PESTO MONKEY BREAD
Active time: 20 minutes; Total time: 1 hour
Refrigerated biscuit dough makes this savory monkey bread a breeze to put together. The mounds of dough are tossed with a buttery, herby Parmesan and then baked until brown. Any shape pan can be used, but it should be big enough to hold 1 to 1½ quarts, so an 8-inch square baking pan works well.
Storage notes: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons pesto (store-bought or homemade)
4 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided ½ teaspoon kosher salt One 12-ounce can refrigerated biscuit dough
Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees.
In a 1-to-1½-quart baking dish, such as an 8-inch square pan, combine the melted butter, pesto, 2 tablespoons of the Parmesan and the salt.
Separate the dough into biscuits, and quarter each biscuit. Place the pieces in the baking pan with the butter mixture and, using your hands, toss to combine and coat the pieces well.
Arrange the dough pieces evenly in the pan. They will be piled on top of each other and touching, but make sure they are evenly distributed. Then, sprinkle the remaining Parmesan over the dough pieces and cover with aluminum foil.
Bake for 20 minutes, then remove the foil. Bake for an additional 15 to 20 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the inside is cooked through, with no doughy pockets (use a butter knife to check out the middle of one biscuit).
Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Invert the monkey bread onto the rack, then flip the bread carefully over again and transfer to a serving plate.
Serve warm, letting everyone pull the bread apart into hunks.
Nutrition (based on 8 servings) | calories: 200; total fat: 11 g; saturated fat: 4 g; cholesterol: 10 mg; sodium: 607 mg; carbohydrates: 20 g; dietary fiber: 1 g; sugar: 4 g; protein: 4 g.