Garlic Bread With Cheese

This Garlic Bread with Cheese is made with French Bread, a delicious garlic butter mixture, and is topped with Parmesan and Mozzarella Cheese.

Prep Time5

Cook Time18

Total Time23

Course: Appetizer, Side Dish

Cuisine: American, Italian

Servings: slices

Calories: 203kcal

Preheat oven to 350°.
Combine the butter, garlic, Italian salad dressing, and 1 cup of the Mozzarella cheese in a large bowl until well incorporated.
Slice the French bread in half lengthwise 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 Parmesan cheese, then with remaining Mozzarella.
Bake for 10 minutes, until the cheese is melted.
Increase heat to 450° and bake for up to 8 additional minutes, until the top begins to brown. Keep an eye on it during this time.
Remove and cut into 1-inch slices. Garnish with parsley and serve with pasta, soup, or homemade marinara sauce.

Pro Tips

French Bread is the best kind to use for this recipe. It has a crispy outer crust which allows it to hold up well, and it's soft in the middle which is perfect for absorbing the cheesy garlic butter spread!
Use fresh garlic instead of jarred, it tastes much better! If the garlic clove isn't fresh it may turn a blueish green color when it bakes. This is from the acid in the Italian dressing. It's still safe to eat.
Shred/grate your own Parmesan and Mozzarella cheese from a block, it tastes and melts much better.
Use high-quality ingredients for this recipe. I like to use Cabot or Land O' Lakes Butter.

Storage

Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

Reheating

To reheat garlic bread, simply wrap it in foil and bake it at 350° until heated through, about 10 minutes for refrigerated or 15-20 minutes for frozen.
To reheat it in the microwave, turn the power down to around 40% and reheat with a cover over it for 1 minute or so. If the bread gets too hot, it will lose its texture and become very chewy.

Freezer Garlic Bread

This recipe can be prepared ahead of time to freeze and serve later.

Prepare the bread as outlined and cut it into 1-inch slices. (Don't bake it.) Flash freeze it for 40 minutes. Transfer it to an airtight freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
When ready to serve, bake it at 350° until the cheese is melted, (about 13 minutes). Then increase heat to 450° and bake until the top begins to brown, (up to 8 more minutes).