This quick and easy Garlic Bread Recipe is loaded with tons of garlic and cheese and then toasted to perfection. It's equal parts buttery, cheesy, salty, crunchy, and chewy in every bite, which makes the best Garlic Bread, in my opinion. And if you want even more garlic goodness I suggest doing yourself a favor and whipping up a batch of this garlic confit to use as a topping for this recipe. Pro tip: This garlic bread is the perfect companion to my Eggplant Parm recipe.
Table of Contents
It’s been approx 100 years since we’ve updated the WGC garlic bread and todays the day. Let’s get serious. There’s no time for sub-par garlic bread. We need garlicky, cheesy, crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, packs a mega punch garlic bread. And my friends, this is it. Look no further, you’ll be making this for the rest of time. Use it for soups, or serve with my to-die-for skillet cheesy chickpeas, baked camembert or anything you need for a garlicky cheesy carby bite!
Ingredients
- Italian Bread or French Bread - look for a loaf that has a crunchy crust but is still soft in the middle
- Unsalted Butter - make sure it's softened so it's easily spreadable
- Garlic Cloves - use fresh garlic cloves for the best flavor, I like to run them through my favorite garlic press to save time while prepping this Garlic Bread Recipe
- Red Pepper Flakes - a little bit of heat helps balance the richness
- Cheese - I like cheesy garlic bread so there's shredded mozzarella and grated parmesan cheese is this Garlic Bread Recipe
- Salt & Pepper - goes without saying
How to Make this Garlic Bread Recipe
Start by preheating the oven to 350°F. Then cut the loaf of bread in half, horizontally. Next in a small bowl mix the butter, garlic, red pepper flakes, mozzarella, ½ cup of the parmesan, salt and pepper together. Evenly spread butter mixture over the two halves of bread and place them on a sheet pan. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes until the butter and cheese start to melt but aren't golden.
Remove the pan from the oven and sprinkle on more Parmesan cheese over halves of bread. Return the sheet pan to the oven on the highest rack and broil on high heat for 2-3 minutes until the edges of the bread begin to toast and the cheese bubbles. Watch very carefully while broiling as it will go from golden to burnt very quickly. Remove from the oven, let cool for a minute, slice and serve with marinara sauce or tomato soup.
Tips & Tricks
If you want to have homemade garlic bread ready in a moments notice then this tip is for you! This Garlic Bread Recipe freezes incredibly well, so the next time you make it double the recipe and freeze half.
After spreading the butter mixture on each half of bread place two halves into a zip top bag and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. When you're ready to serve the garlic bread place the frozen halves of bread on a baking sheet and bake at 350ºF for 13-15 minutes until the butter and cheese begin to melt. Then remove it from the oven, top the halves of bread with freshly grated parmesan cheese, and broil for 2 minutes until golden.
Variations & Substitutions
Butter - To make this Garlic Bread Recipe dairy-free use ghee or vegan butter and omit the cheese.
Cheese - If you prefer garlic bread without cheese you can absolutely omit it.
FAQ's
What kind of bread do you use for garlic bread?
I like using either a 16-ounce loaf of French bread or Italian bread for this Garlic Bread Recipe. Look for a loaf that is thick so you get those nice big slices.
How long do you heat up garlic bread in the oven?
To re-heat garlic bread in the oven place it on the middle rack of a 350ºF oven and bake for 10 minutes until warmed through.
Is garlic bread French or Italian?
Garlic bread is actually an Italian-American dish. It's commonly served with other Italian dishes like spaghetti, meatballs, soup, or a chopped salad.
Similar Recipes
- Pizza Monkey Bread (watch how to make it here)
- Cheesy Pesto Pull Apart Bread
- Garlic Herb Parmesan Pretzel Twists (watch how to make it here)
If you tried this recipe, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting today
Garlic Bread
Ingredients
- 1 16-ounce loaf of Italian bread or French bread
- 1 stick unsalted butter softened
- 5-6 large cloves garlic smashed and chopped
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½ cup shredded mozzarella
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese divided
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Cut the bread in half, horizontally. Mix the butter, garlic, red pepper flakes, mozzarella, ½ cup of the parmesan, salt and pepper together in a small bowl. Spread butter mixture over the two bread halves. Place on a sturdy baking pan and heat in the oven for 10 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the oven. Sprinkle more Parmesan cheese over bread and return to the oven on the highest rack. Broil on high heat for 2-3 minutes until the edges of the bread begin to toast and the cheese bubbles. Watch very carefully while broiling.
- Remove from the oven, let cool for a minute, slice and serve.
Notes
- Keep a close eye on your garlic bread the second time you put it in the oven. It only needs a couple of minutes max to toast to golden brown perfection.
Swoon! This may be the best garlic bread yet!!