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Everyone should have a good Garlic Bread recipe in their cooking repertoire and we’re sharing ours with you today!
Garlic bread is one of those foods that is delicious served at so many meals – classic Italian dinners, alongside soups or salads. I love it so much – I’ve been known to fill up on garlic bread before dinner and skip the entrée!
The key to a really good garlic bread (in our opinion) has a crispy outer crust with a flavorful buttery inside – but you don’t want to put on so much butter that the bread gets soggy as it bakes! Also – you want a strong and distinctive garlic flavor – but we don’t recommend adding raw garlic because it is too overpowering.
Today’s recipe, which is the garlic bread recipe that my husband Jack has made for many years, starts by sautéing very finely minced garlic (a garlic press also works well for this step) in extra virgin olive oil just until golden in color. Once that cools, it is stirred into softened butter that has been flavored with fresh chopped parsley, grated Romano cheese, plus salt and pepper.
That cheesy garlic butter mixture is spread in a generous layer over a loaf of Italian bread that was sliced in half and lightly toasted. Then the whole loaf is wrapped in foil and heated through. (What’s also great about this technique is that you can prep it ahead of time, then bake it right before serving.)
Slice and serve along with more of that delicious cheesy, garlic and butter spread – and you’ll be in garlic bread heaven!
We love seeing what you made! Tag us on Instagram at @afamilyfeast or hashtag #afamilyfeast so we can see your creations!
Garlic Bread
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 head of garlic, minced very fine or put through garlic press (5 tablespoons)
2 sticks softened unsalted butter (one cup) plus 1 tablespoon, divided
2 tablespoons fresh flat leaf parsley, minced
¼ cup freshly grated Romano cheese
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 loaf Italian bread (1–1 ½ pound loaf)
Instructions
Preheat broiler.
In a small sauce pan over medium heat, place oil and garlic and sauté; stirring continually for five minutes. Remove just as the garlic is starting to turn tan in color and pour mixture into a medium bowl.
Add one cup of the softened butter, parsley, Romano, salt and pepper. Stir vigorously to combine.
Cut Italian bread from end to end horizontally down the center so you have a full top half and full bottom half.
Melt the one tablespoon of butter and brush each cut side.
Lay out a large sheet of foil large enough to wrap around both halves but don’t wrap yet. Line a sheet tray with it, letting any excess hang off the ends and sides.
Place buttered bread cut side up and broil just for one minute. You want a nice golden brown look.
Remove from broiler and preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Spread ¾ of the garlic butter across the cut toasted bread, saving the remaining butter to serve with the garlic bread.
Now close the top and bottoms together and wrap the foil up around tight. At this point, you could save this for later by refrigerating. Just bring to room temperature first and continue below.
Place pan in preheated oven with rack close to top and heat for ten minutes.
Remove, place on cutting board and cut into thick strips. Serve with the remaining garlic butter mixture.
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Hi Martha,
I have never heard that tip……the part about toasting the bread a little first. I had to call my Mom, whose 82 and been cooking since she was 15, and ask, “Have you ever heard of that?” and she had not. I have always just broiled it after it was out of the foil, like she has always done. I am doing this tomorrow with a baked spaghetti and think that one tip is going to really add some crunch and toasty flavor. Thanks! *hugs*
We hope you like how the garlic bread turns out Darryl!
That garlic bread looks so buttery and delicious. If I made this I fear I would eat the whole loaf and skip over dinner…haha.
I could easily eat this entire loaf !! This would not be a good thing, but I’m being honest here!
LOL Renee – I could easily eat it too! 🙂
I agree that everyone needs a great garlic bread recipe in their repertoire and Jack’s looks like a winner! I like that he sautes the garlic first. Is it wrong that I want an early lunch and a slice of this now?;)
It’s not wrong at all Lora! (I’ve been craving more since we made this recipe!)
This looks absolutely amazing. We make a similar one, but I’ve not tried cheese in ours. I’m totally trying yours next time we make it. Which is this weekend because Kiana is coming home on leave and she has to have garlic bread with every meal. Lol.
Kiana sounds like a kindred spirit! I’d be happy having garlic bread with every meal too!
That is one tasty looking garlic bread! It definitely completes any meal!
Garlic bread makes me weak in the knees.
Me too Paula! Me too!
I plan to make this tonight, but have a question. When I wrap it in the foil to bake it, do I put the loaf halves back together (cut and buttered sides on top each other to make the loaf ‘whole’ again and then wrap the foil around it ……….. or do I have the halves of bread sitting side by side of each other and bring the foil ends up and crimp them together without letting the foil touch the buttered tops ?
Thanks
Hi Kathy – we make the loaf whole again (we pre-toasted the bread) but if you want it more crispy you can definitely bake it with the bread halves side by side! Either way works great! Thanks for your question!
My whole family goes crazy for garlic bread! Your pictures are making my mouth water 🙂
Thanks Lauren!
This reminds me of growing up.