Homemade Garlic Bread

This easy homemade garlic bread is topped with Parmesan and Mozzarella cheese. The delicious garlic spread has 2 secret ingredients that bump it up to restaurant quality!

Serve this bread with my Baked Chicken Parmesan or my famous Eggplant Parmesan!

Warm, cheesy garlic bread is probably one of the best things to smell (and taste) in your kitchen. My recipe has a few secret steps that totally make it restaurant quality.

My Secret Ingredients

Roasted Garlic

If you roast your own garlic, (up to 8 cloves per pound of bread), the flavors blend together much better, especially when combined with the other ingredients.

Overall it’s a bit more subtle and pleasant to the palate. This is definitely not something that you typically find in most garlic bread recipes.

Italian Salad Dressing

You may have heard of adding Italian Seasonings to Garlic Bread, but actually adding a bit of Italian Salad Dressing brings on a whole new world of flavor!

• • Not sure about adding Italian dressing?! Try THIS:
    • Mix the spread without any dressing and spread half of it over one of the bread slices.
    • Add 1/4 cup Italian dressing to the remaining spread to try on the other half.
    • Compare, and see which you like better!

The Other Ingredients

• French Bread- The fresher the better
• Parmesan Cheese
• Mozzarella Cheese– low moisture melts the best. Shred your own from a block at home for best flavor and melted texture
• Garlic-Freshly minced at home for best flavor. This Garlic Twister makes it easy!
• Butter- Preferably high quality. Cabot is a good choice.
• Parsley

How to Bake it

For Crispier, Crunchier Garlic Bread:

• Place the buttered halves on a baking sheet, butter side up. Bake for 10 minutes in a 375° oven.
• Increase the heat to a low broil and heat for an additional 2-3 minutes, keeping a close eye on it. This will crisp up the top and the edges.

For Softer Garlic Bread:

• Put the loaf halves back together after buttering them and wrap the tightly in foil. Bake at 350° for 15 minutes, until the cheese is completely melted.
• Slice into thick slices and serve.

Make-Ahead Method (For the Freezer)

• Slice the bread in half horizontally and spread with garlic butter.
• From here, you can place the entire loaves in the freezer or cut them into slices for individual servings. Either way, flash freeze the bread for about 20-25 minutes. 
• Place the bread into a tightly sealed and labeled freezer bag for up to 3 months.

To reheat, bake in a 375 degree oven for 15 minutes, until the cheese is warm and melted through.

If desired, increase the oven to a low broil and heat for an additional 2-3 minutes to crisp up the sides and the top.

Remove from the oven and serve!

Storing

• Leftover garlic bread should be wrapped in foil or in an airtight freezer bag and store in the refrigerator. It’s best if eaten within 3 days. 

Reheating

• To reheat garlic bread, simply wrap it in foil and bake it at 350° until heated through, about 10 minutes. 
• To reheat it in the microwave, turn the power down to around 40% and reheat with a cover over it for a minute or so. If the bread gets too hot, it will lose its texture and become very chewy.

What to Serve with Garlic Bread

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Homemade Garlic Bread

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 13 minutes

Total Time: 18 minutes

5 from 4 votes

Servings: 8

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This easy homemade garlic bread is loaded with two kinds of cheese and has secret ingredients that put it above the other garlic bread recipes out there!

Ingredients

US Customary - Metric

• 1 loaf French bread

Garlic Butter Spread

• 1 stick salted butter, at room temperature
• 4 cloves garlic, minced* See Notes
• 1/4 cup Italian Salad Dressing
• 2 ½ cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 1/8 cup Parmesan cheese, finely grated
• Fresh Parsley, to garnish. Optional.

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Combine all garlic butter ingredients in a large bowl until well incorporated.
• Set 1 cup of mozzarella cheese aside along with the Parmesan cheese.
• Slice the French bread in half horizontally 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 remaining cup of mozzarella cheese.
• Bake for 10 minutes, until the cheese is melted.
• Sprinkle the Parmesan Cheese over the bread.
• Increase the heat to a low broil and bake for an additional 2-3 minutes to crisp up the top and edges. Keep a close eye during this time. Remove when the cheese begins to brown.
• Remove from the oven and garnish with fresh parsley if desired.
• Cut into thick slices and serve!

For Softer Bread:

• Put the loaf halves back together after buttering them and wrap the tightly in foil. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes, until the cheese is completely melted.
• Slice into thick slices and serve.

Video

Notes

*Although I recommend mincing fresh garlic, you can substitute jarred minced garlic or garlic powder as follows.

4 cloves fresh garlic = ½ teaspoon garlic powder
4 cloves fresh garlic = 6 teaspoons jarred minced garlic.

For even better results, I recommend trying this with 7 cloves of roasted garlic instead of fresh.

Not sure about adding Italian dressing?! Try THIS:

• • Mix the spread without any dressing and spread half of it over one of the bread slices. 
  • Add 1/4 cup Italian dressing to the remaining spread to try on the other half. 
  • Compare, and see which you like better!

Nutrition

Calories: 363kcal, Carbohydrates: 31g, Protein: 12g, Fat: 21g, Saturated Fat: 11g, Cholesterol: 50mg, Sodium: 702mg, Potassium: 98mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 525IU, Vitamin C: 0.5mg, Calcium: 185mg, Iron: 2mg

Course: Bread

Cuisine: American, Italian

Author: Stephanie