Bold, smoky and laced with cheese, this Loaded Cheddar Bacon Beer Bread is easy to make and delightful to enjoy.
While teaching a writing class this week, I was talking about this blog and it's longevity. Sarah's Cucina Bella was a spark of an idea 21 years ago. I was a news reporter looking for a new beat. Blogging offered opportunity to get my foot in the door on my own terms. I thought this would be a three to six month experiment to find my voice and prove I could write about food after years of writing about crime, town politics and court cases.
Twenty-one years later, there are roughly 2,000 recipes on this website. I've written nine cookbooks, one restaurant guidebook and one self-published book on blogging. There was a newspaper column for awhile. I was the editor in chief of a regional magazine for years. So much more ... I hear from readers by email and through comments, on social media and in person. What an amazing life that decision 21 years ago spawned.
That brings me to this bread. Loaded Cheddar Bacon Beer Bread is a recipe I developed for my newspaper column years ago. It's stuffed with applewood smoked bacon, scallions and cheddar cheese. It's smoky and a little sweet with a lovely hoppiness (if you use the right beer).
One of my favorite things about this bread is how easy it is to make. All the ingredients are stirred in a single bowl and then poured into the pan to bake. It's so, so simple. And the results? So good.
I've updated the recipe just a bit from the original. One of the things that more than 20 years of food writing and recipe development experience has given me is perspective on recipes. I want my recipes to be doable and accessible. I want them to be written for the home cook in a way that allows them to just start cooking.
So here it is — an easy recipe for Loaded Cheddar Bacon Beer Bread. Once made, I love to enjoy slices of this spread warm and spread with butter. Typically, I will toast my slices very lightly for this. But you could heat it in the oven or toast it longer, if you prefer.
Any which way, I hope you love it as much as my friends and I do.
Loaded Cheddar Bacon Beer Bread
Bold, smoky and laced with cheese, this Loaded Cheddar Bacon Beer Bread is easy to make and delightful to enjoy.
Ingredients
- 2 ⅔ cups self-rising flour
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 6 oz applewood smoked bacon, chopped and lightly browned (about 6-8 slices)
- ¼ cup chopped scallions (green onions)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 12 oz. beer
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease an 8-inch loaf pan with cooking oil spray
- In a large mixing bowl, stir together the flour, sharp cheddar cheese, bacon, scallions and salt. Add the beer and stir until just combined. The batter will be lumpy. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and tap gently to even out.
- Bake for 45-50 minutes, until a knife inserted in the center of the bread comes out clean. The loaf should be golden brown. Let cool for 30 minutes before removing from the loaf pan and eating.
- If desired, serve warm with butter.
