EspañolShow off a little over the holidays this year with this spectacular Vegetarian Chorizo Cheese Braid bread loaf. Your family will think you spent hours crafting it, but they'd be mistaken. Making it is easy, convenient, fast, and fun. I'll show you the cooking hacks that make it so simple, and they will save you time and stress in your holiday kitchen.
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of EasyHomeMeals.com, a food and lifestyle blog sponsored by the National Frozen and Refrigerated Foods Association (NFRA). All opinions are 100% mine.
I can think of very few things I like more than the aroma of freshly baked bread wafting through the kitchen, especially during the holidays. But let's be real, I have even less free time during the holidays. That's why I love this particular bread. It looks and tastes like homemade, it's soft and delicious, and I can make it without any messy preparation or cleanup.
My hack is to use Bridgford dough. I just defrost it, prepare it, and bake it. You don't have to mix it or knead it, in fact, most of the prep time involves leaving it alone to rise to do its own thing.
Did I mention how easy it is to make this recipe? There is really very little to do. The braid is filled with vegetarian chorizo and mozzarella cheese, and it's ideal for breakfast, lunch, a snack, or a special side dish during your holiday celebrations.
Tip: Plan to start it the day before so the dough can thaw overnight in the fridge.
More Holiday Shortcuts
If you're looking for more holiday hacks, by the way, check out these other ideas using high-quality products from the frozen food and dairy aisles to save you time in the kitchen during this holiday season: Mexican Chocolate Pie with Cinnamon Drizzle, Sweet Empanadas, Festive Crostini Antipasti and Ham & Cheese Chipotle Bread Balls.
About the Bread
Bridgford Frozen Ready-Dough® The bag comes with 3 (1lb) loaves. For this recipe, you will use one, but I highly recommend doubling the recipe. Every time we make it at home it lasts only a few minutes. It's so convenient having it right in the freezer, we grab it in an instant, we use only what we need, and nothing goes to waste.
About the Filling
MorningStar Farms® Chorizo Crumbles add a spicy kick to this recipe, not to mention a nice bump in plant-based protein. Use half the bag for this recipe, and save the other half for when your family asks you to make another loaf just minutes after delivering the first.
I love how these veggie chorizo crumbles are seasoned and how I just need to heat them up to use them.
Galbani® Part Skim Mozzarella Cheese. One of our favorite cheeses, it melts beautifully and has great flavor. We use it all the time and it works perfectly for this recipe.
Vegetarian Chorizo Cheese Braid
12 slices
Prep time: 5 min – Defrost overnight – Resting time: 3.5 hr – Active Time: 20 min – Baking: 25 min. (Most of the time it's working while you're playing!)
Ingredients
- 1 loaf Bridgford Frozen Ready-Dough®
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 bag MorningStar Farms® Veggie Chorizo Crumbles
- A little bit of flour
- 1 package Galbani® Part Skim Mozzarella Cheese
- 1 egg
- Dry Mexican oregano
Thaw the Dough.
Place one loaf inside an oiled 9×5 inch bread pan and brush it with more olive oil. Cover with plastic wrap and place it on your fridge overnight.
Take the dough out of the fridge (approx 4-5 hours before you plan on serving it) and let it rise in a warm place away from drafts until the dough is 1 inch taller than the pan. Depending on the weather and humidity, this can take between 2-3 hours.
Prepare the Filling
Heat up the chorizo according to the bag's instructions. If you are making one loaf of bread, you need half the contents of the bag (5 oz / 140 gr). Put the rest back in the freezer to use later.
Place the crumbles in a skillet, add 1/3 cup of water, cover them, and heat them for 4 minutes at medium-high heat, then continue another 4 minutes at medium heat, stirring occasionally.
Let the chorizo crumbles cool down and put them in the fridge until you need them. Next, slice 8 oz (225 gr) of cheese and put it back in the fridge until you need it.
Making the Braid
Once the dough has risen, lightly flour a clean surface and roll out the dough into a 14 x 10 inch (35.5 x 25.5 cm) rectangle.
Place half the mozzarella cheese slices in a strip down the center of the 14-inch length of the dough.
