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    Home » Recipes » Main Dishes

    How to Make Italian Dunkers

    Published: Aug 10, 2021 · Modified: Apr 29, 2022 by Ashlyn Meredith ·

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Slices of soft ciabatta bread that are spread with melted garlic butter and topped with Manchego cheese. These cheesy Italian Dunkers taste just like an old school cafeteria favorite from back in the day. A school lunch I have very fond memories of!

    Dunk the toasted, cheesy garlic bread in warm marinara sauce and you are in for a delicious treat!

    Italian dunker cheese bread being dunked in marinara sauce.

    If you are a fan of toasted garlic bread with melty cheese, then you will fall in love with these cheese bread dunkers.

    This dinner is not only super easy and quick, but it's a fun one to eat too. Kids will like having their own little bowl of sauce to dip in...and so will adults!

    If you are looking for more dinner recipes, try: Double Layer Beef Taco Cups, BBQ Chicken Pizza, or Mini Dutch Oven Chicken Pot Pies.

    Why You Will Love This

    • It's easy. You don't need any fancy cooking skills to get this meal on the table.
    • It's quick. It only takes about 10 minutes to prepare and 8 minutes to cook.
    • The cheese! The melty Manchego cheese is quite delicious. Allowing it get golden brown on the top creates even better flavor!
    Italian Dunker cheese bread with marinara dipping sauce on a baking sheet.

    Ingredients Needed

    • Ciabatta bread: You could use a ciabatta loaf or rolls here. If you use a loaf, you can slice it in half length wise and then slice it down to match the size you prefer, or to the size of your slices of cheese. If you are unable to find ciabatta, you could substitute a loaf of Italian or a loaf of French bread. Any loaf of bread would work, really!
    • Unsalted butter: Unsalted butter is best for this since you are mixing it with the garlic salt. You could use olive oil in place of the butter, if you prefer.
    • Garlic salt
    • Italian seasoning
    • Manchego cheese: As an alternative, you could use Muenster, Monterey Jack or mozzarella cheese slices.
    • Marinara sauce: Store bought from a jar or homemade will work equally great for this. Alternatively, ranch dressing would be good too!
    Italian dunker cheese bread dipper ingredients on a baking sheet.

    Step by Step Instructions

    Here is how to make Italian Dunkers.

    STEP 1: Preheat your oven to 375°F.

    STEP 2: In a small saucepan, add jar of marinara sauce and warm it on top of stove over low heat while you prepare and bake the bread.

    STEP 3: Cut your bread. If your using ciabatta rolls, slice them in half.

    If you have a ciabatta loaf, cut the loaf in half and then use a slice of cheese to cut the loaf down to match the size of your cheese.

    STEP 4: Lay the sliced bread, crust side down, on a large cookie sheet.

    STEP 5: Mix the garlic salt with the melted ¼ cup butter. Then, using a pastry brush, brush the butter onto the cut sides of each slice of bread.

    Sliced ciabatta rolls on a baking sheet.
    Sliced ciabatta rolls on a baking sheet getting brushed with butter.

    STEP 6: Sprinkle each slice of bread with the Italian seasoning.

    STEP 7: Lay one slice of Manchego cheese on each slice of bread.

    Sliced buttered ciabatta rolls on a baking sheet getting sprinkled with Italian seasoning.
    Sliced buttered ciabatta rolls on a baking sheet get a piece of Manchego cheese on top.

    STEP 8: Place the baking pan in the preheated oven for about 4 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Then you will switch the oven to broil and broil for about 4 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly and starting to brown.

    STEP 9: Remove from the oven and serve with personal bowls or a little dish of warm marinara sauce for dipping!

    Italian Dunkers fresh out of the oven.
    Italian Dunkers fresh out of the oven with marinara dipping sauce.

