![20150301_120546-1](http://simplebrunchideas.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/20150301_120546-1-300x227.jpg)
Bacon-anything is a sure hit, but this cheesy bacon monkey bread is sensational.
There are many recipes online for bacon monkey bread, and I tried a few different approaches to see which I like best. By far my favorite is the recipe found in Christmas With Southern Living (there’s an Amazon link to the book below). I’ll give you the step-by-step instructions and then explain the variations I tried.
Ingredients:
5 tablespoons butter
2 sweet onions, sliced thinly
1 32-oz package frozen bread dough, thawed
1 pound bacon, cooked and crumbled
2 cups shredded Gruyère cheese
1. Sauté onions over medium heat in 2 tablespoons of butter, stirring often, until onions are a caramel color, about 15 minutes.
![03 Grilled Onions](http://simplebrunchideas.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/03-Grilled-Onions-300x197.jpg)
2. Roll dough into balls the size of large marbles.
3. Sprinkle ½ cup of bacon and ½ cup of cheese in the bottom of a buttered bundt pan. Arrange one-third of the dough balls over the cheese and brush with melted butter. Layer half the onions, ½ cup of bacon and ½ cup of cheese. Continue layering with the dough balls, onions, bacon and cheese.
![20150301_090600](http://simplebrunchideas.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/20150301_090600-300x169.jpg)
4. Cover and let rise in a warm place (80 to 85 degrees) for an hour to an hour and a half or until doubled in bulk. (I left it too long so mine is a little “over the top.”)
![20150301_112757-1](http://simplebrunchideas.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/20150301_112757-1-300x273.jpg)
5. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until top is golden brown. Cool in pan on a wire rack 10 minutes; carefully invert bread onto a serving platter. Serve warm.
![20150301_122004-1](http://simplebrunchideas.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/20150301_122004-1-300x250.jpg)
VARIATIONS:
The other recipe for this that I like is found on www.dinnerordessert.com. This recipe called for using refrigerated pizza dough instead of frozen bread dough and stuffed the bacon, cheese and onions inside each dough ball.![06 Stuffing](http://simplebrunchideas.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/06-Stuffing-300x168.jpg)
![08 Ball](http://simplebrunchideas.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/08-Ball-300x296.jpg)
It also uses Rosemary Butter — just sauté garlic in butter for 2-3 minutes and then stir in rosemary for 1 minute. Yummy!
![05 Buttered Pan](http://simplebrunchideas.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/05-Buttered-Pan-300x214.jpg)
Here’s how the finished product looks with the goodies tucked inside:
Print-friendly recipe: Cheesy Bacon & Onion Monkey Bread
Enjoy this along with many of the easy brunch recipes to come.