Get my Cookbooks! Garlic Bread With Cheese
This Garlic Bread with Cheese is made with French Bread, a delicious garlic butter mixture, and is topped with Parmesan and Mozzarella Cheese. Plus a secret ingredient that takes this recipe up to restaurant quality!
Be sure to serve this with some Pink Sauce Pasta, and try my Pizza Dip recipe next!
Garlic Bread With Cheese
Did you think I could possibly post a recipe for garlic bread without adding cheese to it?! Never.
I am excited to share with you a secret ingredient that gives this garlic bread a little extra something. See if you can spot it below, then check out my PRO tips, how to freeze it to bake another day, reheating instructions, etc. Enjoy!
Ingredients
- French Bread: The best choice when it comes to garlic bread.
- Butter: High-quality salted butter is best for this recipe. I like to use Cabot or Land O’ Lakes.
- Fresh Garlic: The fresher the better, minced yourself at home.
- Cheese: Parmesan and Mozzarella shredded/grated at home from a block is best for taste and texture.
- Italian Salad Dressing: Optional, but it takes this right up to restaurant quality. I use Olive Garden salad dressing which you can also make at home.
How to Make It
See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
- Slice the bread in half to create two thinner pieces of equal size.
- Combine room temperature butter, minced garlic, 1 cup Mozzarella cheese, and Italian Salad Dressing. Spread it evenly over each slice of bread. Top with Parmesan, then with remaining 2 cups of Mozzarella.
- Bake at 350° for 10 minutes, then increase heat to 450° and baked until the top begins to brown, up to 8 more minutes.
- Cut into 1-inch slices, garnish with parsley, and serve with pasta, soup, or homemade marinara sauce.
Why is my Garlic Bread Soggy
- Garlic bread that sits too long before being baked or that is cooked at a temperature that is too low can become soggy.
- For this recipe we’ll bake it at 350° until the cheese is melted (10 minutes), then increase the heat to 450° for the remainder of the baking time, about 8 more minutes, or until it begins to brown on the top. Watch it carefully to ensure it doesn’t burn.
- I like to use a thick 1lb. loaf of French bread so that I can slice it in half and still have two pieces that are thick enough to hold up underneath the garlic butter spread and cheese.
Freezer Garlic Bread
This recipe can be prepared ahead of time to freeze and serve later.
- Prepare the bread as outlined and cut it into slices. (Don’t bake it.) Flash freeze it for 40 minutes. Transfer it to an airtight freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
- When ready to serve, bake it at 350° until the cheese is melted, (about 13 minutes). Then increase heat to 450° and bake until the top begins to brown, (up to 8 more minutes).
Pro Tips
- French Bread is the best kind to use for this recipe. It has crispy outer crust which allows it to hold up well, and it’s soft in the middle which is perfect for absorbing the cheesy garlic butter spread!
- Use fresh garlic instead of jarred, it tastes much better! If the garlic clove isn’t fresh it may turn a blueish green color when it bakes. This is from the acid in the Italian dressing. It’s still safe to eat.
- Shred/grate your own Parmesan and Mozzarella cheese from a block, it tastes and melts much better.
- Use high-quality ingredients for this recipe. I like to use Cabot or Land O’ Lakes Butter.
Storage
Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Reheating
- To reheat garlic bread, simply wrap it in foil and bake it at 350° until heated through, about 10 minutes for refrigerated or 15-20 minutes for frozen.
- To reheat it in the microwave, turn the power down to around 40% and reheat with a cover over it for 1 minute or so. If the bread gets too hot, it will lose its texture and become very chewy.
Tools For This Recipe
(Amazon affiliate links)- Check out all of my kitchen essentials here.
- Garlic Twister– Freshly minced garlic tastes much better. This twister minces it very quickly and is easy to store.
- Box Cheese Grater -You’ll always get the best results from shredding/grating the cheese from a block.
- Pizza Cutter Rocker Blade -Makes it easy to cut nice clean slices.
- Light Baking Sheets
- Olive Garden Salad Dressing– Tastes great with this recipe.
What to Serve With Garlic Bread
-
- Lasagna Roll Ups
-
- Baked Ravioli
-
- Baked Meatballs
-
- Caprese Pasta
-
- Garlic Parmesan Chicken
-
- The Best Meat Sauce
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Tried This Recipe?
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Garlic Bread With Cheese
This Garlic Bread with Cheese is made with French Bread, a delicious garlic butter mixture, and is topped with Parmesan and Mozzarella Cheese.
Ingredients
- 1 loaf French bread, about 1 lb.
- 1 stick salted butter, at room temperature
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup Italian salad dressing
- 1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese, grated
- 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
- Fresh Parsley, to garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- Combine the butter, garlic, Italian salad dressing, and 1 cup of the Mozzarella cheese in a large bowl until well incorporated.
- Slice the French bread in half lengthwise and spread the top of each half with equal amounts of garlic butter.
- Place the halves on a baking sheet, butter side up. Top with Parmesan cheese, then with remaining Mozzarella.
- Bake for 10 minutes, until the cheese is melted.
- Increase heat to 450° and bake for up to 8 additional minutes, until the top begins to brown. Keep an eye on it during this time.
