Olive Cheese Bread
The ultimate easy appetizer, this olive cheese bread comes together in just minutes with minimal ingredients! Bread lovers, cheese lovers and olive lovers alike are going to enjoy this quick and easy snack!
You’ll Love This
- It requires very little prep work! Mix the ingredients, spread them on the bread and bake! It really doesn’t get much easier than that! This would be a good recipe to have your kiddos help out with too. They can help mix and then get their hands dirty spreading the olive mixture onto the bread.
- It takes out the middle man – the bowl! This is basically like a cheesy olive dip, minus the middle man! We’re taking away the bowl (just another dirty dish you don’t have to wash – score!) and just putting the dip RIGHT ON the bread. You’re welcome!
- It tastes AMAZING! This olive cheese bread is like garlic bread meets olive salsa with LOTS of cheese and a little zing of green onion. It’s the perfect salty appetizer for a date night in or to share with your friends at your next Packer party!
Instructions
In a medium bowl combine sour cream, garlic powder and butter along with a large pinch of salt and pepper.
Stir until mostly smooth.
Add cheese and green onion.
Stir until well combined.
Add olives.
Gently fold olives into the cheese mixture.
Slice French bread loaf in half widthwise and then in half lengthwise.
Divide the olive mixture between the four pieces, spreading it in an even layer on the cut side of the bread.
Bake for 20-25 minutes or until cheese is melted and the ends start to get golden brown.
Broil for 1-2 minutes or until the cheese starts to get dark golden brown. Slice, garnish with fresh parsley and enjoy!
Tips
- Buy a block of Monterey Jack and shred it yourself. It’s cheaper and although it’s a bit more work, you’ll end up with a meltier, ooier, gooier cheese bread! Pre-shredded cheeses typically have cellulose on them which prevents the shreds from sticking together. It also prevents them from melting well.
- Buy whole olives and slice them yourself. I realize this can seem a bit tedious, but when I buy sliced olives it always seems that they’ve started to break down in the briney liquid and don’t hold their shape as well. I much prefer draining the liquid off a jar of whole olives and slicing them myself so they can retain their shape. Just make sure you buy pitted olives!!
- You can also roughly chop the olives if you’re not in the mood for slicing. I don’t always have time to slice the olives either! So when I’m in a hurry, I like to just roughly chop the olives. You’ll end up with the same flavors – you just won’t have the round shape of the olives. Not the end of the world!
Frequently Asked Questions
- Can I use low fat sour cream and cheese?
- I highly recommend using full fat sour cream and regular (not low fat) cheese. This is not a “healthy” appetizer so don’t try to make it one! Indulge in full fat dairy and enjoy your life!
- What kind of bread works best for this recipe?
- I like to use a crusty French baguette or sour dough bread. Mostly because that’s usually what I have on hand but also because it seems to stand up to the thick, rich, creamy olive mixture. I usually keep a loaf of this bread in the freezer so I can be prepared at a moment’s notice for baked brie, spinach dip or olive tapenade!
- What if I don’t like black/green olives?
- I am not a huge fan of black olives. I will never eat one raw by itself. I can tolerate them on cold taco dip. I like them more when they’re on a warm veggie pizza. But I actually REALLY enjoy them on this cheesy olive bread!
- Green olives on the other hand…I could eat a whole jar of them with a fork on a Wednesday afternoon. And then again on Thursday. And then on Friday. I love love love green olives.
- So if you’re a black olive lover and a green olive hater, use all black olives. If you’re taste leans the other way, use all green olives. Just keep the amount of total olives the same and you’ll be fine!
Easy Cheesy Appetizers
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Olive Cheese Bread
The ultimate easy appetizer, this olive cheese bread comes together in just minutes with minimal ingredients! Olive lovers, cheese lovers and bread lovers alike are going to love this quick and easy snack!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 10 servings 1x
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 6 oz. full fat sour cream
- 4 tablespoons softened butter
- 7 oz. green olives, drained and sliced
- 6 oz. black olives, drained and sliced
- 8 oz. shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- 1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 8–10 oz. loaf French bread
- Kosher salt
- fresh cracked pepper
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a medium bowl combine sour cream, garlic powder and butter along with a large pinch of salt and pepper. Stir until mostly smooth.
- Add cheese and green onion and stir until well combined.
- Fold olives into the cheese mixture.
- Slice French bread loaf in half widthwise and then in half lengthwise.
- Divide olive mixture between the four pieces, spreading it in an even layer on the cut side of the bread.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until cheese is melted and the ends start to get golden brown.
- Broil for 1-2 minutes or until the cheese starts to get dark golden brown.
- Slice, garnish with fresh parsley and enjoy!
Equipment
Buy Now → Notes
Buy a block of Monterey Jack and shred it yourself. It’s cheaper and although it’s a little more work, you’ll end up with a meltier, ooier, gooier cheese bread! Pre-shredded cheeses have cellulose on them which prevents the shreds from sticking together. It also prevents them from melting well.
