Cheesy Bread Dippers

Hi.

I’m Mara. I write this little blog you’ve been reading. You may remember me from previous posts, including a teaser post about this delicious cheesy bread. Then I decided to go ahead and get sick. Twice. Ok, I was probably still sick but I went to the hospital twice.

Two Tuesdays in a row, I went to the ER hoping for a fast chest x-ray and breathing treatment, and ended up admitted for 4 days. Let’s not do that again, ok? Ok.

Let’s talk about these bread dippers, shall we?

I had this idea to make Papa John’s style “cheese sticks” for Adam and I, but with a healthier and more gourmet twist. Cheesesticks, as Papa Johns sells them, are pizza crust, topped with garlic butter and mozzarella, then served with marinara sauce. Simple. Delicious. The fodder for finals studying everywhere.

I used my favorite bread dough for the crust and baked it on my pizza stone at 475°F for about 10 minutes. Then, the magic: garlic-infused olive oil, shredded mozzarella, and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese and another 5 minutes in the oven…

Oh, and that sauce? That sauce could’ve been soup. I may have eaten it as soup… but I really don’t remember! But the sauce… roasted red pepper, parmesan, garlic… (1 jar, drained, 1/4 cup, 1 clove, plus a pinch of sugar) pureed within an inch of its delicious bright red life.

I really should make this again, mostly because it was delicious… but I can’t imagine HOW delicious because, you know, eating when you’re sick just isn’t the same as eating when you’re well.

Thanks for your patience with this extended break… I’ll be back with real recipes and such soon!

Tagged as: Baking, bread, pizza, vegetables, vegetarian