Pizza cob
Sometimes combining two beautiful things makes something kind of horrible and disgusting, but other times it yields a creation more beautiful than we could have ever imagined. Case in point: pizza cob. Combining the classic flavours of a pizza with the ever-faithful cob loaf base, this recipe calls for tomato paste, sour cream and oodles of cheese with onion, garlic, pepperoni and capsicum to create an Italian-style filling, then tops it off with olives and more pepperoni. You’ll be kissing your fingers like an old-timey cartoon chef for sure.
Image credit: Jeremy Simons for Taste Magazine

Layered Mexican cob
Continuing our continental trajectory, it’s time to take a trip to Mexico with this spicy layered number. This cob loaf is comprised of a base layer of chunky salsa topped with a cream cheese and sour cream filling, finished off with more salsa as a topping and a healthy dose of cheddar (obviously). In what is actually a genius move that you should hereby incorporate into all future cob endeavours, this recipe instructs you to sprinkle not only the top of the cob with cheese before baking but also the accompanying dipping bread pieces – we’re here in 2020 and whoever wrote this recipe is out living in the goddamn future, son.
Image credit: Taste.com.au

Spinach and caramelised onion cob
When it comes to a cob loaf, sometimes keeping it simple is best. The classic flavour combination of spinach and caramelised onion is really hard to beat, not to mention a hit with vegetarians. The caramelisation involves brown onions simmered in a pan with brown sugar and balsamic vinegar (drool), creating a rich colour and flavours that will make your peers respect your culinary prowess. Combined with just-wilted spinach and the faithful cream cheese and sour cream filling, this cob is a real crowd pleaser.
Image credit: Andrew Young for Super Food Ideas Magazine

Pumpkin, gruyere and sage cob with crispy bacon
The flavour! The texture! The addition of bacon! This pumpkin cob loaf is a winner for a number of reasons – it’s bright, tasty and something a little more exciting than your standard cob flavour combinations. The filling departs from the usual cream cheese base and instead incorporates thickened cream, white wine, English mustard, mozzarella and gruyere to create a cheese pull and tangy flavour that defies belief. When you add the pumpkin, sage and garlic into the mix, this cob is catapulted into a league of its own. Oh, and did we mention the crispy bacon garnish?
Image credit: The Dairy Kitchen

Melted brie and fig jam cob
It is a truth universally acknowledged that when you add a wheel of cheese to something it becomes instantly more alluring. A fine example of this is the melted brie and fig jam cob loaf – does reading that sentence not make you instantly salivate? As a bonus, this cob is a cinch to make – all you have to do is line the walls of your hollowed out cob loaf with a good quality fig jam, plonk a wheel of brie in the middle, score the top and let your oven do the rest.
Image credit: Vanessa Levis for Coles Magazine

The author would like to apologise for excessive use of italics and exclamation points in this piece – they just feel really strongly about cob loaf.