Stuffed Italian Bread

STUFFED ITALIAN BREAD

1 Italian loaf, about 12 inches long
1 stick butter, melted
1/8 cup olive oil
3 tsp. minced onion
2-3 cloves garlic, grated
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp. poppy seeds
3 tsp. chopped parsley (add more if you wish)
12 oz. grated cheese
(I used a mix of white cheddar and monterey jack.)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix the melted butter, olive oil, onion, garlic, Dijon mustard, poppy seeds and parsley in a bowl. Cut the bread into cubes with X slices without cutting all the way through the bottom crust. Pour the butter-onion garlic mixture carefully into those X cracks using a small spoon and over the top of the bread. Fill those delicious cracks with the grated cheese. (It seems like a lot of work and trouble but it's all worth it. Yes.) Wrap the entire loaf with foil, sealing the sides properly and bake for 15-20 minutes. Remove from the oven and unwrap. Bake for another 10 minutes until the cheese is melted and gooey.