It is time to bring back this childhood favorite recipe – Italian Dunkers! This classic school lunch is fully of flavor and cheesy goodness. Our whole family loves this super simple weeknight dinner!
The Best Italian Dunkers
For years, we enjoyed the best cheese dunkers school lunch during our elementary school days! How they are made has quickly become a hot debate around here – hot dog buns vs. large loaf of Italian bread. How did you grow-up eating these traditional dunkers? If you also have fond memories of this favorite hot lunch, we have included both versions in the recipe card below. Just be sure to enjoy with a marinara dipping sauce!
Looking for More Family Friendly Recipes?
Then you definitely need to try our Pizza Pot Pie!
What You Will Need
- unsalted butter – option to swap out with plant-based butter, just make sure it is nice and soft.
- fresh thyme, oregano, & rosemary – fresh herbs that bring so much great flavor!
- fresh garlic – everything is always better with some garlic in the mix.
- kosher salt – a simple seasoning that is always a must.
- hot dog buns – just pick-up a pack from your local grocery store!
- shredded cheese – we used mozzarella cheese, but you could also mix in some parmesan cheese.
- marinara sauce – love our easy pasta sauce or keep it simple with a store-bought version!
How To Make Italian Dunkers
The first steps to making this easy recipe are to gather all of the ingredients and decide which bread option you will make.
Put all of the Herby Garlic Butter ingredients in a small bowl and mix to combine. Separate all of the hot dog buns and spread this butter mixture on top. Place these buttered buns on a baking sheet. Evenly sprinkle the shredded mozzarella cheese on top of each one.
Move the entire cookie sheet to the oven to bake under the broiler on the high setting for 3-5 minutes.
Can I Use Another Bread for Italian Dunkers?
Absolutely! We grew-up with the classic hot dog bun version, but some people are used to slices of a long loaf of bread. The notes section of the recipe card also includes this version. 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!
Best Ways To Serve Italian Dunkers
When serving cheesy Italian Dunkers they must be enjoyed with a dipping sauce. Dunk is in the name after all! Option to enjoy with a simple marinara sauce or brown 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!
Made these Italian dunkers with meat sauce and loved it?! We would love it if you would take a minute and leave a star rating and review – it is also helpful if you made any substitutions or changes to the recipe to share that as well. THANK YOU!
Don’t forget to check out my Instagram and TikTok account for some behind-the-scenes action and subscribe to my YouTube channel for more delicious recipe tutorials! Or give me a follow on Facebook or see what I am pinning on Pinterest!
Other Recipes You Might Like
Italian Dunkers
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner/Entree
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian-Inspired
Description
This super easy Italian Dunkers recipe is a childhood classic that makes a perfect weeknight dinner that the whole family will love!
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
- 8oz 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6oz
- Calories: 198
- Sugar: 3.3 g
- Sodium: 498.2 mg
- Fat: 8.4 g
- Carbohydrates: 20.6 g
- Protein: 12.9 g
- Cholesterol: 24.5 mg
Leave a Rating & Comment