I love olives and have since I was a little girl.

I also love cheese. And bread. So I was really drawn to a recipe I saw recently for Olive Cheese Bread, by Ree Drummond, from her cookbook “The Pioneer Woman Cooks.” I made it recently and it was delicious. I thought it would be a great recipe for watching the Super Bowl. It can be made easily, and then refrigerated or frozen until ready to bake.

As with a lot of things I am making during this COVID time, I tried to use the ingredients I had on hand so I wouldn’t have to make a trip to the store. I had black olives and green olives in my refrigerator. I also had mozzarella cheese, Parmesan and cheddar. I didn’t have any fresh green onions, but I had a beautiful red one. It didn’t seem to matter that the proportions were a little different. It was delicious! It’s even delicious just as a cheese spread for crackers.

Olive Cheese Bread

1 cup black olives, drained and roughly chopped on cutting board

1 cup pimento-stuffed green olives, drained and roughly chopped

1/4 cup red onion, chopped (or 2 green onions)

1 stick butter, softened

1/2 cup real mayonnaise

1 pound cheese, grated (Monterey Jack, or mozzarella with a little cheddar or Parmesan)

1 loaf (or 2 small loaves) crusty French bread

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Combine the softened butter, mayonnaise, grated cheese, chopped olives and green onions in a bowl. Stir until thoroughly combined.

Slice the French bread loaf in half lengthwise. Spread the olive-cheese mixture evenly on each half.

Bake for about 20 minutes until cheese is thoroughly melted and bubbly and beginning to brown slightly. Cut into diagonal chunks and serve immediately.

Notes: You can make this a day or two ahead, and store tightly covered in refrigerator. Or store in freezer and thaw before baking.