One of my kids’ favorite traditions is heading up north to my SIL’s cabin where she undoubtedly serves up her cinnamon buttery monkey bread for breakfast. Being more of a girl who likes cheese with her bread, I decided to make good use of the can of biscuits sitting in the fridge to make this Savory Cheesy Monkey Bread.
Cheese plus more cheese plus bread and butter?
You in?
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Cheese. Three kinds. And one of them is gorgonzola —because Italian.
And even better? Because it uses refrigerated canned biscuits, the cheesy pull apart bread is so easy to make you can put the kiddos in charge of prep while you whip up some Italian Arugula Salad to go with some cozy Tomato Bisque.
And that, my friend, is called dinner!
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Cheese. The blend of cheeses for this cheesy monkey bread is kind of a thing. There are three qualities you’re looking for:
- A crumbly, sharp cheese. I used Trader Joe’s Unexpected Cheddar because it is sharp with a crumbly texture.
- A melty cheese. Gouda is my favorite for a cheesy pull apart bread but you can use fontina or Monterey jack too.
- A blue cheese. Gorgonzola is the best pick because it’s not as strong (some might say stinky) as other blue cheeses. Plus— it’s Italian. 😊
- Biscuits. Grand’s (marked flaky layers) biscuits work best for this savory monkey bread.
- Butter. Unsalted is the preference as the gorgonzola is plenty salty.
How to make cheesy monkey bread
- Using kitchen shears, cut each biscuit into 6-8 pieces and place in a bowl.
- Pour over melted butter.
- Toss with both of the shredded cheeses.
TIP
Resist the urge to buy bags of shredded cheese. Grate it yourself for the best and cheesiest results!
-Josie + Nina
- Layer the dough in a pie plate, gratin pan (like my favorite Staub pan shown here) or round quiche dish.
- Sprinkle over a healthy amount of gorgonzola and fresh thyme.
Hint: If doubling the recipe, don’t double the butter. Just use 1 1/2 sticks.
Different versions
Got a lot of savory monkey bread ingredient combos running around in your head? Here are a few just to get you started:
- Garlic – add some fresh minced garlic to the butter before tossing with the bread and add a little oregano along with the thyme.
- Prosciutto – Tuck in some ribbons of prosciutto into the bread before baking.
- Pizza– Swap out the cheddar cheese for some Italian fontinella (super sharp and good!) and serve with a little Homemade Italian Red Sauce for dipping!
Bundt pan
If monkey bread = bundt pan for you , then double up the recipe, minus the butter, to make in the bundt pan. Check with a skewer to make sure the dough pieces are cooked all the way through.
Helpful Tips
- Make sure to use the Grands versions (meaning BIG) of biscuits and make sure they’re market “flaky layers”.
- To easily remove thyme leaves from the stem. Hold the steam near the top between your thumb and index finger and using the thumb and index fingers of your other hand to slide down the stem removing the leaves as you go.
Serving & Storage
Make ahead
Follow the directions up to baking. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate either overnight. Add 5 extra minutes to the baking time.
Reheating
If there’s any leftover (and in my experience, there won’t be!), you can heat a section on a microwave safe plate and heat it very quickly in the microwave for 15 seconds or so.
Freezing
I don’t recommend freezing this recipe.
Made this recipe?
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Savory Cheesy Monkey Bread
Equipment
- a gratin pan, pie plate or quiche dish
Ingredients
- 1 cup grated Unexpected Cheddar, from Trader Joe's / about 4 oz.
- 1 cup grated gouda, or fontina
- 3 oz crumbled gorgonzola, preferably not pre-crumbled
- 8 Tablespoons butter, or 1/2 cup, melted
- 1 can Grands Biscuits, 8 big biscuits, "flaky layers"
- 1 teaspoon fresh minced garlic, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°.
- Remove the biscuits from the wrapping.
- Using a set of kitchen scissors or a sharp knife, cut the biscuits into 6-8 pieces and place into a medium sized bowl.
- Use a rubber spatula or wooden spoon to toss the biscuits with the melted butter. (If using garlic, add to melted butter before tossing with biscuits).
- Add in the cheddar and Fontina cheeses. Mix lightly but completely.
- Spread the dough pieces into your chosen pan.
- Sprinkle with crumbled gorgonzola and fresh thyme.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes watching carefully and until golden brown.
- Garnish with a little reserved thyme.
Lori, I cant wait to make it for the game Sunday! However, while I would love the gorgonzola, some I’ll be with won’t. Any substitutions or should I just leave it out?
I completely get it! You could totally add feta if you think your guests will like it? Another idea (and I haven’t experimented with it but I think it sounds amazing) is boursin! I think that could be a game changer! Let me know how it works! And thanks Tracey!!
Oh My Gosh!!!! I made this Savory Monkey Bread last night to go with our soup dinner. Not a single piece was left in the dish. Amazing! Thanks for the great recipe.