Olive goodness

I know olives are a much maligned food item, but I find them delicious. And so, when I saw the Pioneer Woman recipe for olive cheese bread, I knew I'd be making it at some point in time. I just had to wait for Mr. R to go away for a weekend, so I could gorge myself on olive goodness.

First, I opened and drained one can of regular black olives. My parents can attest to an early love of the olive.
Then, I got a little crazier - some pitted Kalamatas, some Picholine, and some other type of large green Greek olive that was stuffed with a pepper:
Then, I got even NUTTIER and threw in one artichoke heart:
Meanwhile, over at the bowl, I've mixed some mayo (just a bit), some softened butter, and a lot of Monterey Jack cheese. I also, per PW, put in a couple of chopped scallions.
And then, the olives are mixed with the creamy mixture and slathered on top of some French bread.
I had a ridiculously thick layering of the olive mix, so mine baked in at 325 degree oven for around 40 minutes to achieve cheesey, browned goodness.
I'm not sure if a picture can convey the lovely buttery meltiness that occurs with this bread.The mixture begins to meld and melt into the bread as it bakes. This was a delicious treat to have while Mr. R was away. I WILL say though - if I were to make it again - I would be inclined to throw in some canned or fresh chopped and drained tomatoes. Or something like that - I felt like something was needed to counteract the briny saltiness of the olives. But I did enjoy the recipe a lot and will hopefully have reason to make it again soon!