Lemon Pepper Cocktail Bread Recipe

• 1/2 cup (one stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh chives
• 1-1/2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons poppy seeds
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 1-pound load unsliced Italian bread
• about 12 ounces sliced Swiss cheese
• 1/2 pound bacon, cooked, drained, and cumbled

1. Preheat oven to 350u0b0. Make the lemon-pepper butter: In a large bowl, beat the butter until smooth. Beat in chives, lemon zest, pepper, and poppy seeds. Mix the mustard and lemon juice together and slowly beat in until combined. Season to taste with salt and set aside.
2. Being careful to keep the bottom crust intact, cut incisions in the bread crosswise, making slices about 3/4 inch thick and leaving bottom 3/4 inch of the bread uncut (you'll wind up with an accordionesque loaf). Place loaf on a sheet of aluminum foil. Reserve 3 tablespoons lemon-pepper butter, then spread remaining butter on all cut surfaces of the bread. Insert one slice cheese in each incision, then sprinkle bacon into each incision. Spread reserved 3 tablespoons lemon butter on top and sides of loaf.
3. Wrap loosely in foil, and bake for about 20 minutes, until the cheese is melted. Unwrap the top and bake an additional 5 minutes. Serves 6 to 12 as an appetizer.
4. *Note: If you want to be classy, use gruyere cheese. If you can't find it sliced, grate it instead.

unsalted butter, chives, lemon zest, freshly ground black pepper, poppy seeds, freshly squeezed lemon juice, mustard, bread, swiss cheese, bacon

Taken from www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2006/09/lemon-pepper-cocktail-bread.html (may not work)