16 Pull-Apart Breads That Are Pretty, Delicious and Perfect for Parties

I love hosting parties-specifically, dinner parties. Inviting more than a dozen friends and spending a Saturday cooking, cleaning and (very casually) decorating is absolutely my idea of fun, and I try and do it as often as possible.

In my many years of doing this, I've learned two very important lessons. First, you need to have at least one appetizer out when the first person arrives, both to be a good host and to keep guests from pestering you about when dinner will be ready. Second, it's important to balance any impressive, labor-intensive recipes you're taking on with quick, easy ones. Advanced recipes aren't a necessity (unless you want them to be)-but the lighter ones are. Otherwise, you'll get seriously overwhelmed.

Oh, and you'll also want at least one bottle of wine per person. OK, so three important lessons.

MORE: No-Brainer Appetizers That'll Make You Want to Have People Over This Weekend

When it comes to appetizers, a plate of cheese and crackers (or a crudité and hummus platter) is a fine option. But something homemade can be a little more exciting. My go-to: pull-apart breads.

The easiest way to make a pull-apart bread is to get a bakery loaf, cut it in a checkerboard pattern (without actually slicing it apart), fill it with all kinds of delicious toppings (cheese-mostly cheese) and bake it until it's hot. There are plenty of those recipes in this list below, and I suggest having at least one tried-and-true favorite up your sleeve the next time you're playing host.

There are so many different ways to make a pull-apart bread, though, and I'd be shortchanging if I didn't also tell you there are slightly more time-intensive versions out there that call for baking dough, either from scratch or store-bought, with other mix-ins. These can swing both sweet and savory, and they make for great appetizers (and potluck dishes, too).

MORE: 3 No-Cook Dinner Recipes You Have to Try

No matter what you're in the mood for, you'll definitely be craving one (or more) of these 16 pull-apart breads within minutes of looking at them. So call up your friends and invite them over next weekend-there's no better time than the present to work through this decadent list.