Broccoli Bread
Recipe shared by Ruth Murchison of Tennessee.
Two loaves frozen bread dough: thaw and let rise, then shape the two loaves into one. Roll the dough into a rectangle approximately 10" x 18".
Lay slices (shredded is fine) mozzarella cheese down the center of the rectangle of dough, sprinkle with parmesan cheese, add the broccoli mixture on top of the cheese. Sprinkle with more parmesan cheese, then add another layer of mozzarella cheese. Starting at the center of the rectangle, pull the dough up over the filling and pinch the dough together, continue until the loaf is closed, tuch in the ends and pinch. Flip the loaf over unto a cookie sheet, you may need to turn ends to create a semi-circle making the loaf "C" shaped. Remember, the seam side must be down! Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. When you remove the loaf from the oven, brush top with butter.
Broccoli Filling:
2 boxes packages of frozen, chopped broccoli
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3/4 cup chopped black olives
1/2 cup chopped green olives
1/2 cup mushrooms (optional)
salt and pepper to taste
1/3 to 1/2 cup Italian salad dressing.
Combine ingredients and cook approximately 8 minutes.
Cool and drain extremely well. It may be necessary to squeeze excess liquid from the filling. The filling is best prepared ahead of time while dough is thawing. Too much moisture in the filling makes the bread too gummy!
This bread has a number or variations. I have made Reuben Bread by changing the cheese to mozzerella and Swiss with a filling of corned beef and sauerkraut (squeezed dry!), Pizza Bread using the mozzerella cheese and parmesan cheese with a filling made of: hamburger, pepperoni,onion, mushroom, olives which is precooked and drained well, with about 3 Tbsp. of tomato paste stirred in after draining. The possibilities are endless.
The recipe came from experimenting with an idea a friend from Connecticut had provided me. This bread makes one large loaf which can be used as a whole meal, an appetizer, or with soup and salad. Enjoy!
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