Baked Panela Cheese

This Baked Panela Cheese is an easy and tasty appetizer that will impress your family and guests. For this recipe, we suggest baking the Queso Panela inside of a loaf of bread so the crisp and golden bread becomes the bowl for the Baked Panela Cheese. It comes out deliciously creamy but with the firm consistency that it’s known for. Serve it with raw vegetables, crackers, and other bread cubes, or customize it with your favorite sides.

Ingredients

• 1 12-ounce package Tropical Panela cheese
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro or parsley
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 6-inch round bread loaf, for bread bowl, optional
• Cucumber slices and baby carrots
• Crackers

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Cut panela cheese into 1-inch cubes. Place in large bowl; toss with garlic, cilantro and olive oil. Cut 1-inch from top of bread loaf; scoop out enough bread to hold cheese mixture. Spoon in cheese mixture; place on cookie sheet. Wrap side of bread with foil to cover. Cut bread top into 1-inch cubes; place on cookie sheet with bread bowl. Or, if not using bread bowl, spoon cheese mixture into a shallow 1-quart casserole.
2. Bake bread bowl and cubes or casserole 15 to 18 minutes or until cheese is browned and bread is toasted. Serve the dip with veggies, crackers and bread cubes. Serve immediately.