Have you tried Brazilian cheese bread before? We had not, until my oldest son served a church mission in Brazil for two years. After he got home, he made us our first delicious little round cheese breads that are gooey inside and so yummy and cheesy! The best part? They are naturally gluten free! The ingredient that gives them their unique texture is tapioca flour! Well, needless to say, our family was all over these new found gems.
But just like everything else, we don't make them as often as we'd like because they are a bit time consuming. That's why I was so excited to discover this amazing brand Brazi Bites that makes many varieties of Brazilian cheese breads and empanadas that you take straight from the freezer, put on a baking sheet, and in 20 minutes you have perfect, hot little breads that are so tasty. They make a great side dish or snack.
The first two we baked were the Chicken and Cheese Empanadas and the Black Bean and Cheese Empanadas.
The easiness of these is so great! No thawing required. Just preheat the oven, lay them out on a lined baking sheet, and bake for 20 minutes. Brazilian cheese bread is magical because as it bakes, it puffs up and creates an air pocket in the center. So filling these holes with deliciousness like chicken and cheese, and black beans and cheese is brilliant.
We were about 50/50 with which of these were our favorite, but all agreed that they were tasty and the perfect bite-size empanada. The chicken was my husbands favorite and I really loved the black bean. The kids were split which they liked best.
I could probably eat a whole bag of the Black Bean and Cheese Empanadas myself! I'd love them with a side of sour cream to dip in.
Next we baked up some of the 3 Cheese Pizza Brazilian Cheese Breads. We've had their Cheddar and Parmesan cheese breads and loved them! They are just as good as the ones we make. Having a new flavor to try was fun.
These really tasted like pizza! The seasonings were perfect.... not too overpowering. It still let them be Brazilian cheese breads, just with a new flavor. Look at that hollow gooey center all cheesy! We all agreed that these were fantastic. We think they would be amazing dipped in some marinara sauce too.
Last, but not least, we tried the more dessert variety, Cinnamon Churro Brazilian Cheese Bread. I was skeptical at first, because cheese and churros don't seem to go together in my mind. But I was so surprised to find out what they did to make these work. The cheese they use is cream cheese!
Now, if you've had a churro before, you know that the inside is a little doughy and not baked through, which makes them the yummy treat they are. These breads hit it spot on! They are naturally a little doughy and gooey inside, just this time it was a sweet cinnamon filling. These were a huge hit! We loved that they weren't too sweet, but just enough. We even talked about how amazing they would be brushed with a little butter and sprinkled with some cinnamon and sugar on top! Or dipped in a cream cheese frosting! So yummy and fun!
Overall, I am very impressed with the quality of these products. They are definitely worth a try, and like us, you may even find you will need a continual stash in your freezer to have on hand. They would be great with hungry teenagers as an after school or after sports snack. They would also be perfect for tiny hands of picky toddlers and little kiddos.
Other cheese bread varieties they have are Cheddar and Parmesan, Garlic Asiago and Classic Ranch. Other empanada varieties are Beef and Bean and Chickpea and Veggie. We are super excited about another product coming out this year called Cheese and Pepperoni Pizza'nadas! Can't wait to try those! We are hoping they compare to Totino's Pizza Rolls.
I am not being paid to write this review. Brazi Bites sent me some products to try that we've been curious about trying anyway, and I'm so glad we got a chance to find this great product! They are definitely worth a try! You can find out where they are located in stores near you on their website: Brazibites.com It's also worth visiting their site to read their story of how they got started and their mission. I love companies that support the gluten free community!!