Irish Cheese and Bacon Loaf

Irish Cooking can also be found at The Petit Chef and Pinterest.

                                   Ballyshannon, Donegal                                                                                  

This is the bread that accompanied the delicious cream of celery and olive soup at a pub in Ballyshannon, County Donegal. There are so many flavors and textures here, but they melded perfectly. Do try them together for a hearty lunch or light dinner on a cold wintry day. This is a very close variation on the bread served in Ballyshannon. Your selection of bread is crucial to this dish.  It needs a fresh, whole loaf with crunchy crust. Any shape is fine so just select your favorite.  I like a rye or pumpernickel, but that's just my preference.  A good white loaf is fine.  Do not have the baker slice it.  Wait until you are ready to make the bread.  Irish bacon is more like ham--even more so than Canadian bacon--than our crispy bacon. The Irish refer to our bacon as little strips of fat. I prefer American bacon for this recipe, and lucky for me because Irish bacon is difficult to find if you do not have an Irish shop near you. It can be ordered through Irish specialty stores online. 

There are two ways to assemble this bread depending on how crunchy you want it.  I prefer the bread not to be hard so I make the loaf.   If you like your breads more crisp, then lay each piece out separately on a cookie sheet and bake uncovered.  And feel free to experiment with bacon flavors, mustard flavors, cheeses, and bread types. This recipe is reflective of the Ballyshannon bread. 

Irish Cheese and Bacon Loaf

Ingredients:

A large loaf of fresh artisan bread 
Softened butter
Dill mustard
1 lb. extra sharp or hunter cheddar cheese, grated
1 lb. bacon, crumbled [I actually have come to like maple flavored bacon for another layer of flavor.]
Pepper
Colavita olive oil

Directions:

Cut bread into 1/2 to 3/4 inch pieces. If you prefer your bread crispy, then assemble each piece on a large, lightly greased cookie sheet. Otherwise, place pieces out on a large piece of aluminum foil. Lightly butter each piece and spread some dill mustard on each.  If you do not have dill mustard, just use a yellow mustard mixed with some dill.  Next cover with grated cheese and the bacon on top. Pepper to taste. Drizzle a quality olive oil on the pieces on the cookie sheet and bake uncovered for 10 minutes in a preheated 400° oven or longer depending on how crisp you like it.  The first time you make it, just check after 10 minutes. 
For the other assembly method, put the pieces back together as a loaf at an angle so the cheese and bacon do not fall off. Bring foil up over the sides leaving only the tops exposed.  Lightly drizzle olive oil over the top. Bake for 30 minutes in a preheated 350° oven. 
This can also be served with a salad instead of the soup for a great lunch or light dinner.