    EXPERT TIPS

    If you have extra pieces of bread that you cut off when trying to get your bread the same size as your cheese, save them in a zip top bag and store them in the freezer. The next time you need breadcrumbs for a recipe, place the thawed bread in a food processor and process until you have fine crumbs.

    Get your cheese from the deli and ask them to slice it a little thicker than you might get in prepackaged cheese.

    Italian Dunker cheese bread dippers getting dunked in marinara sauce.

    FAQ

    How can I make this gluten free?

    To make this gluten free, use these gluten free ciabatta rolls.

    Can I dip these in something besides marinara?

    Sure. You could try dipping these in warm pizza sauce, ranch or just eat the cheesy bread without the dipping sauce.

    Can I make Italian Dunkers in an air fryer?

    Yes. Cook them at 400° for about 4-5 minutes. They cook pretty quickly, so keep your eye on them and remove when the cheese is melted and starting to brown on the top.

    Italian Dunkers on a white plate with marinara dipping sauce.

    Storing

    I highly recommend eating these fresh out of the oven but you can store leftovers in an airtight container or zip top bag in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

    To heat up Italian Dunkers, place on a plate, cover with a paper towel and heat for 30-40 seconds or until warm.

    Leftover marinara could also be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Warm in a saucepan or in the microwave.

    Italian Dunker cheese bread dipped in marinara sauce.

    Try One of These Recipes Next

    • Creamy Skillet Corn
    • Cheesy Hasselback Sweet Potatoes
    • Sweet & Savory Pretzels

    Don't forget to leave me a star rating below!

    Tag me on Instagram @heysnickerdoodle and follow me on Pinterest for more ideas!

    Italian dunker cheese bread dipped in marinara sauce.

    Italian Dunkers

    Author: Ashlyn Meredith
    Slices of soft ciabatta bread spread with melted garlic butter and topped with Manchego cheese. These Italian Dunkers taste just like an old school cafeteria favorite from back in the day. Dunk the toasted, cheesy bread in warm marinara sauce and you are in for a treat!
    Yield: 4
    Prep Time: 10 mins
    Cook Time: 8 mins
    Total Time: 18 mins
    5 from 3 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe

    Ingredients
      

    • 15.5 ounce jar marinara sauce
    • 4 Ciabatta rolls
    • ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
    • ½ teaspoon garlic salt
    • ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
    • ¼ pound Manchego cheese, sliced to medium thickness

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 375°F.
    • In a small saucepan, heat the marinara sauce over low heat while you prepare the bread.
    • Cut ciabatta rolls so they are about the same size as your slices of cheese. Then slice in half. Lay rolls on large baking sheet, crust side down.
    • Combine the melted butter and garlic salt. Using a pastry brush, brush butter mixture on cut side of bread slices. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning. Place one slice of cheese on each of the pieces of bread.
    • Bake in 375°F oven for about 4 minutes or until cheese is melted. Switch oven to broil. Broil for about 4 more minutes or until cheese is bubbly and starting to brown. Remove from oven and serve with warm marinara sauce.
    Calories: 261kcal | Carbohydrates: 24.2g | Protein: 3.3g | Fat: 16.2g | Saturated Fat: 7.3g | Cholesterol: 31mg | Sodium: 571mg | Potassium: 8mg | Fiber: 2.7g | Sugar: 5.5g | Calcium: 40mg | Iron: 1mg
    Keyword Italian, Manchego
    Did you make this recipe?Tag @heysnickerdoodle on Instagram.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Jean Davis

      August 10, 2021 at 12:18 pm

      5 stars
      Always a favorite.

      Reply

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    Hey, there! I'm Ashlyn and I'm the human behind Hey, Snickerdoodle where you will find approachable, simple recipes that are attainable for any home chef. As a parent to three busy boys, my recipes have been developed and tested with busy families in mind. Hey, Snickerdoodle is a place where you can find a collection of recipes I have developed, photographs I have taken and some simple background information, tips, and tricks I have written about my recipes.

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