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Copycat Italian Cheese Bread

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Little Caesar's Italian Cheese Bread is one of our favorites! This is my copycat version of it! Made from scratch and ready in under an hour! This cheesy garlic bread will have you ditching the take out and making it yourself!

A plate of hot sticks of Copycat Italian Cheese Bread
Hot, cheesy bread just like you get at Little Caesar's!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe

  • Less expensive and more servings than Little Caesars pizza sells!
  • If you love those pizza kit fundraisers from little Caesars you'll love this easy recipe!
  • Compliments any Italian dish like Pizza Rolls or Three Cheese Manicotti!
  • Better than Crazy Bread!

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

  • Olive Oil - vegetable, canola or coconut oils work great too!
  • Butter - Either salted or unsalted butter is fine.
  • Flour - All purpose, not self rising
  • Italian Cheese Blend - This blend of cheese comes in most brands and is available in most grocery stores. It usually contains shredded Romano, parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese and provolone cheeses.
  • Italian Seasoning - is a blend of italian spices like basil, marjoram, oregano, rosemary, and thyme.
Ingredients for italian cheese bread.
The simple ingredients you need for this cheesy italian bread!

Step by Step Instructions

  • Measure the yeast, sugar and warm water into the base of stand mixer, or a regular mixing bowl to start the pizza dough for the cheese bread base.
  • Let it stand for a 3-5 minutes and allow to get foamy.
Yeast, sugar, warm water poured into a mixing bowl to get foamy.
Active the yeast with the sugar!
  • Add the salt, olive oil and flour to the foamy yeast.
  • Mix until a very sticky dough comes together.
  • Add enough additional flour for the dough while kneading to make a very soft ball of dough that it still sticky to the touch after being kneaded.
  • Kneading in the additional flour should only take a minute or so.
  • Cover dough with a clean dish towel and let rise for 20 minutes.
Salt, olive oil, and flour mixed into a sticky dough.
Add salt, olive oil and flour to make the pizza dough!
  • Press risen dough into a 9x13 baking dish that has been lined with foil and sprayed with non-stick spray. Lining with foil allows you to lift the cheese bread out of the pan to cut it into sticks.
  • NOTE- I find that a cookie sheet is not quite deep enough.
  • YES! This is enough dough to cover the bottom of the baking dish. Once pressed out it will only be ¼ to ½ inch thick. About the same as when you roll out cookie dough.
  • Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and let the dough rise while your oven preheats.
  • Once the oven is preheated sprinkle 2 cups of an Italian blend of pre-shredded cheese over the top of the dough.
Risen dough pressed into a baking dish and sprinkled with italian cheese blend.
Press into the prepared pan and sprinkle with the package of cheese.
  • Bake at 400 degrees for 12-15 minutes.  The top of the cheese should be golden brown especially on the edges of the crust.
  • Melt 3 Tbs. butter in a microwave safe container.
  • Pour the melted butter over the top of the cheese bread while brushing it around with a pastry brush. 
  • Sprinkle garlic salt and Italian seasoning blend over the top of the cheese bread.
Melted butter brushed over hot baked cheese bread then sprinkled with italian seasoning and garlic salt.
Brush the hot Italian Cheese bread with the buttery sauce and seasonings!
  • Lift the hot Italian cheese bread out of the baking dish and set it on a cutting board.
  • Cut into 12 cheese sticks with a pizza cutter.  Serve!
Hot cheese bread cut into sticks.
Cut into pieces and serve!

Recipe FAQs and Expert Tips

Can this recipe be done without a stand mixer?

Yes, absolutely! I use a stand mixer because I'm a bit on the un-muscular side but you can make this recipe by hand too!

This doesn't look like enough dough to cover the bottom of a 9x13 pan!!!

Yes, trust me, there is enough dough. When pressed out into the bottom of the baking dish it's only ¼-1/2 inch thick. About the same as when you roll out cookie dough.

What goes well with this cheese bread?

We like to eat these breadsticks with some homemade Pizza Sauce or, fresh Alfredo Sauce or some Lasagna cooked in my crockpot.  If you want to go for a bit lighter meal try this Layered Green Salad or this Chicken Pasta Caesar Salad.

How long is it good for?

It's best to consume this cheese bread within 2 days.

Does it need to be refrigerated?

Yes, please refrigerate any leftovers.  Reheat carefully in the microwave.

Have you tried this recipe? If so, leave me a rating and a comment below! And don't forget to subscribe to my newsletter to get my latest recipes sent right to your email! You can also follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram!

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Sticks of Italian Cheese Bread

Copycat Italian Cheese Bread Recipe

★★★★★ 4.9 from 25 reviews
  • Author: Mindee
  • Prep Time: 35 minutes (includes rising time)
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Total Time: 50 minutes
  • Yield: 12 pieces 1x
  • Category: Bread
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: Italian
Print Recipe

Description

Little Caesar's Italian Cheese Bread is one of our favorites! This is my copycat version of it!  Made from scratch and ready in under an hour! This cheesy garlic bread will have you ditching the take out and making it yourself!

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 1 package (2 ¼ tsp) Active Dry Yeast
  • 2 tsp Sugar
  • 1 cup Warm Water
  • 2 Tbs. Olive Oil
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 2 cups Flour
  • 2 cups of pre-shredded Italian Blend Cheese
  • 3 Tbs. Butter
  • Garlic Salt
  • Italian Seasoning blend

Instructions

  1. Dissolve the yeast with the warm water and sugar in your mixing bowl.   Let stand to activate for 5 minutes.
  2. Add the olive oil, salt and 2 cups of flour.
  3. Mix together and knead until a sticky dough forms.  It will be a softer dough and won't come together in a firm ball.  Add more flour if you need.
  4. Cover the dough and let rise until doubled, about 20 to 30 minutes.
  5. Line a 9x13 baking dish with tin foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray.
  6. Lightly press the risen dough into the prepared baking dish and cover to let rise for 10-15 minutes while your oven preheats.
  7. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
  8. Once your oven is preheated sprinkle the 2 cups of italian cheese blend evenly over the dough.
  9. Bake at 400 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes.  The cheese will be mostly golden brown.
  10. Melt the butter and brush it across the top of the hot cheese bread.
  11. Sprinkle garlic salt across the top.  We like a generous amount.
  12. Sprinkle the italian seasoning across the top.
  13. Lift the hot cheese bread out of the baking dish and place it on a cutting board.
  14. Slice into 12 pieces with a pizza cutter.
  15. Serve.

Notes

  • You might think there isn't enough dough to cover the bottom of the pan but yes, trust me, there is enough dough. When pressed out into the bottom of the baking dish it's only ¼-1/2 inch thick. About the same as when you roll out cookie dough.

Keywords: Copycat Little Caesar's Italian Cheese Bread, Italian Cheese Bread, Cheese Bread, Breadsticks

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ANY NUTRITIONAL ANALYSIS ON THIS SITE IS BASED ON AN ESTIMATE, CALCULATED BY NURTIFOX PLUGIN (OR OTHER THIRD-PARTY SOURCE) FROM THE INDIVIDUAL INGREDIENTS IN EACH RECIPE. VARIATIONS MAY OCCUR FOR VARIOUS REASONS, INCLUDING PRODUCT AVAILABILITY AND FOOD PREPARATION. WE MAKE NO REPRESENTATION OR WARRANTY OF THE ACCURACY OF THIS INFORMATION.  

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