it’s always a hit! Instead of spreading the olive/cheese mixture on the loaf of bread, I use crispy crostini slices, which makes it even easier. If your grocery doesn’t offer them in the bakery, ask them to slice a French baguette and then you can crisp up the slices on a cookie sheet at 400 for about 10 minutes, turning once. The slices can be brushed with olive oil if desired. Then top with the olive mixture after the slices are crispy. I decreased the butter by half, but also added in a few shakes of grated Parmesan. Everyone asks for the recipe. Thanks for sharing it with us on Pinterest!
This was so yummy, everyone loved it. I also used crostini. I omitted the butter completely, but added a block of cream cheese, and some mixed Italian olives from the olive bar. So good!
I make a similar one with only black olives and scallions, NO butter, using cheddar and mayo with some curry powder. Turns out delish! Works really well on English muffins.
I have made something similar to Christy and used toasted English muffins (from Gourmet Magazine way back when). For serving I cut into quarters with a pizza cutter. I am going to try this new recipe to compare. I will probably stick to English muffins as it makes it a bit easier to cut and serve. Thanks for sharing!
I made a cheese bread about 30 years ago with these ingredients but the butter was put on the bread and baked til a little crispy first then put on the rest of the ingredients and baked til bubbly.
Another thought- This might be really good stuffed and baked in mushroom caps.
I love that idea Verna! Stuffed mushrooms are one of my favorite appetizers, I am definitely going to try that!!
All set to go for tonight! I can’t wait! Next time I’m going to bake up bacon and sprinkle it across the top when it comes out of the oven. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Oh, bacon would be an awesome addition!
I have a question on the black olives. It indicates 6 black olives, only 6?
Mary,
The ounces got cut off, sorry about that! I have fixed the recipe, it should now correctly read: 6 ounce can of black olives.
Probare hacerlo y disfrutar una tarde de domingo
No puedo esperar para preparar esto se ve delicioso, quiero disfrutar una tarde de domingo con mi familia, “Una vez al año no hace daño”
¡Espero que usted lo disfrute, éste es un gran regalo para la familia! Y tienes razón, darle de vez en cuando es divertido!
Thank you for the wonderful recpie. It is great as is, but also versatile so you can change it if so desired. Made as instructed, it is very rich, so small servings are appropriate. However, the next time I might try to lower the fat content by substituting something healthier for the butter and some lower fat cheese selections. But as is, it was better than the entree I made to go with it!
I am so glad you enjoyed the Olive Cheese Bread, it is definitely a more indulgent appetizer. I wonder if that Kraft Mayonnaise with olive oil would be a good substitute for the mayo, it is supposed to have half the fat of regular mayo, I have never tasted it, but it seems like that might also be an easy swap.
Healthier butter & low fat/lite mayo, light cheese; are you thinking about healthier kind of bread?
I tried this recipe with a few changes – I added 2 cloves of smashed garlic, replaced the monterey jack with medium cheddar cheese, and baked at 350* for 12 mins plus broil an additional 2 mins and came out with TOTAL PERFECTION! (for Our tastes, anyway 🙂
Beautiful pictures, my mouth stay watering! I want this for breakfast, NOW!
Did it!!!! I used mozzareĺla and asiago cheese. Only about 1.5 cups.Absolutely wonderful…. oh a teensy splash of balsamic and hot sauce.
Love the idea of adding Asiago
Do you think it would taste good if I substituted mozzarella instead of Monterey Jack??
I make a recipe very similar to this, but I add chopped sun dried tomatoes and Genoa salami to the mixture.
Tastes amazingly similar to a muffaletta, which, let’s face it, is probably the perfect food.
Would Kalamata olives work in place of the black olives? I don’t like black olives.
I use hot & spicy stuffed Spanish olives. I cook breakfast sausage til crumbly & add. We put it on sub rolls. Love it for breakfast!
Oh, I bet it is good with the sausage addition!
It was fantastic with the crumbled sausage. I used a vegetarian sausage, and the texture mixed perfectly. The spread was great on bretons also!
Oh yes
Will this still be yummy if at room temperture? Sometimes people are ready to eat when the appetizers come out of the oven and I want to be sure this is still as delicious 30 minutes later.
I first saw this on Pioneer Woman and let me tell you, it is GOOD! Maybe not the healthiest thing on the planet but if you like olives and cheese, you’ll love this. I will make a whole recipe, cut each half of bread in half (4 pieces total). I’ll bake off 1 of the 4 and freeze the other 3 (recipe really freezes well, just flash freeze, wrap well in foil and then store in a large ziploc bag). This way, my husband and I don’t eat too much of it at once. We fight over this stuff, lol!
This looks amazing!!! Going to try it!!!
There are at least 2800 fat calories in the butter, 3 cups cheese, & 1/2 cup mayonnaise alone, not counting the olives.
Frighteningly high…
Then don’t make it!
My thoughts too! Don’t make it.
This is great for a special night paired with wine. My friend obviously not how you would eat routinely.
Assuming you are not going to eat the whole thing by yourself, I think you’ll be ok.
This is The Pioneer Woman’s recipe! I love it every time I make it!
my daughter doesn’t eat mayo but loves the rest of the ingredients, what else could I sub for mayo that doesn’t contain eggs?
Greek yogurt with some lemon juice added to tart it up.
Once the bread is baked off, you can’t even taste the mayo. I’ve served it to people who don’t like mayo and they didn’t even know it was in there 😉
Is it because of an allergy? My son is allergic to eggs, so we use Just Mayo. It tastes just like mayonnaise, but it doesn’t contain any egg.
Try “just mayo” by Hampton creek or Hellmann’s carefully crafted sandwich spread, both egg free. My daughter has an egg allergy.
Hellman’s also makes a vegan mayo with no eggs
Good to know! Thank you, Cathy!
Looks relish!! I am curious about the jar of olives (?) in the photo above. It appears to say Petit Blend. Will you share more information about it please?
Hi Ann! Those were olives I later added to my relish tray, they were not used in the recipe. I used Queen Pimento Stuffed Olives and black olives on the olive cheese bread. The petite blend olives were very bold flavored, and consisted of a blend of smaller olives. They were in a seasoned blend of olive oil with, rosemary, and balsamic vinegar, that was good for dipping a regular crusty bread in.
Can the butter be eliminated of at least decreased.
Hi Virginia,
I am not sure I would completely eliminate the butter, and I have not tried it using a butter substitute. There is a very thick layer of the cheese/butter/mayo topping if you make the recipe as written. Some of my family has found it too rich, so a couple of times I have completely cut back the Mayo, butter, and cheese by half & there is still be PLENTY to slather on the bread, with tons of flavor.
Let me know what you think of it!
Could you make this in a little oven proof dish, and use it like a dip or spread for crackers?
What a great idea. Use as a baked dip also! This recipe looks sooo good, can’t wait to make it!
Yes, you can eliminate the butter. I have been making this for years without the butter. I first saw this on Pioneer Woman, also and I have never put butter in the recipe. We love it…both as described here and cold as a dip with crackers and/or celery.
Um, yes please! This looks and sounds DEVINE! Pinning