Buy whole olives and slice them yourself. I realize this can seem a bit tedious, but when I buy sliced olives it always seems that they’ve started to break down in the briney liquid and don’t hold their shape as well. I much prefer draining the liquid off a jar of whole olives and slicing them myself so they can retain their shape. Just make sure you buy pitted olives!!
You can also roughly chop the olives if you’re not in the mood for slicing. I don’t always have time to slice the olives either! So when I’m in a hurry, I like to just roughly chop the olives. You’ll end up with the same flavors – you just won’t have the round shape of the olives. Not the end of the world!
An I make it ahead and just pop it into the oven when my company arrives or will the bread get mushy
If you use a good, sturdy, crusty baguette I actually think you could get away with prepping it ahead of time (maybe not more than a few hours though) and then popping it in when guests arrive. Great idea, Cynthia!
Do you think i can make the spread mixture the night before, and keep it covered in the fridge? Next day to just spread it on the bread and bake it?
Yes, definitely! That’s a great idea, Maria!
Amazing !!!!!! Absolutely amazing . It’s a good base to experiment with , instead of olives , add mushrooms , pepperoni , cherry tomatoes , sundries tomatoes , chargrilled capsicum , artichoke add a bit of feta and a few capers ….. the list goes on . Fabulous recipe !! I have been looking for a good base on Turkish bread to make quick and easy , feed the crowds . Second time I substituted for grated Parmesan as it was a cheaper and still it was Perfect . Thank you !!!
YAY! I am so glad to hear that you enjoyed this recipe, Natasha! It is one of my person favorites too and you are so right about being able to add so many different things instead of olives! I think I am going to try sun-dried tomatoes next time and add some fresh basil after the oven. Thanks for leaving a review! It really means a lot 🙂
This tastes like something you might order from a fancy restaurant. Even my kids who “hate” olives, love this bread. I haven’t found one recipe on this page that has not been a success in our home.
I am so happy to hear that, Lindsey! Thank you so much for your kind words and thanks for taking the time to leave a review. I really appreciate it 🙂
Next time I’m thinking a bit of chopped basil and a drizzle of balsamic glaze. I could eat balsamic glaze with a spoon – a very big spoon!
Hi I’m CC! I will definitely e making this luscious bread!
A little hack for slicing the olives-green or black, put about 4-5 olives in an egg slicer. Goes quick and saves
your chopping hand!!
That is such a great tip! Great way to save prep time. Thanks for sharing, CC!
Made this last night for an app before dinner for just four of us. It was amazing!!! Everyone loved it and at it all up. Always use an egg slicer for the olives, it’s such a time saver! Just wondering if anyone has subbed out sour cream for cream cheese? Might give that a try next time. But it was a hit!
Yes I did. It was delicious!
G’morning! Just curious if you or anyone has used Castelvetrano olives instead of the green with pimento? I am not a fan of those haha
Making this tomorrow for a Happy Hour in our condo building.
Thank you!
P.S. My friend shared this recipe with me and loved it 🙂
Great question! I haven’t tried them in this recipe, but if you prefer their flavor to the traditional pimento filled manzanilla olive, then I say go for it!
I’m making this tonight for a girl’s gathering. Thinking about putting a little crushed red pepper in with the mix. Thoughts anyone?
That would be a delicious addition. Great idea!!
DELICIOUS!!
Gas anyone ever froze them after baked?
Great question! I haven’t but I’ll wait to hear if anyone else has!
I used kalamata olives instead of black. Delicious. Thanks for the recipe!
I will be making this. Sounds yummy!! As for slicing olives-just a little tip. Use an egg slicer. Makes short order of slicing. I usually put 4 olives in
at a time. Easy peasy!!
That is such a great idea, Connie! I love time-saving shortcuts like that. Thank you for sharing!
Looks wonderful!
Wonder if it would work in an air fryer?
I don’t see why not! I haven’t made it in the air fryer but I’d imagine that it’d make it nice and crispy!
Yes. I have made it on the grill too. I also changed it up & used guardiniera instead of olives.
My family loved it! We will be making this again!
I am so glad that your family enjoyed this cheese bread, Jessica! Thanks so much for leaving a review – I really appreciate it! 🙂
This was so easy and delicious! I tweeted the recipe a bit by adding chopped
peppercini and in place if the French bread used a naan pizza crust! Delicious, will definitely make again!
YUM! Pepperoncini and naan sound so good! I’m glad you were able to use what you had on hand. Thank you for leaving a review, Fran! I really appreciate it 🙂
Just wanted to put this out there. Egg slicer works well with olives. You can fit 3 or 4 and slice several at a time.
wait ok, this is incredible
Will they be as tasty if I serve at room temperature.
Yes! I like the flavor of them when they’re fresh from the oven but they’ll be good at room temp too!
This was absolutely amazing. It was very easy to make. I followed the recipe to the T. This has tons of flavor! I will definitely make this again. Thank you so much for sharing. 🙂
Yayyyy!!! This is one our family’s favorite recipes too. Thanks so much for leaving a review, Sonya! I really appreciate it 🙂