This cheesy garlic bread comes together easily in under 30 minutes. One bite of this gooey bread will have everyone begging for it again and again.
This homemade cheesy garlic bread is the perfect ratio of butter, garlic, herbs, cheese and chewy bread. It’s a natural to serve with any saucy pasta dish like red pepper spinach stuffed shells, easy crock pot spaghetti and cheesy baked spaghetti.
HOW TO MAKE CHEESY GARLIC BREAD
INGREDIENTS
- Italian Bread Loaf
- Butter
- Garlic
- Parsley
- Basil
- Mozzarella Cheese
- Parmesan Cheese
DIRECTIONS
Place the butter, garlic and herbs into a small and stir into a soft paste. I like to use a rubber scraper for this job.
Smooth the mixture over the two cut sides of the bread into an even layer. Be sure to spread it out all the way to the sides…you don’t want to leave any of the bread exposed!
Sprinkle the parmesan cheese over the garlic mixture, then the shredded mozzarella. Grated parmesan cheese burns easily so I put it under the mozzarella to keep that from happening knowing the bread is going under the broiler.
Pop the baking sheet into the oven and bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Then, turn on the broiler and broil for a minute or two until the cheese is bubbly and browning in spots. Cut and serve!
PRO TIPS FOR MAKING THE BEST CHEESY GARLIC BREAD
PERFECT BREAD CHOICE
To carry the toppings and have firm bread for sopping up sauce, you’ll want to start with bread that is dense and chewy. An italian or french bread loaf are good choices and they’re readily available at most grocery stores.
Soft breads like white or wheat are not recommended.
MINCED GARLIC, NO GARLIC CHUNKS
The secret to the best garlic bread is to let the garlic flavor shine thru, but balancing the flavor. The best way to do this is with an even garlic flavor throughout. No one wants a big hunk of garlic that would overwhelm the blend of of garlic, herbs and cheese.
USE THE BROILER AT THE END FOR GOLDEN BROWN CHEESE
Yes, the oven will melt the cheese, but for those delicious crispy golden cheese spots you’ll want to turn on the broiler at the end like I do in this recipe. You’ll also get a little extra crisp and crunch to the edges of the garlic bread.
THE USE OF TWO CHEESES
Most cheesy garlic bread recipes call for mozzarella cheese, and of course my recipe does too. While any easy melting cheese will work, mozzarella is a favorite due to it’s mild flavor that doesn’t compete with the star of the show…garlic.
Parmesan adds some tang and depth of flavor and of course we used it too. Parmesan and garlic are found as a duo in many recipes because their flavor profiles really complement each other.
CAN YOU FREEZE CHEESY GARLIC BREAD
Yes, this bread is totally fit for the freezer. You can completely prep the garlic bread thru adding the cheeses on top, then wrap each half individually in plastic. Wrap again in foil, label and freeze for up to two months.
I recommend baking the bread from frozen, meaning no thawing is needed. Just unwrap the bread, place it on a baking sheet and bake according to the recipe. Thawing may result in the inside of the bread getting soggy due to condensation and no one wants soggy garlic bread!
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Cheesy Garlic Bread
Ingredients
- 1 pound loaf Italian Bread
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
- 4 cloves minced garlic
- 1 tbsp fresh chopped parsley + extra for garnish
- 1/2 tsp basil flakes
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese divided
- 1/8 tsp red pepper flakes optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a small bowl mix together butter, garlic, parsley, basil and salt.
- Slice bread in half lengthwise and place on prepared baking sheet, cut sides up. Spread the butter mixture evenly on the bread halves. Sprinkle with parmesan then mozzarella cheese.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until the cheese is melted and bread edges are starting to toast.
- Turn on oven broiler and broil on HIGH for 1 to 2 minutes until cheese is bubbling and starting to brown in spots. Remove pan from oven and dust with remaining parmesan. Garish with extra parsley and red pepper flakes if desired. Cut bread into pieces and serve hot.
Chef Tips
Equipment Used
Nutrition Facts
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