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Cheesy Pesto Bread

Cheesy Pesto Bread combines homemade pesto, cheese and frozen dinner rolls for a soft pull-apart loaf that's the perfect sharable snack!
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Course Appetizer, bread
Cuisine American
Servings 6 -8 servings
Calories 638kcal

Ingredients
  

Bread

  • 10 frozen dinner rolls like Rhodes
  • ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
  • ¼ cup butter melted
  • ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese

Pesto

  • ¼ cup pine nuts
  • 4 cups fresh basil leaves about 4 heaping handfuls
  • 3 garlic cloves rough chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper fresh ground
  • ¾ cup olive oil
  • cup coarsely grated parmesan

Instructions
 

  • Thaw rolls at room temperature on a greased sheet pan, covered with plastic wrap, just until you are able to cut them in half, about 45 minutes to an hour. Roll each half into small balls, 20 in total.
  • Meanwhile, add pine nuts, basil, garlic, salt and pepper into the bowl of a food processor. Pulse ingredients until finely chopped, about 8-10 times. With the food processor running, slowly pour olive oil in through the top, until mixture comes together and forms a loose paste. Scrape sides, add parmesan and process 10 seconds more. Taste for salt and pepper.
  • Preheat oven to 375℉. Grease a 9” round cake pan, set aside.
  • In a medium bowl add ½ cup pesto, toss each dough ball to coat. Add mozzarella and parmesan and gently toss gently. Place each dough ball in the pesto and place into the pan. They will not completely fill the bottom of the pan. Cover pan with plastic wrap and place in a warm area of your kitchen until rolls double in size and nearly fill the pan, about 1 hour.
  • Brush each roll with some of the melted butter. Bake rolls for 18-25 minutes, reduce oven temperature to 350℉ if they are browning too quickly. When rolls are finished baking, brush the rolls with more melted butter, and drizzle with a bit more of the pesto. Serve immediately with marinara sauce, and any remaining fresh pesto.

Notes

These are best served right away. You can store them covered at room temperature for up to 1 day. Reheat in the oven at 350℉, covered tightly with foil, until warmed through.
Homemade pesto can be made ahead of time and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. It is best if used within 3 days though.

Nutrition

Calories: 638kcalCarbohydrates: 37gProtein: 14gFat: 50gSaturated Fat: 14gPolyunsaturated Fat: 6gMonounsaturated Fat: 27gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 41mgSodium: 958mgPotassium: 208mgFiber: 3gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 1278IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 343mgIron: 4mg
Keyword Pesto Bread