Tailgating Recipes: Grilled Italian Deli Pull Bread

Chelsi was checking out Pinterest the other day and noticed a recipe called "Cheddar Bacon Ranch Pull."  Have you heard of these things?  Some people call it "hedgehog bread" or "pull bread," but  they're basically sourdough bread loafs cut open and stuffed with anything under the sun.  

Stephanie Parker, author of the awesome food blog, Plain Chicken, has created several different versions of this tasty bread and inspired me to try them out on the grill.  

The recipe calls for the same grilling method and temperature as beer can chicken, so you can just throw the bread on at the same time.

These things are a tailgater's dream.  Not only are they super easy to make, they're also packed with flavor, look great on display, and you only need your fingers to eat them.  

I've come up with a few of my own pull bread recipes and the one I'm sharing today is called the Italian Deli Pull Bread.  

The Italian Deli Pull Bread has a blend of ricotta cheese, hot italian peppers, shredded Italian cheeses, and spicy sopressata (kinda a mix between hard salami and pepperoni).  This stuff is stinking good.  I made it for Chelsi's family and it was a huge crowd pleaser.  There's already talk about me making it every week!

Here's what you'll need for the Italian Deli Pull Bread:

• 1 large, unsliced sourdough bread loaf (OR do what I did and go to Panera Bread and get two (2) of their sourdough bread bowl loaves, fully intact)
• 1/2 Cup ricotta cheese
• 4 oz cream cheese, softened
• 2 Tablespoons pickled hot cherry pepper juice
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 cup diced pickled hot cherry peppers
• 3 Tablespoons diced sopressata (hard salami or pepperoni would work too)
• 1 cup shredded italian cheese (you could really use any cheese, but Kraft's Italian Five Cheese is tasty and melts really well)

Preheat your grill for indirect grilling at 350 degrees.  See my beer can chicken post if you're unsure how to do this on your grill.  While this is a grilling blog, you can also make this in the oven, if you must.

Cut slices into the bread about 1 inch apart, making sure to stop before you cut all the way through.  Make another set of slices perpendicular to the ones you just made.

Combine the diced cherry peppers, sopressata, and shredded cheese together in a bowl and set aside.

You will want to eat this plain.  You must resist.

Stir the ricotta cheese, softened cream cheese, cherry pepper juice, and garlic powder together in a bowl.

Spread the soft cheese spread between all the cubes of bread.  Then, stuff the slots with the cheese and sopressata mixture.

Cover in foil and place on the grill over the indirect heat.  Close the lid.

Grill for 15 minutes with the lid closed.  After 15 minutes, unwrap the foil and let the exposed bread grill for another 10 minutes.  Again, keep the lid closed.

Aspiring Picasso: Grilled Cubism.

Then, you can dig in!

This bread is the whole package.  It's rich, a little spicy, creamy and has enough meat inside to satisfy your carnivorous cravings.

I still wanted to try Plain Chicken's Cheddar Bacon Ranch Pull and the Cinnamon Roll Pull, so I whipped those up as well.  I grilled them for the same amount of time as she calls for in the oven.

Plain Chicken's Cinnamon Roll Pull was out of control.  This would be PERFECT if you're tailgating for a noon game and looking for something on the breakfast menu.  It works great as a dessert, too!

Tailgating Tip:  All of these recipes, including the ones from Plain Chicken, can be prepared the night before your tailgate.  Simply prep the bread, wrap it in foil and throw it in your cooler or fridge the night before.  They'll be good to go whenever you're ready to fire up the grill.

Big Green Egg Tip: If you're using your place-setter, be sure to put a thick disk of foil under the bread for extra protection.  My place-setter got too hot and the bottom of one loaf got a little charred.