Spread the chorizo on top of the cheese and cover with another layer of cheese.
With a knife, cut 6-7 diagonal lines from the edge of the filling to the edge of the dough on both sides, starting about one-half inch from the top. Fold the top inch or so over the top of the filling, then braid by taking the first strip from the right side, crossing it over from right to left over the filling.
Continue by taking a strip from the left side, moving it from left to right over the top of the filling. Continue by alternating and folding strips, stopping just for a minute to fold the bottom up to seal the bread before finishing the last folding strips.
Fold the extra dough under the braid. Transfer the bread to a baking sheet covered with parchment paper or greased with oil or butter. Cover and let it rise again for 20 minutes.
While it rises, pre-heat oven to 375 °F (190 °C)
Mix the egg with 1 tablespoon water. Right before baking, brush the braid with a layer of egg wash. Sprinkle with dry Mexican oregano.
Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Let it cool down on a wire rack for 5 minutes before serving.
Enjoy!
More Easy Family Meals
Now, since it's just weeks to the holiday season, it’s time to start making your list of easy meals to prepare and enjoy with your family during the holidays. I invite you to check both your freezer and your fridge to create something yummy this year.
Be sure to come back and share your creations with us. And don’t forget to tag them with the #mamalatinatips hashtag, so we all can see and share your amazing creations, too.
For more culinary inspiration and even more easy recipes, be sure to check out the delicious ideas at EasyHomeMeals.com, and follow the #EasyHomeMeals hashtag on social media.
Print the Vegetarian Chorizo Cheese Braid Recipe
Vegetarian Chorizo Cheese Braid
Ingredients
- 1 loaf Bridgford Frozen Ready-Dough®
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 5 oz MorningStar Farms® Veggie Chorizo Crumbles
- A little bit of flour
- 8 oz Galbani® Part Skim Mozzarella Cheese
- 1 egg
- Dry Mexican oregano
Instructions
Thaw the Dough.
- Place one loaf inside an oiled 9×5 inch bread pan and brush it with more olive oil. Cover with plastic wrap and place it on your fridge overnight.
- Take the dough out of the fridge (approx 4-5 hours before you plan on serving it) and let it rise in a warm place away from drafts until the dough is 1 inch taller than the pan. Depending on the weather and humidity, this can take between 2-3 hours.
Prepare the Filling
- Heat up the chorizo according to the bag's instructions. If you are making one loaf of bread, you need half the contents of the bag (5 oz / 140 gr). Put the rest back in the freezer to use later.
- Place the crumbles in a skillet, add 1/3 cup of water, cover them, and heat them for 4 minutes at medium-high heat, then continue another 4 minutes at medium heat, stirring occasionally.
- Let the chorizo crumbles cool down and put them in the fridge until you need them. Next, slice 8 oz (225 gr) of cheese and put it back in the fridge until you need it.
Making the Braid
- Once the dough has risen, lightly flour a clean surface and roll out the dough into a 14 x 10 inch (35.5 x 25.5 cm) rectangle.
- Place half the mozzarella cheese slices in a strip down the center of the 14-inch length of the dough.
- Spread the chorizo on top of the cheese and cover with another layer of cheese.
- With a knife, cut 6-7 diagonal lines from the edge of the filling to the edge of the dough on both sides, starting about one-half inch from the top. Fold the top inch or so over the top of the filling, then braid by taking the first strip from the right side, crossing it over from right to left over the filling.
- Continue by taking a strip from the left side, moving it from left to right over the top of the filling. Continue by alternating and folding strips, stopping just for a minute to fold the bottom up to seal the bread before finishing the last folding strips.
- Fold the extra dough under the braid. Transfer the bread to a baking sheet covered with parchment paper or greased with oil or butter. Cover and let it rise again for 20 minutes.
- While it rises, pre-heat oven to 375 °F (190 °C)
- Mix the egg with 1 tablespoon water. Right before baking, brush the braid with a layer of egg wash. Sprinkle with dry Mexican oregano.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Let it cool down on a wire rack for 5 minutes before serving.
Nutrition
Notes
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National Frozen and Refrigerated Foods Association (NFRA)
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