This Cob Loaf Recipe comes with three popular dip options - cheese, ham and chive, cheese and bacon and spinach and cheese.
You'll love this Aussie fave that screams "retro", "comfort food" and "party" all at once!
This party starter recipe can easily be made up in about half an hour and is always a hit. Take it to a party or serve it as a casual meal. You can't beat a Friday night in with a cob and glass of something special!
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Why this recipe is the only one you'll need
This recipe includes three popular dip options:
- cheese, ham and chive
- cheese and bacon
- spinach and cheese.
The base recipe includes a special ingredient that you don't often see in cob loaf recipes – keep reading to discover what it is and how it takes this popular snacking dish to a whole new level.
It's also extremely versatile. You can also get creative and start substituting to come up with your own delicious cob loaf creation! Let me know in the comments below if you discover a great flavour combination.
Ingredients
To make up this recipe you'll need these basic ingredients to start:
- 1 medium cob loaf (approx 500 grams) (most bakeries and some supermarkets will sell a cob loaf, which is a crusty round bread made into one large loaf)
- small onion
- olive oil
- cream cheese
- thickened cream (heavy cream)
- sour cream
- grated cheese (a mixture of cheddar and pizza cheese works best)
- white wine (preferably dry, but I sometimes use Moscato which often tends to be open in my fridge and it works just fine).
SECRET INGREDIENT: Yes, the white wine is the special ingredient I mentioned above. Including it – an idea I borrowed from Swiss cheese fondue recipes – really makes this one of the best Cob Loaf Recipes you'll find. The white wine helps to balance the flavours and elevates the cheesy dip to the next level.
Additional ingredients for flavour variations
For cheese and bacon cob loaf, you'll also need shortcut bacon rashers and fresh chives.
Fancy spinach and cheese cob loaf? You'll also need frozen spinach and French onion soup mix.
Finally, for cheese, ham and chive cob loaf, you'll also need ham and fresh chives.
How to make this easy Cob Loaf Recipe
Prepping
Start by pre-heating your oven to 180 degrees celsius / 355 degrees fahrenheit (fan-forced) or equivalent.
Using a large bread knife, slice the top off the cob loaf, about 4cm from the top, and cut into pieces. These bread pieces will be used to serve with the cob loaf – you'll be dipping these into the cheesy mixture.
Next, cut out the centre of the loaf. Use the knife and then your hands to pull out the bread until you have a 1-2cm thick bread "bowl".
Tear or roughly chop the inside bread into pieces.
Add these bread pieces to the pieces from the top of the cob loaf, place on a baking tray and place into your heating oven for about 10 minutes to toast.
Making the dip
TIP: Start making the dip – but set your timer so you remember to take the bread pieces out of the oven once they're toasted.
Make the dip by adding the olive oil to a frying pan and cooking the onion and ham/bacon/spinach for a few minutes over medium heat.
Add the white wine and cook for 30 seconds.
Next, add sour and thickened creams (and french onion soup for spinach and cheese cob loaf) and heat for one minute over low heat.
Add the cream cheese and 1 cup of the grated cheese and and stir until the mixture is smooth.
Add ⅔ of the chives (for ham or bacon cob loaf) and stir through.
Filling the bread bowl
Pour or ladle the mixture into your bread bowl.
Sprinkle the remaining grated cheese and chives on top.
Baking
Place into oven and bake for 15 minutes.
Serving
Serve immediately with the toasted bread pieces.
You can also add other things, such as carrot and celery sticks, which go well with the dip.
Recipe FAQs
It's best served immediately, however you can re-heat again once within 24 hours provided it wasn't left out too long and was stored in the fridge. Cover with foil and re-heat for about 15-20 minutes in a moderate oven.
It would be a crime not to!
I've no idea! Matt Preston apparently described the filled cob loaf as "tacky and dated". But it's been a favourite for decades for a reason! Crispy bread, gooey cheese, bacon... how could anyone not love a filled cob?
So many! Start with the bread recipes or the Aussie collection. The old-fashioned slices are also popular.
Match it with
Make it a real party by also serving one of these sweet treats:
Cob Loaf Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 medium cob loaf (approx 500 grams) (a crusty round bread made into one large loaf that can be found at Australian bakeries and some supermarkets)
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 250 grams cream cheese
- ⅔ cup thickened cream (heavy cream) (165ml)
- ⅔ cup sour cream (165 ml)
- 1 ½ cups grated cheese (cheddar and pizza cheese combination) (140 grams)
- 1 tablespoon white wine (preferably dry, but moscato will do at a pinch!) (20ml)
For cheese, ham and chive cob loaf
- 200 grams ham, diced
- 1 ½ tablespoon chopped chives
For cheese and bacon cob loaf
- 200 grams shortcut bacon rashers, diced
- 1 ½ tablespoon chopped chives
For spinach and cheese cob loaf
- 125 grams frozen spinach, thawed
- 40 grams French onion soup mix
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees celsius / 355 degrees fahrenheit (fan-forced) or equivalent.
- Slice the top off the cob loaf, about 4cm from the top, and cut into pieces (these will be used to dip into the cheesy mixture).
- Cut out the centre of the loaf (using a knife and then your hands), leaving a bread "bowl". Tear or roughly chop the inside bread into pieces.
- Place pieces of bread from top and inside of cob loaf into heating oven for 10 minutes to toast.
- Make the dip by adding olive oil to a frying pan and cooking the onion and ham/bacon/spinach for a few minutes over medium heat.
- Add the white wine and cook for 30 seconds.
- Add sour and thickened creams (and french onion soup for spinach and cheese cob loaf) and heat for one minute over low heat.
- Add the cream cheese and 1 cup of the grated cheese and and stir until mixture is smooth.
- Add ⅔ of the chives (for ham or bacon cob loaf) and stir through.
- Pour mixture into bread bowl. Sprinkle remaining grated cheese on top.
- Place into oven and bake for 15 minutes.
- Sprinkle remaining chives on top (for ham or bacon cob loaf).
- Serve with toasted bread pieces.
Kiara
So goood! Best and easiest cob loaf recipe!
Libby Hakim
Awesome! Glad you enjoyed, Kiara. Thanks so much for the rating and review 🙂
John Kooyman
DEEEELISH 👹😛🥰
Libby Hakim
Woohoo!! Thanks so much for leaving a rating and review, John 🙂 Happy cooking!