Cheesy Apricot Bacon Pull Apart Bread

Who doesn't love bread covered in cheese and bacon with a hint of sweetness?

Don't answer that.

It's a rhetorical question.

Everyone loves this ridiculously delicious loaf. 

It has bacon, jalapeno cheese, garlic, apricots, and soft and squishy sourdough. I mean...really....what's not to love?

Plus...it's super simple (from start to finish in under 20 minutes) and looks really pretty!

Cheesy Apricot Bacon Pull Apart Bread

Ingredients

1 loaf sourdough bread

10 oz Jalapeno Havarti cheese, sliced

6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

4 fresh apricots, finely diced

1/4 cup bacon drippings

1 tsp garlic powder

salt & pepper

1 tsp dried chives

Directions

Preheat oven to 350. Line a cookie sheet with a large piece of tinfoil (enough to wrap around bread loaf), set aside.

Using a serrated knife, cut loaf of bread in criss cross pattern - being careful not to go all the way through the bottom of the loaf. Set loaf in center of tinfoil on cookie sheet.

Take the slices of cheese and slide them into the cuts in the loaf. Be sure to press them down into the cuts so they won't fall out.

Sprinkle with the bacon bits - again, try to push them down into the cuts a little so they don't fall off. 

Sprinkle with the finely diced apricots - pushing into cuts as before.

Whisk together the bacon drippings, garlic powder, salt & pepper, and chives. Drizzle slowly and evenly over top of entire loaf. 

Tent the foil over the loaf and pinch to seal. 

Bake at 350 for approx 15 minutes, until cheese is melty. Carefully open tinfoil, turn oven to broil, and broil until bread browns a little - it only take a minute or two, keep an eye on it.

Serve immediately (Be careful, it's hot!)

I think the only thing I would change about this is to sprinkle a bit of shredded cheese on top of the loaf when it gets put under the broiler...just to make it extra cheesy.

You can, of course, use whatever cheese you like but I recommend you give the jalapeno cheese a try. The hint of spiciness goes really well with the hint of sweetness from the apricots. (As it does with Kenzie's Spicy Apricot Bacon Bites)

We served this at room temperature at the Apricot Festival as there was no oven available there to keep it warm. Yeah....it's pretty tasty at room temp too, just not as melty. 

Be sure to visit Blissful And Domestic and Kitchen Fun With My 3 Sons and My Turn (for us) and Easy Life and Carole's Chatter for some fantastic links!