Afrim Pristine is Canada’s premier cheese expert and owner of the Cheese Boutique, with over 23 years of experience in the art of cheese making. From studying with some of the world’s greatest cheesemakers as well as hands-on training from his father and some of the world’s most renowned dairy farmers, Afrim was honoured as one of the world’s youngest people, and only Canadian, to be awarded the title of Maître Fromagere in 2013, by the Guilde Internationale des Fromageres in France. Afrim was also the youngest Canadian recipient of the Chevalier distinction from the Confrerie des Chevaliers du Taste Fromage de France in 2007 and was also named to the Top 30 Under 30 food industry list by the Ontario Hostelry Institute.

“My fiancée Courtney and I love crusty bread and we (obviously) love cheese. This is a simple, yet extremely satisfying recipe. Bread, wicked cheese, fresh herbs, garlic—what's not to love?"

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C), and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
 

Step 2

To make the salsa verde, combine the garlic, onion, jalapeno, and cilantro in a food processor. Process the ingredients until finely chopped. Add the tomatillos, and pulse until combined, but don’t pulse the living daylights out of it; be sure to leave some texture. Mix in the lime juice, and season to taste with salt.

Tip: Should you have any leftover salsa verde, transfer it to an airtight container, and refrigerate for up to 5 days.
 

Step 3

To assemble, place the loaf of bread on the prepared baking sheet.
 

Step 4

Using a knife, make cuts 2 inches (5 cm) deep and 1 inch (2.5 cm) apart in the loaf. Rotate the loaf a quarter-turn, then make the same cuts again to create 1-inch (2.5 cm) cubes.
 

Step 5

Pour some salsa verde into each of the cuts. Then, take the cheese and stuff it into each of the cuts.
 

Step 6

Cover the loaf with aluminum foil and bake for approximately 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 7 minutes or until golden brown and the cheese has melted.
 

Step 7

Serve hot and tear this cheesy bread to shreds.