Buttery, perfectly toasted, and loaded with parmesan and mozzarella, this cheesy garlic bread recipe is one you'll want to serve with every meal!
We especially love it with this Easy Baked Spaghetti.
Why you'll crave it
Is there anything better than homemade garlic bread? Picture this: all in a single bite you get the crunch of the crispy, warm bread, followed by tons of gooey golden cheese, and then you reach the soft inside with a layer of the garlic herb butter that has melted into every crevice. I'm drooling just thinking about it.
You know when the bread is so good that you end up eating so much that you're too full to actually eat the rest of the meal? Yeah, we're sorry (not sorry). It's going to happen with this garlic bread with cheese recipe. Just embrace it. No regrets. And with very little prep, you'll find yourself making it all the time!
Can't get enough French bread? Try my BBQ Chicken French Bread Pizza as well.
Ingredients for it
- Bread - French bread is the usual variety since it has a lot of surface area for the delicious toppings. The most important thing is that it's fresh. Ideally, make this recipe the same day as purchasing your loaf.
- Garlic butter spread - our signature recipe has butter, both fresh garlic and garlic powder for extra savory goodness, Italian seasoning, parsley, and salt & pepper
- Cheese - we're using both parmesan and mozzarella cheese to take it to the next level. Always grate your own!
Make ahead tips
- You can prep it to just before the baking stage, wrap it tightly in foil, and then refrigerate overnight or freeze it for a couple of months.
- If garlic bread is coming straight from the freezer, you can bake it from frozen. Try a temperature of 375F, and give it an extra 10-15 minutes in the oven than indicated in the instructions.
How to make garlic bread
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
Take the butter out of the fridge so it comes to room temperature and becomes soft. Preheat the oven to 400F. In a small bowl, mash together the ingredients for the butter spread with a fork.
Cut the loaf in half horizontally, and place face-up on a baking tray. Spread the garlic butter mixture evenly, and top with the grated parmesan cheese.
Top with the mozzarella, and then bake. Broil until golden and bubbly. Sprinkle with chopped parsley if desired, cut into slices, and enjoy right away.
Tips for success
- Be sure the butter is at room temperature! This makes the recipe go really smoothly. Let it sit on your counter for at least an hour prior to starting the recipe.
- It can go from golden to burned in a hurry, so be sure to check it often when broiling.
- Absolutely use fresh ingredients. Mince the garlic cloves yourself with a garlic press, and grate the cheese from blocks rather than using the pre-grated kind for maximum taste. I like this Zyliss grater.
Substitutions and variations
- Try swapping the mozzarella for cheddar or another easy-melting variety such as a Tex-Mex blend or Monterey Jack.
- You can definitely make it with homemade roasted garlic if you prefer.
- I like to use a loaf of French bread, but any fresh loaf could be used. Try a baguette, a loaf of sourdough or ciabatta, etc.
- If you want more of a herby taste, feel free to experiment with adding individual herbs (fresh or dried) vs. the all-purpose blend that I use to give it a fairly subtle herb flavor!
What to serve with it
- It's fantastic with Italian American favorites like Baked Ziti, my Italian Meatball Soup, or this Classic Chicken Parmesan recipe!
- For some vegetarian options, pair it with Spinach and Ricotta Stuffed Shells or this Alfredo Tortellini Bake. We also love serving it before a meal with this Easy Marinara Sauce for dipping it into.
- Whatever main dish you serve it with, it's also awesome with a salad topped with this Easy Homemade Caesar Dressing to make a hearty meal.
Leftovers and storage
- I recommend eating it within a day or two max of making it so that it doesn't dry out. For food safety reasons, it is best to refrigerate leftover cheesy garlic bread because of the dairy. Regular garlic bread is generally safe to leave out overnight, but use your own discretion.
- To reheat it, loosely wrap it in foil (cheese side up) and warm it in the oven at 350F for 10-15 minutes. If desired, carefully broil to crisp it up again. This blog decided to test various methods for reheating garlic bread, so you can check out the article if you're interested in her findings!
- I don't recommend freezing cooked garlic bread. It just isn't the same after thawing.
I'd be thrilled to hear from you in the comments below if you made it or have any questions!
Extra Cheesy Garlic Bread
Ingredients
- 1 (16 ounce) loaf French bread cut in half lengthwise
- 1/2 cup butter (1 stick) softened
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley chopped + extra for serving
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Pepper to taste
- 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Take the butter out of the fridge at least an hour prior to starting the recipe.
- Preheat your oven to 400F and move the rack to the top third of the oven.
- Add the butter, garlic, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, parsley, and salt & pepper to a small bowl. Mash together with a fork until well combined.
- Cut the loaf of bread in half horizonally (try to get the two halves as equally sized as possible) and place each piece cut-side up on a baking sheet.
- Spread the butter over the cut side of each half of bread, then top each half with the parmesan, followed by the mozzarella.
- Bake for 12 minutes, then broil for a few minutes (watch it carefully so it doesn't burn!) until the cheese is golden and bubbly.
- Cut into slices and serve immediately with extra parsley sprinkled over top.
Notes
- Serving size really depends on how much people eat. Make it a meal for 2-4 with a salad, or serve it as an appetizer/one of several dishes at a gathering.
- Feel free to omit the extra salt if you're sensitive to salt or prefer using salted butter.
- Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Salt & Lavender makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.
Sam says
Love!! Will definitely be making again either for a side or a holiday appetizer. Delicious. If you love garlic you will be tasting it which I was fine with.
Natasha says
I'm so glad you enjoyed it, Sam!
Kathy says
Wow! Excellent recipe for cheesy garlic bread! My go to recipe now. Even is great without the cheese.
Natasha says
Thank you so much!! Glad it's a new favorite, Kathy! 🙂
Del Davies says
Hi Natasha,
This one is on the cards for tomorrow with thick veggie soup.....we are in chill mode here in S.Africa...... midwinter.
Do so enjoy yr blog.......big thanks.
Natasha says
Hi! I hope you all enjoy it! 🙂 Stay warm!
Autumn says
This was amazing! I used 2 "take and bake" demi baguettes and baked them along side your baked spaghetti recipe, awesome dinner!
Natasha says
Awesome!! I'm so glad it was a hit and you enjoyed the baked spaghetti too! 🙂
Lorena says
Really good Natasha! I baked a ciabatta loaf from the “Jenny Can Cook” site and then made this to go with your chicken parm and salad with Olive Garden dressing, other items in my weekly rotation, the other day.
Natasha says
Awesome!! 🙂
Renee Pilone says
This was easy and so delicious! My tween made it using the instructions and it was great!
Natasha says
That's awesome!! 😀 I'm so glad he/she is learning to cook early. Thanks for your review!
Ramya says
cant wait to make this soon for me can i use vegan butter and cheeses i never had cheesy garlic bread before i love garlic bread sooooooooooooooo much cant wait to make this for my family as they love garlic bread too perfect for my after office meals love your recipes as always brightens up my day everyday after work
Natasha says
Enjoy! 🙂