We eat Italian food nearly once a week.
And by Italian, I mean spaghetti and meatballs. Folks, I live with a 5-year old who isn’t willing to try much more than macaroni and cheese, hot dogs, chicken nuggets, and yep–spaghetti.
So I try to jazz up our spaghetti nights however I can, which usually involves doing something with bread. Anyone else a huge bread fanatic? As in: you could easily eat this entire loaf yourself and call it a meal?
Now, the Tall Boy loves the loaves of garlic bread you buy from your grocer that come pre-sliced and filled with seasoned butter–and as much as I love butter, those loaves are actually too buttery for me.
This bread was the perfect solution: you can control the amount of butter to your tastes, and there is a huge pile of melted cheese on top. Melted cheese makes me happy.
On my loaf, I used Kraft’s Italian Five Cheese shredded cheese: it has a combination of Mozzarella, Provolone, Romano, Asiago, and Parmesan all shredded and ready to go. While there are times I prefer to grate my own cheese, a quick spaghetti night dinner is not one of those times.
My pictures don’t do this bread justice. Under that layer of cheese is five cloves of garlic, sautéed in butter.
Garlic + butter = heaven.
Add your sautéed garlic to a bowl with some softened butter, a few spices, and smear it all over your halved Italian loaf. Press the halves back together and wrap that bad boy in foil. Baking your loaf this way steams the bread and infuses it with the garlic-butter flavor.
Garlic-butter infused bread = heaven.
Bake it at 400 degrees for 15 minutes – then unwrap it, sprinkle Italian blend cheese on top and broil for a few more minutes, or until the cheese starts browning just a bit on top.
Also? Here’s the best tip ever from the trusty Cook’s Illustrated: when using a serrated knife to slice your cheesy bread, place your finished bread cheese side down on your cutting board. Slicing through the bread first keeps that gooey cheese in place!
Ingredients
- 5 garlic cloves, finely minced or grated
- 8 tablespoons (or less, depending on your tastes) unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 teaspoon water
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1-2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 Italian bread loaf or baguette, halved horizontally (mine was about 16 to 18 inches)
- 1 1/2 cups Italian blend cheese, like Kraft Italian Five-Cheese Blend
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 and position oven rack to the middle position.
- Cook your garlic, 1 tablespoon butter, and 1/2 teaspoon water in a small skillet over low heat, stirring occasionally, until garlic turns straw colored - about 10 minutes.
- Mix your sauteed garlic with the remaining 7 tablespoons butter, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning in a small bowl; smear it over the cut sides of your loaf. Press the buttered sides together, and wrap the loaf in foil. Place it on a foil lined baking sheet, and bake for 15 minutes.
- Unwrap bread from foil and place the buttered sides up back onto your baking sheet. Turn on broiler. Sprinkle your bread with cheese, and broil for 2-3 minutes, or until cheese has melted.
- Remove bread to cutting board, and slice, cheese side down.
adapted from Cook's Illustrated
XO, Ashley
Cheesey Garlic Bread is my ultimate weakness. i am a bread fanatic especially when cheese is involved. I wish chocolate, cheese and bread could be my 3 major food groups! This bread looks cheesy and great tip on cutting the bread.
Elizabeth @ Confessions of a Baking Queen recently posted..Cookie Butter Pudding CC Cookies
I’m totally on board with chocolate, cheese and bread as the three major food groups. Let’s make that happen.
Looks amazing Ashley! I could make a meal out of Garlic bread for sure!
Liz recently posted..Strawberry and Cream S’more Bars
This looks great! Easy and tasty – always a winning combo!!
Terry recently posted..Menu Plan 030413
I’m totally guilty of buying those frozen garlic bread loaves at the store. Not anymore! Love this!!
Meghan @ The Tasty Fork recently posted..Skinny Spinach & Artichoke Dip Stuffed Shells
This looks like you got the crunchy crust to chewy cheese ratio just right.
The idea of cutting the bread cheese side down is interesting. Doesn’t the cheese stick to the cutting board or fall off the bread or something?
Wendy recently posted..Fig Jam Biscotti
Hi Wendy! Like you, I was skeptical that the cheese would stick to the board–but it didn’t! Worked like a charm!
“easy cheesy” had me sold. I didn’t even need to see the gorgeous photos.
ughhh I love cheesy bread!!!!
sally @ sallys baking addiction recently posted..Brown Butter Pretzel M&M Cookies.
Oh, yes Ashley. I’ll take an entire loaf please!
Last night, I ate half a loaf of bread I baked and called it dinner. I am a feen for carbs. The cheese piled on top of this garlic bread is making me wish I had a huge bowl of spagetti in front of me. Yummo!
Nicole @ youngbrokeandhungry recently posted..Quick Orange Vanilla Marmalade
Ooooooh, I could eat an entire loaf of this!!! So gorgeous!
ashley – baker by nature recently posted..Roasted Carrot and Avocado Salad with Sherry – Dijon Vinaigrette
Oh My Kraft Cheese has never looked so good before! I think Steve would eat that whole loaf in one sitting!
Chandra@The Plaid and Paisley Kitchen recently posted..Irish Meat Hand Pies
Everyone Loves a good cheesy garlic bread! This looks fab! Thanks for Sharing at Show Me Your Plaid Monday’s!
Chandra@The Plaid and Paisley Kitchen recently posted..Show Me Your Plaid Monday’s #13