Cheesy Garlic Bread is the perfect accompaniment to any dish! Chewy Italian bread is slathered with herbed garlic butter and topped with gooey, melted cheese. Everyone will be clamoring for more!
You know those dishes you could make in your sleep because you have made them so many times? For me, those are Mexican Pie, pasta with Creamy Vodka Sauce, and this easy recipe for Cheesy Garlic Bread.
The best part about this side dish is you can change the herbs for whatever fresh herbs you have on hand or whichever ones are your favorite. If you are in a bind and don’t have time to boil the garlic and have the premade minced garlic jar in your fridge, use that instead.
SAVE THIS EASY CHEESY GARLIC BREAD RECIPE TO YOUR FAVORITE PINTEREST BOARD!
Did you know?
Though often served with pasta or other Italian dishes, you won’t find garlic bread in Italy! They typically eat their bread plain. Garlic bread probably evolved from bruschetta when Italian immigrants to America started to use butter instead of olive oil for their bread since that was difficult to find in the United States at the time.
Cheesy Garlic Bread Ingredients
Bread– the best bread for this garlic cheese bread recipe is debatable! I use a loaf of Italian bread bought fresh from the bakery aisle in the grocery store. If you don’t have Italian, look for soft bread with a crunchy crust like French bread or Ciabatta.
Butter– softened
Fresh herbs– use your favorite chopped herbs for this bread. Some favorites are tarragon, fresh parsley, oregano, basil, or chives. Dried parsley will work, but you only need half as much.
Garlic– you need lots of it! You can use fresh garlic cloves, boiled, peeled, and mashed, or you can use minced garlic from a jar.
- Tip- I make my own jarred garlic to use in recipes. Just remove the skins by pressing each clove firmly with a knife, slice off the ends of each clove, and mince finely (use a food processor if you have one to save time!) Place in a small jar with a lid and cover entirely with olive oil. Tighten the lid and store it in the refrigerator for up to 2 months!
Cheese– I use grated Romano cheese for this recipe, but you could also use cheddar, mozzarella cheese, asiago, Parmesan cheese, or Feta cheese. Combine your favorite cheeses for a fantastic flavor!
How to make easy Cheesy Garlic Bread
- Make the Garlic Butter– Place garlic cloves with skins into a saucepan of simmering water. Let the garlic simmer for 20 minutes. Remove it from the water, squeeze the garlic from the skins, and mash it into a paste with a fork.
- If you don’t have time to boil the garlic, use minced garlic from the jar. Heat 4 ½ tablespoons in a microwave-safe bowl for about 20 seconds, then continue with the rest of the directions.
- Add the softened butter, cheese, and herbs. Mix all the ingredients together until the butter mixture is fully incorporated.
- Butter Your Bread– Slice your fresh bread into half lengthwise with a serrated knife. Then, place it cut side up on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Slather your garlic butter all over the loaf of bread, making sure to get it all the way to the edges.
- Bake– Bake in a 350-degree oven for just a few minutes until the cheese melts. You can turn on the broiler for a few more minutes if you want everything to be a nice golden brown!
- Cut it into individual slices and serve bread with dinner! Or eat it on its own- I won’t tell!
Can I make this ahead of time?
This is a great side dish to make and freeze for a later meal. Simply follow the directions and stop before baking it. Flash-freeze it on a baking sheet until frozen solid, then wrap the loaf tightly in plastic wrap and aluminum foil before storing it in the freezer.
Garlic cheese bread will last for about three months in the freezer.
Storage for leftovers
If you have any leftover cheesy garlic bread, you can store slices in a Ziploc bag or another airtight container for 2-3 days. Reheat in the oven or air fryer for best results!
What should I serve with this bread?
Have a pasta night! I suggest a few of my favorite pasta recipes. This bread pairs nicely with any of these:
- Roasted Red Pepper, Goat Cheese, and Herb Gnocchi– this potato-based pasta is chock full of flavor!
- Classic Lasagna– you can’t go wrong with this family classic!
- Fettucine Alfredo– a cream-based sauce makes this pasta dish a favorite!
- Mushroom Ravioli– the earthy goodness of this stuffed pasta is to die for!
Need a break from pasta? Serve Cheesy Garlic Bread with one of these:
Cheesy Garlic Bread
Ingredients
- 8-10 garlic cloves skins still intact
- 6 tablespoons butter softened
- 1 loaf of Italian bread split
- 1/2 cup Romano cheese grated
- 3 tablespoons fresh herbs use your favorite herbs – I use tarragon, parsley, and oregano
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. and place the oven racks in the middle of the oven and in the top third.
- Place garlic cloves with skin on in a saucepan of simmering water. Let it simmer for 20 minutes.
- Remove the garlic from the water and squeeze the garlic from skins. Mash into a paste with fork. Add softened butter, cheese, and herbs. Mix until fully incorporated.
- Slather on bread. Place into oven on the. middle rack and bake for about 8-10 minutes.
- If you'd like the top of the bread a little more toasted, turn on broiler to high and toast bread in oven on the upper rack for 3-4 minutes. Turn baking sheet around halfway after about 2 minutes. Watch very carefully as it can burn quickly as it toasts. Remove and slice into pieces.
Notes
Nutrition
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This post was originally published 8/6/13. It has been updated in format and with pictures on 4/7/23.
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