Pinterest Recipe: Bacon, Ranch Pull Apart Bread

           
(picture from Plain Chicken--found on Pinterest)

Plain Chicken has had this recipe on Pinterest for awhile now, and I have been craving it for awhile now.  Yes, folks, it is really good.  I even messed up the recipe.  In my December busy haze, I didn't read carefully before heading to the store and bought a bottle of ranch dressing instead of ranch dressing MIX.  I mixed the bottled dressing with the butter and it tasted great, but I bet the mix and butter would be even better. 

This pulls apart with gooey promise and you get a strong bacon taste in every bite.  The baked in ranch-butter that soaked into each sourdough bite was the best part.  My friend and I almost ate the whole loaf, and I would have eaten more if it hadn't been unacceptably gluttonous. 

Next time I make this I will run ten miles first (or at least be aware I need to) and add some finely chopped green onions toward the end of the baking time. 

I was so happy inhaling this that I didn't take a picture.  It really looked a lot like the picture above.  Often my recipes look "different" from the beautiful example on the recipe, but this one looked just about as ooey and gooey with calories and deliciousness as above.

This would be a fun appetizer for an informal party this Christmas or New Year's.  Your fingers get buttery and gooey, and the boss's party isn't the place for this dish.  This actually would be a PERFECT dish for watching your favorite football bowl game.  We resorted to a fork and knife half way through, but it was too pretentious for this appetizer.  Enjoy!

Bacon/Ranch Pull Apart Bread:

1 unsliced loaf of round sourdough bread
8-12 ounces of shredded cheese (I used a cheddar/jack mix)
3 oz. of bacon bits or chopped bacon
1/2 cup of melted butter
1 Tbsp of ranch dressing MIX

Using a sharp bread knife cut the bread going both directions. Do not cut through the bottom crust. Place shredded cheese in between cuts. Sprinkle bacon bits on bread, making sure to get in between cuts. Mix together butter and Ranch dressing mix. Pour over bread. Wrap in foil the entire loaf in foil and place on a baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Unwrap. Bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted.