Quick Look at this Recipe
- Recipe Name: Italian Dunkers
- Ready In: 20 minutes
- Serves: 8
- Calories: 275 per serving
- Main Ingredients: Bread, cheese, herbs, and optional dipping sauce
- Dietary Info: Dairy-free, gluten-free, and vegetarian options included
- Origin: My team and I grew up in the Midwest, and Italian Dunkers were a school lunch staple for us all. Depending on where you grew up, you might have enjoyed the hotdog bread version or the Italian loaf version. Regardless, this is an oldie but a goodie that still hits in adulthood.
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Key Ingredients & Substitutions
Be sure to see the recipe card below for a full listing of ingredients, instructions, and estimated nutritional information.
- Mozzarella: This is the cheese we grew up with, but feel free to swap with another mild melty cheese like provolone or Monterey Jack. Dairy-free cheese works too.
- Butter: Swap with dairy-free butter.
- Fresh Herbs: Use dried herbs, but decrease the amounts from 1 tsp to 1/3 tsp.
- Sauce: A simple marinara sauce will do or you could bulk it up by using a meat sauce.
- Bread: Pick the bread that you remember from your youth! We’ve made these Authentic Italian dunkers on hotdog buns and Italian bread and both were a hit. Gluten-free bread works too.
How To Make Italian Dunkers
Step 1 – Spread herb butter over opened hot dog buns.
Step 2 – Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and broil for 3-5 minutes.
Step 3 – Sprinkle with fresh basil, serve with marinara sauce, and enjoy!
Italian Dunkers Two Ways
We tested tested this recipe with opened hot dog buns as well as sliced Italian bread, and both options worked! If using Italian bread, simply cut a large loaf of french bread in half, lengthwise, spread the garlic butter on, add the cheese, and broil in the oven. Cut into thick slices and dunk!
Italian Dunkers With Sauce
Italian Dunkers are best enjoyed with a dipping sauce. Homemade or store-bought marinara sauce will both work. Add some browned ground beef to make a delicious meat sauce. They could also be enjoyed as a type of garlic bread with any pasta or soup recipe! Cut these up even smaller to serve as appetizers!
Recipe FAQs
Italian dunkers are an easy dinner or lunch idea and are made with bread, cheeses, and tomato based dipping sauce. They have traditionally been served as school lunches, but can be enjoyed as dinners or even appetizers.
Italian Dunkers use up ingredients from other recipes that might otherwise go unused. Save leftover hotdog buns, spaghetti sauce, and cheese to make this easy dinner.
Yes. Spread the bread with butter and cheese and keep them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1-2 days prior to cook time. Freeze prepped Italian dunkers in a freezer safe container for 1 month. Let frozen Italian dunkers cook for 15 minutes in 400 degree oven.
Yes! Simply use gluten-free bread.
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Ingredients
Herby Garlic Butter:
- 5-6 tablespoons butter, softened (regular or plant-based)
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
- 1 teaspoon fresh oregano, chopped
- 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped
- 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
- pinch of kosher salt
Italian Dunkers:
- 8 hot dog buns
- 8 oz block of mozzarella cheese, shredded
- marinara sauce for dunking
Instructions
- Butter Mixture: Put the Herby Garlic Butter ingredients in a small bowl and mix to fully combine.ย
- Make Dunkers: Open and pull apart each hot dog bun into two pieces. Spread some of the butter mixture on top of each hot dog bun. Continue with the rest of the buns and place them on a sheet pan. Sprinkle shredded mozzarella cheese on top of each one.ย
- Broil: Turn the oven broiler on high and place the oven rack on the second notch from the top. Place the pan of dunkers under the broiler for 3-5 minutes or until golden brown.
- Serve: Enjoy with a small dish of marinara sauce for dunking!
Notes
- Loaf Bread Version: option to make Italian Dunkers with a 15oz loaf of Italian Bread. For this version, you will use 1 stick of butter, 1/3 cup of total fresh herbs, and 2 teaspoons garlic for the Herby Garlic Butter. You will use a bread knife to cut the loaf in half, lengthwise, and then spread the butter mixture on each half. Add cheese and broil as instructed above. Then cut into thick strips to serve.
- Marinara Sauce: option to use a store-bought marinara sauce to keep it simple or make our super easy pasta sauce!
- Dairy Free: use a plant-based butter and a dairy-free alternative cheese.
- Gluten Free: simply use your favorite gluten-free bread or buns.
- Frozen:ย Freeze prepped Italian Dunkers in a freezer safe container. When ready to cook, preheat oven to 400 degrees and let dunkers cook for 15 minutes or until cheese just starts to brown.
liz says
My kids are obsessed. Mic Drop.