Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup Crack Bread

The ultimate soup and sandwich combo—creamy tomato soup and a gooey grilled cheese—come together as one in this recipe for an incredible, snackable pull-apart bread. Starting with an already-made loaf of crusty Italian bread, this creative take on a classic food pairing is super easy to pull together and makes for a rave-worthy appetizer for anything from tailgates to holiday gatherings. Such loaded loafs of pull-apart bread have affectionately earned the name "crack bread" because of how absurdly addictive they are. Not gonna lie, we legitimately cannot get enough of this one, loaded with tomato soup and plenty of cheddar cheese.

Serves 8 (serving size: 1/8 loaf)

Ingredients

1 (1-lb.) crusty Italian bread loaf
8 ounces Cheddar cheese, shredded (about 2 cups)
4 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded (about 1 cup)
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil
4 ounces (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (10 3/4-oz.) can condensed tomato soup
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Using a serrated knife, make lengthwise cuts 1 inch apart in bread loaf, cutting to but not through the opposite side. Make crosswise cuts 1 inch apart in loaf, cutting to but not through the opposite side, creating “cubes” in loaf. Set aside.

2. Toss together Cheddar, mozzarella, and basil in a medium bowl; set aside.

3. Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium. Add garlic, and cook, stirring often, until fragrant, about 1 minute.  Add soup and pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through, 2 to 3 minutes. Carefully pour soup mixture evenly into cuts in bread loaf. Stuff cheese mixture into cuts in loaf.

4. Transfer stuffed bread loaf to a baking sheet; let stand 15 minutes. Cover bread loaf loosely with aluminum foil. Bake in preheated oven until golden and bubbly, about 25 minutes. Serve immediately. 

Well Done