Easiest Garlic Cheese Bread
This easiest garlic cheese bread is chock full of savory garlic, butter, and cheese. It’s tender and soft on the inside, and crisp on the outside.
Servings: 12 (1 loaf)
Ingredients
- 1 large crusty bread, thick loaf, i.e., a rustic Italian or French loaf
- 8 cloves garlic, crushed
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 4 tablespoons butter, regular
- 4 tablespoons olive oil, good quality
- 1 cup Italian blend cheese, shredded
- fresh parsley, finely chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F.
- Combine the crushed garlic, garlic powder, butter, and oil in a saucepan and heat over low for several minutes, until incorporated. Set aside.
- Split loaf in half, lengthwise, and place on foil-lined baking sheet. Brush bread generously with garlic butter mixture.
- Bake bread 5-10 minutes, or until lightly golden. Remove bread and sprinkle evenly with cheese and parsley.
- Adjust oven to broil, and place bread directly under broiler for about 1 minute, or until desired level browning is achieved and cheese is melted. Watch carefully and remove bread as soon as it looks done.
- Cut into thick slices and serve immediately.
Notes
- For the best results, use a thick, crusty loaf of bread like a rustic Italian or French loaf. The texture and density of this type of bread hold up well to the garlic butter and cheese.
- Fresh garlic is key in this recipe. Don't be tempted to use pre-minced garlic from a jar; the flavor won't be as fresh.
- Crushing the garlic rather than mincing it gives the bread a more intense and rustic garlic flavor. This also prevents the garlic from burning in the oven, as larger pieces can withstand the heat better.
- This cheesy garlic bread is perfect for dunking into a big bowl of spaghetti, like some Creamy Bruschetta Pasta and Spaghetti Carbonara.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 130kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 12mg | Sodium: 96mg | Potassium: 20mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 0.4g | Vitamin A: 117IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 28mg | Iron: 0.4mg