Olive Cheese Bread with (or without) Turkey
Enjoy the bold flavors of this quick and easy Olive Cheese Bread recipe, perfect for a brunch menu, lunch, or anytime snack.
Servings: 4 Pieces
Calories: 602kcal
Ingredients
- 2 Mini French Baguettes Or bread of your choice.
- 1½ cup Olives You can use pitted olives
- ¾ cup Cream cheese
- 1 Garlic clove
- Salt to taste
- 2 sprigs Fresh parsley For olive paste and garnish.
- 12 slices Turkey fillet Optional - You can use any deli meat or omit for vegetarian version.
- ½ cup Mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup Cherry tomatoes cut in half
- 1 Green pepper cut into small pieces
Instructions
- Clean the pits from the olives –If using pitted olives, skip this step.
- Place the pitted olives in the bowl of the food processor. Add garlic and cream cheese.
- Blend until the mixture has a smooth consistency. Add parsley and stir well. Set aside.
- Cut the baguettes in half.
- Cut the cherry tomatoes in half or slice them if they are large and cut the green pepper into small pieces.
- Spread each baguette part with a good layer of olive paste.
- *Optional: Layer with thin slices of turkey meat (or other deli meat). If you want vegetarian olive cheese bread, skip this step.
- Place the baguettes in a baking tray lined with baking paper. Cover each baguette half with shredded mozzarella and top with cheery tomatoes and diced peppers.
- Bake in the oven at 350F for 10-15 minutes or until the cheese has melted. Finish the cheese under the broiler for a further minute to ensure the cheese is well melted. Garnish with fresh parsley.
Notes
Recipe Variations and Substitutions
- Olive Paste: Try different varieties of olives, such as Kalamata, green olives, or a mix for varied flavors.
- Cheese: Substitute mozzarella with provolone, cheddar, emmental, gruyère, or your favorite melting cheese. Feta is also a good cheese for this recipe, especially if you want to serve it cold – crostini style.
- Bread: Try different types of bread like ciabatta, sourdough, or whole-grain baguettes for unique textures and tastes. Use smaller crostini for a bruschetta-style olive bread. This is a great picnic finger food recipe served hot or cold.
- Meat Swap: Swap turkey fillet with bacon strips, ham, or grilled chicken slices.
- Vegetarian Version: For a vegetarian version, omit the meat and have straight cheese and olive paste.
- Perfectly Melted Cheese: To ensure the mozzarella is perfectly melted, finish under the broiler briefly at the end of baking.
- Serve as a side dish: This bread is a great side dish for salads and especially for soups—a great alternative to straight bread for a picnic soup menu.
- Use Excess Olive Paste: If you have any leftover olive paste, store it in an airtight container in the fridge and use it as a dip with crackers. It will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Serve it hot or cold: This bread can be served hot or cold, although I prefer it warm. You can see my tips for keeping food warm for the best results if serving it at a picnic.
Nutrition
Calories: 602kcal | Carbohydrates: 67g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 54mg | Sodium: 1799mg | Potassium: 347mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 1099IU | Vitamin C: 29mg | Calcium: 304mg | Iron: 5mg