This garlic bread recipe with cheese is ultra buttery and garlicky, plus, it couldn’t be simpler to make and it’s exactly what you need on the side of a big bowl of pasta!
I challenge you to name a more intoxicating smell than the aroma of garlic bread baking in the oven. The whiff of garlic commingling with butter is just as perfect as it gets. The familiar scent transports me to coming home from school as a kid to the entire house perfumed with my Mom’s spaghetti with meat sauce. Talk about scent memory. It’s comforting, it’s welcoming, it’s dinner time!
There’s no better way to sop up soup or swipe that last lick of pasta sauce from the bowl than a slice of crisp, buttery, garlic bread.
With just a few ingredients and 15 minutes of your time, you’ll have savory, buttery, garlicky, perfectly crispy, lip-smacking-good, bready bliss at your fingertips in no time. You’ll be a fan for life. This recipe is the ultimate, folks.
What’s in The BEST Garlic Bread
Garlic bread is kind of like pizza in the sense that even bad garlic bread is good garlic bread. I make buttery garlic knots out of pizza dough, and they are delish, but I’m here to tell you about the BEST garlic bread.
It couldn’t be simpler to make, and chances are you already have everything you need to throw it together.
Here’s what you’ll need:
- Garlic—in my opinion, the best garlic bread has fresh garlic, and plenty of it
- Butter—and don’t be shy!
- Olive oil—you can exclusively use butter if you prefer, but I like the subtle grassy notes the olive oil adds
- Parmigiano Reggiano—cheese, please, it’s non negotiable
- Parsley—Fresh is best (the dried stuff doesn’t have any flavor and really doesn’t add color). If you’re not a fan of parsley though, feel free to use fresh basil or oregano, or an Italian seasoning blend
- Italian or French bread—either one works great and you can also use ciabatta or a baguette
How to Make The BEST Garlic Bread
There are so many different ways you can make this. Some recipes have you slice up a loaf or baguette, not cutting all the way through, and spreading the garlic butter in between. Some have you toast the bread under the broiler. Here’s my method, and it’s as easy as 1, 2, 3.
Mix your butter. In a small bowl, mix the pressed garlic with the softened butter, olive oil, grated Parmesan, parsley, and kosher salt until smooth.
Prepare your bread. Cut the bread in half lengthwise and spread each cut side with the garlic butter. We’re not messing around here.
The magic happens in the oven. Place the two piece of bread on a baking sheet or directly on an oven rack, cut-side up, and bake until toasted, about 8-10 minutes. Remove from the oven and cut into 2-inch pieces, and serve warm, eating with no inhibitions, preferably with a saucy pasta and a glass of wine.
How Do You Make Garlic Bread Better
Do you know what the real secret to making better garlic bread is? Keeping it simple. It’s hard to improve upon something so wonderful, I mean, it’s arguably a perfect food and we’re really not trying to reinvent the wheel here.
But, if you feel inclined to gussy up your garlic bread, here are some variations you can try:
- To make this small-scale, use ciabatta rolls or small french bread rolls instead of a whole loaf
- Grill the bread for a nice charred flavor
- If you don’t have fresh garlic on hand, use 1 tablespoon garlic powder instead
- Add more seasonings like red pepper flakes, garlic powder, and oregano, basil, or rosemary
- Try Asiago cheese instead or in addition to the Parmesan, or leave the cheese out entirely if you’re a purist
- Add sun dried tomatoes or olives for a briny bite
Is Garlic Bread French or Italian
It’s thought that this savory bread evolved from bruschetta, which originated in 15th century Ancient Rome. However, the garlic bread we all know and love (always with butter and sometimes with cheese) is really more American in nature. It’s believed to have made its debut in the U.S. during the 1950s, appearing on classic Italian-American restaurant menus all over. And while garlic bread is most definitely not French in origin, you can certainly use French bread or a baguette.
Make the Garlic Butter Ahead
The garlic butter lasts in the fridge for at least 1 month, so make a batch and keep it refrigerated for when the craving hits. Bring the butter to room temperature or give it a quick blast in the microwave to soften before spreading.
What to Serve With The BEST Garlic Bread
- My Mom’s Homemade Spaghetti and Meat Sauce
- Easy Chicken Piccata
- The Cheesiest Spinach and Cheese Lasagna
- Pasta Putanesca
- Easy Chicken Marsala
- Turkey Bolognese Lasagna Toss
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating on this recipe below and leave a comment, take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #foodiecrusheats.
The BEST Garlic Bread
Ingredients
- 4 cloves garlic , peeled and minced or pressed
- ½ cup salted butter , softened
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano
- ¼ cup fresh chopped parsley
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 loaf Italian or French bread
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450°F.
- In a small bowl, mix the pressed garlic with the softened butter, olive oil, grated Parmesan, parsley, and kosher salt until smooth.
- Cut the bread in half lengthwise and spread each cut side with the garlic butter. Place the two piece on a baking sheet or directly on an oven rack, cut side up, and bake until toasted, about 8-10 minutes. Remove from the oven and cut into 2-inch pieces, and serve warm.
Notes
Nutrition
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