Turn a zesty cheddar bread into Parmesan-chile cheese bread

Parmesan-chile cheese bread Last winter, I fell in love with the recipe for Zesty Cheddar Bread from Betty Crocker's "The Big Book of Bread."

The recipe is perfect for winter soups, and it is so easy and so successful that it just makes sense to try making it with other cheeses.

So far, I've baked it with Monterey Jack and Parmesan cheeses, substituting canned green chilis, which I usually have on hand, for the canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce used in the original recipe. I use a whole 4-ounce can of green chiles in the recipe. They are pretty mild, with only the slightest kick, and the green specks are attractive in the loaf.

To make the bread just a little healthier, I substitute one cup of whole-wheat flour for one of the original recipe's two cups of all purpose flour. Also, I've found that using a robust aged Parmesan, such as Sartori's Sarvecchio Parmesan produces a better flavor. Try it with Smoky Chorizo and Corn Chowder.

Here is my recipe adaptation:

Parmesan-chile cheese bread

Ingredients

Parmesan chile-cheese bread is wonderful with a hearty soup.Cooking oil spray

1/3 cup butter

1 cup buttermilk

1 tablespoon sugar

4-ounce can Trader Joe's fire roasted diced green chiles

2 eggs, beaten

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup all purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese (4 ounces)

Directions

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Grease the bottom of a 8-by-4-inch or 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with cooking oil spray. 

2. Melt butter in a large saucepan, stir in buttermilk, sugar, chiles and eggs until blended.  

3. Sift dry ingredients together into a bowl. Add cheese and stir to blend. Add to wet ingredients. Stir until just moistened. 

4. Spread dough into the loaf pan. Bake 40 to 60 minutes, depending on pan size. Check at 40 minutes by inserting a toothpick into the bread's center. Continue to bake in 5 minute increments until the toothpick comes out clean.

5. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes on a wire rack. Loosen all sides of the bread from the pan and turn out of the pan gently. Cool completely on wire rack.