The Unexpected Ingredient The Pioneer Woman Adds To Cheesy Bread

When you combine carbs and cheese, you get comfort food. So it's no surprise that cheese bread — which is essentially garlic bread topped with melted cheese — is such a popular recipe among foodies. 

One chef who's mastered the art of making cheese bread is Ree Drummond, better known as The Pioneer Woman. She has a few recipes for the crusty, mozzarella-topped French bread that's best served straight out of the oven, still crusty and melty. "As utterly simple and easy as it is, it's so delightfully delicious and flavorful," Ree writes on her website. "And it's always a hit."

While Ree has her OG garlic cheese bread recipe — which one reviewer dubbed the "Best. Bread. Ever." — she also has a more unique twist on the classic Italian-inspired side. In an August Instagram Reel, Drummond shared a video of herself whipping up what she calls her best friend: olive cheese bread. Here's why she recommends adding olives to your baked bread and how you can copy her idea for yourself.

While Ree Drummond swears by her original garlic cheese bread, she says her olive cheese bread takes it to the next level, adding saltiness and tang. She likes to serve it alongside a hearty salad, soup, or spaghetti dish. 

The topping for the bread includes chopped black olives and pimiento-stuffed green olives, scallions, butter, mayonnaise, and Monterey Jack cheese. According to The Recipe Critic, who has a similar recipe for olive garlic bread, the sweetness of the pimiento peppers in the green olives helps balance out the black olives.

People in the comments section of her recipe who have tried it for themselves are big fans. "This stuff is SOOOOO good!" one person raved, while another said, "I have made this so many times for work potluck lunches. EVERYONE loves this bread, even non-olive lovers." Many offer their own variations and uses for the bread. One home chef recommends using unsalted butter instead of salted because the olives provide enough salt, for instance.