Smoked Cheddar-Red Pepper Loaves

Grilled bread spread with cheese mixture – a perfect accompaniment to any meal. ...MORE+ LESS-

oz. smoked Cheddar cheese, shredded

1/2

cup mayonnaise

tablespoons diced pimientos

Dash hot pepper sauce

(1-lb.) loaf sourdough French bread, cut in half lengthwise

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1

Heat grill. In medium bowl, combine all ingredients except bread; mix well.
2

When ready to grill, place bread halves, cut side down, on gas grill over medium heat or on charcoal grill 4 to 6 inches from medium coals. Cook 5 to 6 minutes or until lightly toasted.
3

Remove bread from grill. Spread cheese mixture evenly on cut sides of bread. Return to grill, cheese mixture side up; cook an additional 6 to 7 minutes or until cheese mixture bubbles around edges and center is hot.

To broil bread halves, place, cut side up, on broiler pan; broil 6 to 8 inches from heat for 5 minutes or until lightly toasted. Remove bread from broiler. Spread cheese mixture evenly on cut sides of bread. Return to broiler, cheese mixture side up; broil an additional 2 to 3 minutes or until cheese mixture bubbles and begins to brown.
Smoked Cheddar has a sharp, smoky flavor produced by cool-smoking the cheese over hardwood smoke, or with smoke flavoring. Look for smoked cheddar at the deli, at the grocery store near the cut deli or gourmet cheeses, or in a cheese shop.
The distinctive tangy flavor of sourdough bread is the result of slow fermentation. Sourdough is leavened with a starter – a mixture of flour, water and yeast which is allowed to rise and develop several times before being used for bread dough. Sourdough breads have a moist chewy interior full of large holes and excellent flavor.
For extra flavor, add 1 teaspoon of chopped fresh sage leaves to each half of loaf. Garnish loaves with whole sage leaves.