We are not Jewish. Yet every year I make Chanukah bread. And every year we remember that Hal Linden is (was? I don’t even know if he is still alive) Jewish and pay homage to him. It’s definitely a little kooky, but let me explain.
Back when we were first married, I was in college. My fall semester ended and I was in our apartment on my first day off decompressing with daytime tv. I was watching some talk show that has been lost to time and Hal Linden (of Barney Miller fame – younger readers probably have no clue who this is!) was a guest and he made a recipe for Chanukah bread. It looked so good, I grabbed a pen and scribbled the recipe down (I still have that piece of paper). I made it for dinner that night and we loved it and so since then I’ve made it every year, with some tweaks over the years. Sometimes we have it during Chanukah, sometimes just during the Christmas season. It’s always a special event though. 
Hal Linden’s Chanukah Bread (adapted)
1 loaf sliced bread (I usually use Italian, but you could use plain white bread or even wheat)
1 stick butter, softened
2 tbsp olive oil
2/3 cup minced onion
6 tbsp country style Dijon mustard
2 tbsp poppy seeds
4 tbsp lemon juice
Mix butter, oil, onion, mustard, poppy seeds and lemon juice together. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray an 8 x 12 glass baking pan (first test your loaf to see if it will be held in place and not flop apart – if you have a shorter loaf, use a shorter pan so that the bread is supported by the ends of the pan – it is also possible to just wrap the bread in foil to hold it together). Place the bread in the pan. Using a knife or small spatula, spread the butter mixture on one side of every piece of bread and reserve enough to spread all across the top of the bread.
Hal’s recipe calls for Swiss and American cheese – but I use Swiss and cheddar. You could substitute any type of cheese you like Place half a slice (I’m referring to those presliced pieces of cheese you can buy – if you’re slicing your own, just approximate this size and remember to keep it thin) each of Swiss and cheddar between each slice of bread.
Smear the remaining butter mix across the top. Cover with foil and bake for at least 30 minutes or until all the cheese is melted (it could take up to 15 minutes more if your cheese is thick or your loaf is very large). If it is getting too brown, reduce heat.
This is even better the next day.
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I was looking for a recipe to finish up a bag of poppy seeds from summer baking, and look’s like I found it here. Would you suggest having this bread for dinner, with a hearty soup?
That would be lovely I think. We had it with a light chicken dish and some vegetables and fruit. I also love to eat it by itself for lunch – it’s like a kicked up grilled cheese.
That is such a lovely story and I love the idea of Hanukkah bread!! Isn’t it funny how family traditions develop?
It is funny how things like this become a cherished part of the holidays. I’ll bet Hal Linden had no idea….
Oh man. All I can say is, “Ummmmmmmm.”
Mmmm. That looks divine. I like the idea of pairing it with a soup on a chilly day. I like Mark Bittman’s Challah bread recipe. Makes for excellent french toast on day 2 (if the bread makes it to day 2).
I’ve never heard of Hanukkah bread but this looks like something I’d like to make! It’s so nice to have a family tradition for the holidays, even if it’s not “your” holiday per se.
I never have either! Maybe Hal just made it up. Wouldn’t it be problematic since you couldn’t eat it with meat?
We are BIG Hal Linden fans around here. I love the idea of Hanukkah bread, but I’m pretty sure it’s something he made up. That’s ok, though–it’s Hal.
Oh Hal, say it isn’t so!
Love this story! Very nice. And I miss Barney Miller!
this sounds great — I can just smelll it baking. what a good idea, and a lovely story too.
I’m a little late to the party but wow – this looks amazing. Perfect, I think, for any holiday!
I believe you may have uncovered a great mystery of mine. Many years ago, Hal Linden was on Live with Regis and Kathy Lee and he had a recipe for a grilled cheese of some sort. Back then, you had to write to the show to get the recipe. I did, but I think I threw out that recipe along with some cookbooks I departed with (by giving them to someone else I believe)when I relocated. On occassion on certain years I’ve tried to see if that recipe could be googled (the show aire date was before everyone had internet; no such luck. I think this may be basically the recipe he shared, and even if it isn’t, it looks sooo good, I’ll take it as a substitute!! Thanks again!!
How funny! I have no idea what show it was on. I do think it was around 1989 when I saw it if that helps, because it was the first year I was married and I remember sitting in our apartment seeing it on TV. I always wondered if anyone else made this or if it was just Hal and me! Thanks for sharing.
I saw Hal Linden talk about this bread a long time ago. He did not refer to it as Chanakuh bread, but as Christmas Eve bread. He shared that shortly after he was married, he and his wife invited several single actors for Christmas Eve and then realized that they really couldn’t afford anything elaborate so they made the bread mentioned in this blog, but covered it with bacon. I have been making this for about 20 years and serving it with a curried broccoli soup and salad and it is a family favorite. I recently misplaced my recipe and googled to see if I could fine the proportions of the poppy seed spread and was very happy to see this.