Table of Contents
What is Garlic Cheesy Bread?
Garlic cheesy bread is exactly what it sounds like, a soft but crunchy bread slathered with garlic butter and topped with melty ooey gooey cheese. It’s an indulgent treat that will make your mouth water.
We love to make it as an appetizer with dipping sauces or as a side to a nice pasta meal. It’s an easy recipe and one that everyone should know how to make since it’s such a crowd pleaser.
Of course, there are lots of different variations, but we will give you the base recipe, and you can adjust it for your tastes.
Why You Shouldn’t Fear Garlic
Ok, so before we get started, let’s just take a sec to talk about garlic. We love it. It makes everything taste better. We know some people are sensitive to garlic or fear that they will have bad breath for days. But garlic is actually healthy, and bad breath is an easy ailment to fix.
Did you know that garlic was actually used throughout history as a medicine? Garlic has a ton of health benefits. It’s an anti-inflammatory and helps reduce the common cold. And it has anti-bacterial properties and can be used topically to treat bites, acne, and cold sores.
To be honest, garlic may be the healthiest part of this recipe for garlic cheesy bread. So chop it up and enjoy all of the amazingness that is garlic. If you run out of breath mints, just drink a glass of lemon water or some green tea to keep garlic breath at bay.
How to Make Garlic Cheesy Bread
Ok, so this is a simple recipe with only a few ingredients.
- Loaf of French bread
- 1 stick of butter
- 1 cup of mozzarella
- ⅓ cup of fresh Parmigiano Reggiano
- A handful of chopped parsley
- 5-6 cloves of fresh garlic
Here are a few kitchen tools that you will need.
- Serrated knife
- Butter spatula
- Cheese grater
- Baking sheet
- Mixing bowl
- Non-stick spray or parchment paper
Soften the butter and mix with garlic and parsley. Slice the bread lengthwise and spread the butter mix. Sprinkle the cheese and bake for 10 minutes on 350ºF. Check it, and if you want it a bit browner on top, turn the oven to broil for 3 minutes. Take it out and let it rest a few minutes before cutting.
We love to use french bread because it’s soft on the inside and crunchy on the outside, but you can also use a baguette, sourdough loaf, multigrain loaf, or your favorite bread.
It really depends on your tastes. We prefer not to use a baguette because it gets too crunchy and loses its softness, but that’s just a preference.
You could also forgo the bread and use pizza dough. If you use pizza dough, the final product will come out more like breadsticks than garlic bread, but breadsticks covered in garlic and cheese are good, too.
Best Cheeses to Use for Garlic Cheesy Bread
We like to use mozzarella cheese to make it more like pizza with some Parmigiano Reggiano on top. But you can mix and match cheeses to play with texture and taste. Some other cheeses that would work well are:
- Fontina
- Grana Padano
- Pecorino
- Manchego
- Monterey Jack
- Pepper Jack
Best Dipping Sauces for Garlic Cheesy Bread
We haven’t met a dipping sauce we don’t like. There are so many options, but these are some of our favorites.
- Ranch dressing
- Sriracha or how about combine them for Sriracha Ranch
- Marinara
- Chimichurri
- Spicy mayo
- Pesto
- Hot sauce
Pro Tips
- Always grate your own cheese. Grated cheese mixes have chemicals added to them to keep them from sticking together, affecting how they melt. Invest in a quality cheese grater to make grating cheese easy.
- Cut the bread lengthwise instead of in slices. It will have the best ratio of crunch to softness.
- Make a large batch and freeze it for easy weeknight dinners. Prepare the bread and spread with the mixture, and place in a freezer bag for up to two months.
- If you like garlic to have a milder flavor, try roasting your garlic before adding it. Roasted garlic is not as potent as fresh and is super soft and spreadable.
- Try different herbs and spices on your garlic cheesy bread like red pepper flakes, basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme, or chopped chives.
- Always make more than you think you will need, especially if you are feeding a group of hungry friends. Everybody loves it, and it goes fast.
- If you don’t have access to an oven, you can still make this in a toaster oven or air fryer. We think it’s best to skip the microwave because while it will still taste good, the consistency will get too mushy.
What to Serve With Garlic Cheesy Bread
- Tomato soup
- Spaghetti bolognese
- Green salad
- Spicy chili
- Vegetable soup
- Lasagna
- Shrimp fettuccine
- Pasta Alfredo
- Linguini in clam sauce
Ok, so now we are just listing our favorite dishes. But really, just about anything goes with garlic cheesy bread. It’s an easy side for many of your favorite meals.
Beverages to Serve with Garlic Cheesy Bread
Pairing beer and wine with pizza is one of our specialties. Here are our recommendations to pair with garlic cheesy bread.
Wines
Sauvignon Blanc – citrus flavors complement garlic.
Pinot Gris – dry whites won’t overpower the garlic.
Shiraz, Malbec, Chianti – these three reds will match the garlic intensity and heavy cheese.
Beer
Lighter beers are better for garlic cheesy bread. Try a Pilsner, Pale Ale, or India Pale Ale.
If you prefer a non-alcoholic beverage, sparkling water with a squeeze of lemon compliments garlic cheesy bread perfectly.
What do you like to eat your garlic cheesy bread with?
