Make this wreath-shaped cheesy bread with mozzarella sticks, Italian seasoning, Parmesan cheese, pesto, and marinara for an appetizer or potluck party.
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If you’re in the market for a quick and easy way to impress your guests, this wreath-shaped cheesy bread is just the thing. It’s so easy to make and it’s impressive at the same time. Makes a great centerpiece of your buffet table.
Not only is this recipe a great choice if you want to add a festive touch to your holiday get-togethers, but it’s also perfect if you’re looking for a delicious way to use up some leftover cheese.
Ingredients You Need
- Garlic salt – While you might think garlic powder is better than garlic salt, in fact, garlic salt is a mixture of garlic powder with table salt; this way, you get the best of both worlds without covering up the taste of the cheese.
- Rosemary – This is basically your flavor enhancer. The herb is very aromatic and brings out the sweetness in foods, especially breads and vegetables.
- Refrigerated pizza dough – I use Pillsbury canned pizza dough, but you really can use any pre-made or homemade pizza dough for this recipe.
- Mozzarella cheese sticks – Don’t get low-fat cheese sticks if you want them to taste good.
- Butter – I always use salted butter in savory dishes to add an extra boost of flavor.
- Italian seasoning – This is a blend of spices that makes it easy to get the flavor you want in just one spice. You can also add basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme and marjoram, if you want to make your own.
- Parmesan cheese – Be sure to use a good quality Parmesan for this dish. I like to shred my own from a block of cheese, but you can use a pre-shredded version. Just don’t use the crumbled kind in the green can.
- Marinara – I like to make my own marinara from crushed tomatoes, but you can buy your favorite brand of store-bought marinara if you want.
- Pesto – If you can, make your own pesto. If not, buy a high-quality brand with a fresh taste.
How to Make Wreath-Shaped Cheesy Bread
Preheat the oven to 375° F. Lightly grease a 12″ to 14″ pizza pan or other similarly sized round baking sheet or bowl. If you don’t have anything round you can use the backside of a baking sheet and just form the wreath shape on your own.
Open the cans of pizza dough and cut each into 16 pieces, for a total of 32 dough balls. If you’re using your own homemade pizza dough, just cut it into 32 pieces.
Place one piece of mozzarella inside each piece of dough and form the dough around it to make a ball. Pinch the ends together so the cheese doesn’t ooze out. This is a great activity that the kids can do!
Place the dough balls pinched-side down onto the pizza pan. Continue until all of the balls have been formed.
Now you can arrange the balls, seam-side down still, on the tray in the shape of a wreath, making sure to pack them close together. You might have do a little rearranging to make sure it’s all even and looks good.
Brush the tops of the dough with half the butter and sprinkle on the seasonings. This is where you can add any additional seasonings you like.
Bake the wreath until golden brown and puffed up, about 20 to 25 minutes. You want to make sure the bread is thoroughly cooked, so maybe pinch off a piece on the underside to make sure.
Remove it from the oven and allow it to cool slightly. Brush the tops again with butter and sprinkle on the Parmesan cheese. I also like to fit a few rosemary branches around the outside.
If you have a dip bowl that will fit in the middle of the wreath, that’s a great place to put your marinara sauce or pesto sauce for dipping. Extra points if you have one of these dip bowls with two sides.
Possible Substitutions
If you want, you can get creative with this recipe! Here are some ideas for how to change it up:
- Butter gives the bread a delicious and distinctive flavor, but if you don’t have any at hand, you can easily substitute it with olive oil.
- If you don’t have Italian seasoning in your kitchen cabinet, don’t worry! Just mix some oregano, basil, and thyme, and you’ll have something very similar. Alternatively, use something like Mrs. Dash or seasoned salt.
- You can substitute the Parmesan cheese for any other hard cheese, like Grana Padano or Reggiano.
Additional Helpful Tips
Here are three main things to remember when making your wreath-shaped bread.
- Pinching the ends of the dough together will keep any excess cheese from escaping during baking, so be sure to seal up each of the balls. If there isn’t enough dough to stretch around the cheese, cut the cheese in half.
- When you’re cutting your pizza dough into pieces, make sure you don’t cut them too small, or they won’t fit around the cheese.
- While baking the bread, check on it regularly to make sure it’s not burning or getting too crispy. If it is, you’ll need to turn down your oven so the bread gets completely cooked through without burning on top.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I Freeze the Wreath-Shaped Cheesy Bread?
Yes, you can freeze it.
You should wrap it in plastic wrap and then place it in a freezer bag or use an airtight container to store it. It’ll keep for up to two or three months, but we recommend using it within one month for the best results. The bread can easily become freezer burned.
While you might only consider freezing this once it’s already baked, you can actually freeze the dough balls that are already stuffed with the cheese. That’s a good way to prep this dish ahead of time, without it going bad in the refrigerator. When you’re ready to bake it, just allow the dough to thaw and to rise slightly in a warm environment before baking.
How Long Does this Bread Last in the Fridge?
The wreath-shaped cheesy bread will last for three days in the refrigerator. If you’re planning to store it for a longer period of time, we recommend freezing it. You’ll need to allow it to thaw before reheating it in the oven.
Can I Add Other Ingredients to Make It More Interesting?
You can definitely spice up the recipe with a variety of ingredients, but you should be careful not to change the basic proportions of the recipe.
If you want to add a different type of cheese, that’s perfectly fine. Choose a cheese that melts well and doesn’t immediately firm up once cooled, like cheddar or Monterrey Jack.
You can also use different dipping sauces for this wreath. If you want to make a Ranch dipping sauce, or a cheddar beer dip, that’s also a possibility.
More Appetizer Recipes To Try
- Holiday Antipasto Wreath Appetizer
- How To Make The Perfect Party Platter
- Easy & Delicious Fava Bean Puree
- Crispy Baked Breaded Mushrooms
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Wreath-Shaped Cheesy Bread
Ingredients
- 2 cans refrigerated pizza dough
- 8 mozzarella cheese sticks each cut into 4 pieces
- 3 tablespoons butter melted
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon rosemary finely chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
- 3 tablespoon Parmesan cheese finely grated
- 1 cup marinara
- 1 cup pesto
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375° F. Lightly grease a 12” to 14″ pizza pan.
- Open the cans of pizza dough and cut each into 16 pieces.
- Place one piece of mozzarella inside the dough and form the dough around it to make a ball. Pinch the ends together so the cheese doesn’t ooze out. Place it pinched side down onto the pizza pan. Continue until all 32 balls have been formed.
- Arrange the balls, seam side down, on the tray in the shape of a wreath, making sure to pack them close together.
- Brush the tops of the dough with half the butter. Sprinkle on the seasonings.
- Bake the wreath until golden brown and puffed up, about 20 to 25 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly. Brush the tops again with butter and sprinkle on the Parmesan cheese.
- Serve with warm marinara sauce and pesto sauce for dipping.
Nutrition
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Laura is a home cook who loves making new recipes and finding new favorite things to eat, whether at home or abroad. She also runs a popular travel blog and spends a lot of her time traveling for food.