This post is part of a series I’m working on for Black Creek Cheese. We formed a partnership out of a love for big flavor and bold cheeses. In case you’ve missed any of my previous posts you can click here to check out all the cheesy dishes I’ve come up with so far.

Football season officially kicks off in a few days and like pretty much everything else since March, I’m guessing that most of you will have a bit of a different game day experience this year. It doesn’t matter if you’re watching the game solo or with a group of friends though because you’re going to want this Cheddar Bacon Ranch Pull Apart Bread there either way!

I’ve been making this recipe for years at this point and it’s always a hit with people who have never had it before. I mean come on, it has Black Creek Sharp Cheddar that’s been aged for nine months, bacon, a ton of butter and it’s incredibly easy to make. What’s not to love?

The recipe starts out with a loaf of sourdough bread that you’re going to want to slice side to side in both directions, leaving about an inch between each cut so you can stuff it with cheese and bacon. If you can’t find sourdough bread, Italian bread or any other round loaf will do, but just make sure that you don’t cut all the way through the bottom of your bread.

Once you’ve got your loaf of sourdough stuffed with diced bacon and almost a half-pound of cheese, you’re going to melt half a cup of butter, combine it with a tablespoon of dry ranch dressing mix and brush it over your bread. Then just wrap the loaf up in aluminum foil and bake it in the oven for 20 minutes at 350°.

I’ve seen other recipes for Cheddar Bacon Ranch Pull Apart Bread and they all seem to call for Bacon Bits, but nothing will ever top the deliciousness of real bacon, so if you plan on making it, just do yourself a favor, spend the extra 15 minutes and fry some actual bacon.

If you’re looking for even more flavor, Black Creek also makes a really great Extra Sharp Cheddar that’s been aged for two years and another one that’s been aged for three years. If you want that extra gooey cheese stretch as you’re pulling your bread apart though, make sure you stick with their Sharp Cheddar.

So, whether you make this as part of a game day appetizer spread for you and your friends or family or you just end up eating the entire loaf yourself over the course of the game — which I’ve definitely done before — you’re guaranteed to have a great time with this recipe!