Garbage Bread

Garbage bread looks like an ordinary loaf when hot from the oven—until you slice it open and see the tantalizing spirals of melted cheese, beef, pickles and bacon hidden inside. That’s the magic of garbage bread recipes! My family and I have added this recipe to the list of our favorite dinner recipes, but thick slices of cheeseburger bread are also great for snacks and Super Bowl parties—especially when they’re served with a tangy dipping sauce.

What is garbage bread?

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The exact origins of garbage bread are a little hazy, but the idea must have certainly come from a frugal home cook who realized that it was a tasty way to repurpose leftovers. The stuffed bread is similar to stromboli, since its fillings are rolled up in bread dough and then baked. It picked up the “garbage” label because the recipe is a convenient way to clean out your fridge and use up leftover cooked meats, cheese and veggies. (It’s sometimes confused with the regional New York dish called garbage plate, which is a whole different beast.)

Garbage bread recipes have taken off on social media, with creators incorporating all kinds of flavors and ingredients into the swirly slices. This take on the dish is a cheeseburger garbage bread, which includes everything from the mustard to the pickles.

Garbage Bread Ingredients

• Refrigerated pizza dough: Most stores stock bags of pizza dough in the deli area or refrigerated case. Another option is to use easy homemade pizza dough.
• Ground beef: Add garbage bread to the list of recipes that use a pound of ground beef.
• Bacon: While many types of bacon would work well in this savory bread recipe, I prefer the flavor of applewood- or hickory-smoked bacon in this cheesy bread.
• Cheese: I use two types of cheese in this recipe. The cheddar cheese is added for the flavor, while Jack is one of the best melting cheeses. Freshly shred or grate your own cheese, since it will melt better than store-bought bags of cheese that contain cellulose (to prevent clumping).
• Onion: Cook the meat with diced onion for the most flavorful beef mixture. Diced frozen onions can help you cut down on chopping time.
• Ketchup: It can get confusing with so many ketchup brands out there. You likely have a bottle already, but if you don’t, we like Heinz, French’s and Hunt’s.
• Mustard: Turn to regular yellow mustard to pack that classic cheeseburger flavor into the garbage bread.
• Pickles: Slice up dill pickle spears to layer inside the filled bread. Using dill pickle relish is another way to incorporate the flavor.
• Banana peppers: Pickled yellow banana pepper rings are available in mild or spicy varieties. Choose your favorite.
• Spices: To flavor the garbage bread recipe filling, use a simple blend of salt, pepper and garlic powder.
• Egg: Brushing the rolled dough with beaten egg will cause it to emerge from the oven with a beautiful golden brown color. The wash also holds optional sprinkles of sesame seeds or coarse salt.

Directions

Step 1: Make the bacon

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Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a rimmed 15x10x1-in baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.

Cook the bacon strips in a large skillet set over medium heat, turning once, until the bacon is cooked and crisp, about 10 minutes. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate and blot any excess grease. Crumble or chop the bacon and set it aside. Discard the excess grease from the pan and place it back on the heat.

Step 2: Prepare the filling

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Add the ground beef and onion to the skillet. Cook, breaking up large clumps with a wooden spoon, until the beef is browned, about 10 minutes. Pour off any excess grease and remove the skillet from the burner.

Stir in the salt, pepper, garlic powder, pepper and diced, cooked bacon. Stir in shredded Jack cheese, ketchup and mustard until the cheese is completely melted.

Step 3: Add the filling to the dough

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Roll the pizza dough out into a 15×10-inch rectangle. If the dough is sticking, dust a small amount of all-purpose flour on the work surface. Spread the beef mixture into an even layer over the dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border on all sides. Sprinkle chopped pickles and chopped banana peppers over the meat. Finally, sprinkle the shredded cheddar cheese evenly over the top.

Editor’s Tip: The dough is easier to roll out on a bare cutting board.