- Remove and cut into 1-inch slices. Garnish with parsley and serve with pasta, soup, or homemade marinara sauce.
Notes
Pro Tips
Storage Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Reheating
Freezer Garlic Bread This recipe can be prepared ahead of time to freeze and serve later.
- French Bread is the best kind to use for this recipe. It has a crispy outer crust which allows it to hold up well, and it's soft in the middle which is perfect for absorbing the cheesy garlic butter spread!
- Use fresh garlic instead of jarred, it tastes much better! If the garlic clove isn't fresh it may turn a blueish green color when it bakes. This is from the acid in the Italian dressing. It's still safe to eat.
- Shred/grate your own Parmesan and Mozzarella cheese from a block, it tastes and melts much better.
- Use high-quality ingredients for this recipe. I like to use Cabot or Land O' Lakes Butter.
Storage Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Reheating
- To reheat garlic bread, simply wrap it in foil and bake it at 350° until heated through, about 10 minutes for refrigerated or 15-20 minutes for frozen.
- To reheat it in the microwave, turn the power down to around 40% and reheat with a cover over it for 1 minute or so. If the bread gets too hot, it will lose its texture and become very chewy.
Freezer Garlic Bread This recipe can be prepared ahead of time to freeze and serve later.
- Prepare the bread as outlined and cut it into 1-inch slices. (Don't bake it.) Flash freeze it for 40 minutes. Transfer it to an airtight freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
- When ready to serve, bake it at 350° until the cheese is melted, (about 13 minutes). Then increase heat to 450° and bake until the top begins to brown, (up to 8 more minutes).
Nutrition
Calories: 203kcal, Carbohydrates: 15g, Protein: 8g, Fat: 12g, Saturated Fat: 7g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 33mg, Sodium: 372mg, Potassium: 59mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 332IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 140mg, Iron: 1mg
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Greatest garlic bread so easy to make. I wanted to know if you can save the mixture.
Hi Sandy, you can refrigerate it in an airtight container for up to 3-5 days. Let it come to room temp prior to using again. 🙂
Your recipes are brilliant! I own your cookbook as well, and you never let me down. I made the bolognese sauce tonight accompanied by this phenomenal bread! The secret ingredient made all the difference in the world and I couldn’t wait to try as I have never heard of adding this before. It was exciting to try something different. All I can say is well done 😊
I’m soooo happy that you enjoyed it Sonya!! I love that you paired this with Bolognese, what an amazing combo! I’m so glad that you loved the secret ingredient here and that you have my cookbook! What an honor, thank you so much!! 🙂 -Stephanie
Hi Stephanie.
I occasionally make this amazing recipe, substituting the Italian dressing with 1/4 cup of Ranch dressing. My go-to Ranch dressing is a batch made from a Good Seasons brand packet, using buttermilk in the mixture. However, any bottled brand would probably work. The Ranch dressing usage adds a different great flavor, along with a creamy texture to your original recipe.
Thanks so much for sharing your tweaks Robert! I’m so happy you’re enjoying this one!💖
Wondering how to do this with one oven when making your baked meatballs? Should I time it so I up the temperature when the meatballs are done?
Hi Jenna, I would agree, I would up the temp and finish baking once the meatballs are done! 🙂
Very easy snd yummy cheese bread.
I will be my to go recipe from now on.
Tip: if you’re grilling the bread on the grill is great.
No leftovers for sure.
I’m so happy that you loved it Rose!! I grilled bread on the grill the other day and it was amazing, you’re right! Thank you so much for the review! 🙂 -Stephanie
Have you made this without the cheese before? My son has a dairy allergy but I’d still like to make it!
Hi Brittany! I wish I could say that I have, but unfortunately I can’t help but add the cheese every single time. If you keep an eye on it in the oven I’m sure you’ll be fine to make it without the cheese!
Back in college, there was a (eh-hmm) cheap pizza Italian joint that was rather popular. They also served garlic bread with cheese… but (and here’s an option for you) they would add thin slices of tomato on the surface, then cover it with the garlic butter mixture… Just a suggestion you might enjoy!
Hi Peter! I can say with 100% certainty that I would enjoy that! I can’t wait to try it, thank you so much for sharing!! 🙂 -Stephanie
That bread was AMAZING! I was skittish about adding the dressing at first, but so glad I did! Sooo good! 👏🏻
I am soooo happy to hear that!! I know what you mean, I’m hooked on the dressing addition now, thank you so much for the review! 🙂 -Stephanie
This was a huge hit when I took it to a big gathering. I had so many compliments and everyone loved the extra flavour the Italian dressing gave. Took it to a whole new level.
That’s GREAT news Colleen!! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review! I really appreciate it!!! ❤️
This was incredible! I’d never have thought to add salad dressing to garlic bread but it made all the difference. I’ll be making it this way all the time in future. I made the same mistake as someone else in the comments and put the parmesan in with the butter mixture but I don’t think it mattered too much. I don’t know what a stick of butter and a baking sheet are (we don’t have those things here in Australia) so I had to improvise, but it was still so tasty. Thanks for a great recipe.
You’re very welcome Kira! I’m so happy you enjoyed the salad dressing in this recipe, such a great way to bring this one to the next level. Thanks so much for the great comments and review!❤️
a stick of butter is 1/2 cup.