Name: Garlic Cheese Bread
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 22 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 loaf of French bread (store-bought, or homemade recipe below); 4-8 oz shredded cheese (Monterey jack and/or cheddar); Garlic Butter (recipe Below); 8 Tbsp room temperature, softened butter (not melted); 1 Tbsp minced garlic (about 4-5 cloves); 1 tsp salt; ¼ tsp dried basil and/or dried oregano (optional)

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This easy garlic cheese bread is the perfect budget-friendly side dish to any meal. Made with just a few staple ingredients, it’s cheesy, garlicky, and sure to please a crowd! Serve with my delicious spaghetti sauce over your choice of pasta (try my spaghetti squash pasta) and a fresh Caesar salad.

Two halves of garlic cheese bread sliced into serving sized portions and finished off with a sprinkle of oregano. The text overlay reads, "Cheesy Garlic Bread."

When my kids were little, we used to go to my dad and step-mom’s house for dinner on Sunday nights.

My step-mom would make a feast that almost always included her famous “cheesy garlic bread.”

Many baskets of garlic cheese bread were passed around the table, and every night my husband would eye how many pieces each person had, secretly crossing his fingers there would be enough left over for his lunches that week!

Why make garlic cheese bread?

My recipe will never be exactly like my step-mom’s (nor Little Caesar’s), but it’s very, very close. Not only does it bring back fond memories of Sunday night dinners, but this garlic cheese bread is also:

Easy to Make
Affordable!
Crowd-pleasing (got any parties or potlucks coming up?)
Made with a few staple ingredients
The perfect side dish to almost any meal

Plus it’s safe for my daughter to eat when I make the French bread myself using einkorn flour.

(She’s not allergic, but very sensitive to modern wheat. She tolerates einkorn well, so it’s the only flour we use in my home. I buy it from either Amazon or Jovial Foods. When you shop at Jovial Foods, you can save 10% off all items in the store with exclusions on special promotional items such as cookbooks and new harvest oil when you use coupon code DWCRUMBS. Also, there’s free shipping over $99.

Two half loaves of French bread freshly baked into cheesy garlic bread. Sliced for serving and topped with fresh oregano.

Ingredients for Cheesy Garlic Bread

I love how you can make cheesy garlic bread with just a few ingredients – and ingredients that you probably already have in the kitchen!

One loaf of French bread (you can follow my easy homemade French bread recipe or buy a loaf from the grocery store).
Butter
Garlic
Salt
Shredded Cheese

If you’re REALLY feeling fancy, you can add dried basil and/or dried oregano, but no pressure!

Note that there’s no mayo or cream cheese in this recipe as some others may have. I assure you, this version doesn’t need either one!

A freshly baked loaf of French bread ready to be sliced and baked into cheesy garlic bread.

How to Make Cheesy Garlic Bread Recipe from Scratch

Step 1: Either make a loaf of homemade French bread (this is my easy recipe) OR buy a loaf of plain (unseasoned) “French” bread or “Italian” bread from your local grocery store.

You want the loaves that are advertised as “freshly baked daily at 4pm” that are typically found close to the checkout lines, not the sandwich loaves in the bread aisle.

Step 2: Prepare your garlic butter by thoroughly mixing room temperature butter with minced garlic and salt in a small bowl. Dried basil and/or oregano are good too, but optional. (Exact measurements are in the recipe card below.)

A loaf of French bread sliced in half and with garlic butter smeared all over the sliced surface.

Step 3: Cut the loaf of bread in half horizontally so that you have two, long, oblong loaves. Place each half on a baking sheet and generously smear the seasoned butter over both sides, making sure you get butter all the way to the edges.

Step 4: Sprinkle the cheese evenly over the two halves of bread.

Two different cheeses (cheddar and parmesan) are sprinkled evenly over two halves of garlic butter smeared French bread. They're ready to be baked on a baking sheet in the oven.

Step 5: Bake in an oven at 350F for 10 minutes. Then turn the temperature to “broil” and bake the bread for 2-5 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly and golden.

Golden brown Garlic Cheese Bread is hot out of the oven with melty and crispy cheese. It's finished with dried basil and oregano, and ready to be sliced and served. YUM!

Homemade Cheesy Garlic Bread Recipe Tips

Once you turn the oven to broil, don’t leave the kitchen! Cheesy garlic bread can go from almost perfect to overdone in less than a minute!
The butter can be made ahead of time. Be sure to bring it to room temperature before spreading on the bread.
If you want a main meal, Homemade Garlic Cheese Bread can easily be turned into French Bread Pizza.
Leftover garlic cheese bread can be reheated in a warm oven, or if you’re like my husband, eaten at room temperature!

Cheese Garlic Bread Recipe FAQs

How do you make garlic bread butter?

Combine room temperature butter (softened) with minced garlic and salt in a small bowl and mix very well. If you’d like, add dried basil and/or dried oregano. I’ve included exact measurements and steps in the recipe card below.

What kind of cheese goes on garlic bread?

I like using a blend of cheeses, usually a combination of Monterey jack and cheddar. I’ve also made this using a Mexican blend, a jalapeno blend, just Monterey jack, and just cheddar – they’ve all been delicious!

Is garlic bread made from baguette? Is it French or Italian?

Yes! Whether your bread is a baguette, a French loaf, or an Italian loaf, they all make perfect cheesy garlic bread!

How can I make garlic cheese toast?

To make garlic cheese toast, slice the loaf of bread like you would for sandwiches. Then follow the rest of the recipe as written. If you do this, be sure to use leftover bread for garlic bread grilled cheese – yum!

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Garlic Cheese Bread

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This easy garlic cheese bread is the perfect budget-friendly side dish to any meal. Made with just a few staple ingredients, it’s cheesy, garlicky, and sure to please a crowd!

Author: Tiffany
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Total Time: 22 minutes
Yield: 2 Half Loaves 1x
Category: Bread
Method: Bake
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Scale

1 loaf of French bread (store-bought, or homemade recipe below)
4–8 oz shredded cheese (Monterey jack and/or cheddar)
Garlic Butter (recipe Below)
8 Tbsp room temperature, softened butter (not melted)
1 Tbsp minced garlic (about 4–5 cloves)
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp dried basil and/or dried oregano (optional)

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Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350F.
Using either a loaf of homemade French bread (this is my easy recipe) OR a loaf of plain “French” bread or “Italian” bread from your local grocery store, slice the loaf horizontally so that you have two, long, oblong loaves. Place the loaves cut side up on the baking sheet and set aside.
In a small bowl, combine the room temperature butter, minced garlic and salt. Mix very well. Add dried basil and/or dried oregano, if using.
Smear the seasoned butter over both cut sides of the bread, making sure you spread the butter all the way to the edges.
Place the two halves together – cut sides together – so that they look like a full loaf again and wrap in aluminum foil. Place the loaf on a baking sheet and bake in an oven at 350F for 10 minutes.
When the timer goes off, unfold the two halves from each other and place them on the aluminum foil, on the baking sheet, butter side up. Sprinkle the cheese evenly over the two halves of bread.
Turn the oven to “broil” and place the bread under the broiler for 2-5 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly and golden. Don’t leave the oven when the bread is under the broiler!

Notes

Bread – This recipe works with baguette, French bread, or Italian bread – both homemade versions and store-bought.

Cheese – I like using a blend of cheeses, usually a combination of Monterey jack and cheddar. I’ve also made this using a Mexican blend, a jalapeno blend, just Monterey jack, and just cheddar – they’ve all been delicious!