Step 4: Roll up the dough

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Starting at a long end, gently roll up the dough so that the filling remains tucked inside. Pinch the long seam and ends closed. Carefully transfer the log to the lined baking sheet, seam-side down.

Editor’s Tip: Roll the dough away from you and lift it as you go so the filling doesn’t get squeezed out.

Step 5: Add egg wash

Crack the egg into a small dish and whisk it with a fork until it’s beaten. Use a pastry brush to spread beaten egg over the entire surface of the dough. Sprinkle the top of the log with coarse sea salt and/or sesame seeds, if desired.

Step 6: Bake the garbage bread

Bake the garbage bread for 25 to 30 minutes. When finished, it will be deep golden brown color all over.

Editor’s Tips: If the top is getting too dark before the bread is done, tent a piece of foil over the top to shield it.

Step 7: Cool and serve

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Transfer the baked garbage bread to a cutting board. Let it cool for at least 10 minutes before cutting it into 1-inch-thick slices. Serve garbage bread with your favorite dipping sauces, like burger sauce.

Editor’s Tip: The longer you let the garbage bread rest, the less likely the filling will be to fall out of the slices.

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Garbage Bread Variations

There are many different ways to customize the filling for garbage bread, and they’re all easy to whip up!

• Prep a Philly cheesesteak filling: Cook sliced onions and green bell peppers with the ground beef until they’re tender. Spread it over the dough, then top the filling with sliced or shredded provolone.
• Use Italian meat sauce: Cook ground beef or Italian sausage with diced onions and Italian seasoning blend, then simmer it with about a cup of marinara sauce. Layer this over the dough with shredded mozzarella, grated Parmesan and fresh basil leaves.
• Make a taco filling: Cook ground beef with taco seasoning. Then, fill the dough with the taco meat, a shredded Mexican cheese blend and your favorite taco toppings, such as sliced jalapenos, diced tomatoes, cilantro and diced onions.
• Repurpose Buffalo chicken dip: Make your favorite Buffalo chicken dip recipe in the oven or slow cooker. Spread the dip over the pizza dough, then roll it up and bake it.
• Add meat like a meat lovers pizza: Brown ground beef with ground sausage and add chopped pepperoni and pizza sauce. Layer it over the dough with shredded mozzarella.
• Let broccoli cheddar soup inspire your filling: Make a meat-free version of garbage bread that tastes like broccoli cheddar soup. Saute small broccoli florets with diced onion and garlic until they’re tender. Arrange the veggies over the dough and add layers of shredded cheddar and grated Parmesan, plus a little salt and pepper.

How to Store Garbage Bread

Leftover garbage bread is delicious for lunch or snacks. Let the bread cool completely, then transfer it to a tightly sealed container and store it in the fridge.

How long does garbage bread last?

It’s important to keep garbage bread tightly wrapped or covered so it doesn’t dry out. It should be refrigerated to protect its quality. When properly stored this way, garbage bread will last for up to four days.

Can you freeze garbage bread?

Yes! While the cooled, baked loaf can be frozen whole, it’s more convenient to freeze it in slices because they’re faster to reheat. Arrange slices of garbage bread on a lined baking sheet and freeze them until they’re solid. Transfer the slices to a freezer-proof container or resealable bag. Store them in the freezer for up to three months.

Garbage Bread Tips

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Should you serve garbage bread hot or cold?

The recipe for garbage bread can be enjoyed hot or cold, but we do think it tastes best when it’s hot and the cheese is melted and gooey. To reheat garbage bread, arrange slices on a lined pan. Warm them in a 350º oven or on a tray in a toaster oven.

What else can you serve with garbage bread?

My family loved slices of garbage bread served with a dipping sauce. Since this is a cheeseburger bread, we chose to pair the bread with copycat McDonald’s special sauce. Other dipping sauces to try include regular ketchup, ranch dressing, copycat Popeye’s Mardi Gras mustard and copycat Chick-fil-A sauce. Serve this comfort-filled bread with favorite comfort food sides like baked onion rings, French fries or creamy coleslaw.