Blueberry Brie Pull Apart Bread

Are you guys suckers for commercials the way that I am? Dan always says that when he sees something ridiculous being advertised on TV, his first thought is “I bet Tina would like that.” Sadly, he’s not wrong…my mind is really susceptible to suggestion (and gimmicks…and jingles), you guys.

As a food blogger, my favorite commercials are, of course, food-related. Especially around the holidays. I hope those food stylists are making a lot of money, because they make everything look so amazing and irresistible. Glistening bowls of cranberry sauce, piping-hot biscuits, baked yams with mini marshmallows, quivering jello molds, perfectly browned turkeys and roast hams…mm mm mmm.

It doesn’t even matter that I’ve just eaten, or that I don’t actually like a lot of holiday foods – when I see those commercials I’m instantly ravenous.

Favorite holiday commercial? Anything by Pillsbury.

Love the Dough Boy, love the scenes with families fighting over the last crescent roll or biscuit, love the close-ups of the various breads being pulled apart slowly, flaky layer by flaky layer.

Hello, my name is Tina, and I’m a bread-a-holic.

Recently, I was picked to do a campaign for the US Highbush Blueberry Council. As part of this campaign, I was asked to come up with a holiday recipe using frozen blueberries, preferably something savory. My actual thought process when I saw the email telling me about the campaign?

“Bread. Definitely something with bread. Is bread savory? It will be if I put cheese in it. Cheese and blueberries? Is that a thing? Ohhhhh, brie!”

Fun fact: in the last few years, I’ve become obsessed with brie + fruit. Creamy, gooey brie, slathered on a piece of toasted bread, topped with sliced figs. Hot, melty brie served with sweet jam on crackers, or baked together inside buttery phyllo dough. No matter how you eat it, the combination is irresistible. Which is possibly why I’m not as thin as I used to be.

For this blueberry campaign, I decided to go with a fun pull-apart bread (family-friendly!) stuffed with brie and a blueberry compote. I’d never tried blueberries with brie before, but I had a feeling it would be pretty tasty. You might remember that I made leftover turkey sandwiches with brie and cranberry sauce last year – this recipe is a similar concept, pairing creamy/rich cheese with tangy-sweet fruit.

Happily, the bread turned out really well! It was a little messy, super fun to eat, and the sweetness of the blueberry compote was perfect complement to the savory, melt-y brie. I can’t decide if this should be a breakfast dish or a fun pre-holiday party appetizer or a side dish, but I sort of think it can be all three.

If you’re looking for a yummy alternative to homemade cranberry sauce this year, I highly recommend going with blueberries. They’re delicious, readily available year round (fresh or frozen), and packed with health-boosting anti-oxidants.

Did I already say delicious? So far this week we’ve eaten the blueberry compote from this recipe inside these bread rolls, as a dip/spread for the bread, and as an ice cream topping. I can also it being amazing as an alternative to apple sauce with pork chops, and maybe as the J in PB&J’s. Versatility – always a plus!

To get the recipe, head on over to the Blueberry Council website. (FYI, bread recipe is very slightly adapted from Gringalicious)

To enter for a chance to win $500 or a weekly blueberry gift bag, click here.