Pair this crowd-pleasing cheesy garlic bread with a lean protein for a balanced dinner that will have your family asking for seconds… or thirds! It’s cheesy, garlicky, and the perfect budget-friendly side dish.
When my kids were little, we used to go to my dad and stepmom’s house for dinner on Sunday nights.
My stepmom would make a feast that almost always included her famous cheesy garlic bread.
Many baskets of cheesy garlic bread were passed around the table, and every time my husband would eye how many pieces each person had, secretly crossing his fingers that there would be enough left over to take home for his lunches that week!
Is there any way to make cheesy garlic bread healthier without losing the flavor?
Making the garlic bread recipe homemade gives you great flavor with lower sodium, and you can choose whole-grain or sourdough bread for added fiber and nutrients.
EASY CHEESY GARLIC BREAD RECIPE
My homemade cheesy garlic bread recipe will never be exactly like my stepmom’s (or Little Caesar’s), but it’s very, very close. Not only does it bring back fond memories of Sunday night dinners, but this recipe for garlic cheese bread is also:
- Quick and easy to make
- Affordable!
- Crowd-pleasing (got any parties or potlucks coming up?)
- Made with just a few staple ingredients
- The perfect side dish or appetizer to almost any meal
- A rich combination of buttery, garlicky, and cheesy goodness, with crusty edges and a soft, fluffy center
Plus, my daughter can eat it 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.
Jovial Foods offers einkorn flour in both whole wheat and all-purpose. Save 10% off all items in the store (with exclusions on special promotional items such as cookbooks and new harvest oil) when you use the coupon code DWCRUMBS. Plus, get free shipping on orders over $99. You can also find Jovial Foods Einkorn Flour on Amazon.
CHEESE GARLIC BREAD RECIPE INGREDIENTS
I love how you can make this cheese garlic bread recipe with just a few ingredients, and you probably already have them in your kitchen!
- French Bread. You can follow my easy Homemade French Bread recipe or buy a loaf from the grocery store. Sourdough or other sliced bread works too, but a loaf of French bread will give you the traditional size and taste.
- Butter. Pop the butter out of the fridge ahead of time so that it’s soft and spreadable.
- Minced Garlic. Chop up a few cloves yourself or use some from a jar. Garlic powder will work in a pinch, but fresh garlic cloves take the flavor up a notch.
- Salt. Use just a pinch or omit if using salted butter. Not all salts are made the same! I love Ava Jane’s Kitchen because it doesn’t have microplastics (gross, right?) and it’s SO GOOD! Plus, you can get a free 8oz. bag of sea salt (just pay shipping and handling!).
- Shredded Cheese. You can use pretty much any cheese for garlic bread. Mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese are great options. I like to mix a few different kinds – Monterey Jack and cheddar are my favorites – but I’ll also use whatever bits I have in the fridge.
If you’re REALLY feeling fancy, you can add herbs like dried basil, dried oregano, Italian seasoning, or even fresh parsley to the garlic butter mixture for extra flavor and to look fancier, but it’s not necessary for delicious cheesy garlic bread.
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!
HOW TO MAKE GARLIC CHEESY BREAD
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350F.
Step 2: 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 4 pm,” which are typically found close to the checkout lines, not the sandwich loaves in the bread aisle.
Step 3: Prepare the 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.
Step 4: Cut the loaf of bread in half horizontally so that you have two long, oblong pieces. Place each half on a foil-lined baking sheet and generously smear the seasoned butter over both halves, making sure you get butter all the way to the edges.
Step 5: Sprinkle the cheese evenly over the two halves of bread.
Step 6: Bake in the oven at 350F for 10 minutes.
Step 7: Turn the oven to broil and place the bread under the broiler for 2-5 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly and golden. Keep a close eye on it so that it doesn’t burn!
Step 8: Slice the bread and serve it warm.
GARLIC BREAD CHEESY RECIPE TIPS
- The butter can be made ahead of time. Be sure to bring it to room temperature before spreading it on the bread.
- 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!
- Use a serrated knife to slice the finished garlic cheesy bread diagonally with one smooth, large cutting motion to avoid dragging the cheese.
- If you want a main meal, this homemade garlic cheese bread recipe can easily be turned into French Bread Pizza.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Leftover garlic cheese bread can be reheated in a warm oven, or if you’re like my husband, eaten at room temperature!
- The longest part of this recipe is making the homemade French bread. Luckily, you can freeze French bread. If you’re planning on making cheesy garlic bread in the future, go ahead and slice the loaf in half lengthwise before wrapping and freezing it.
Baking your own French bread means you control the ingredients. You can even use freshly milled flour! If you’re interested in milling your own grains or making your own flour, I highly recommend Mockmill. For my full review, check out this post.
WHAT TO EAT WITH CHEESY GARLIC BREAD
This garlic bread cheesy recipe goes with just about anything, but my favorite is to serve it with some kind of Italian food. It feels like the perfect side to complete the meal.
- Serve your favorite pasta with 15-Minute Italian Meatballs and Homemade Spaghetti Sauce, plus cheesy garlic bread and Kale Caesar Salad on the side.
- Or try Giant Meatballs with Spaghetti Squash Pasta and Alfredo Sauce with a slice of garlic cheese bread.
- Easy Baked Ziti or Slow Cooker Meatless Lasagna paired with a simple salad with Italian Dressing and cheesy garlic bread make a company-ready meal that only looks like it took you all day in the kitchen.
- Or have spaghetti with Slow Cooker Meaty Spaghetti Sauce and this cheese garlic bread recipe for a busy weeknight dinner.
- Serve alongside Tomato Basil Soup for a different take on tomato soup and grilled cheese.
- Cut leftover garlic cheesy bread into sticks and serve with marinara sauce or Pizza Sauce for a fun pizza sticks lunch for the kids!
MACRO-FRIENDLY GARLIC CHEESE BREAD
This cheesy garlic bread has a mixture of carbohydrates (bread), fat (butter and cheese), and a little bit of protein (cheese). Here’s how you can make it fit with your nutrition goals:
Protein: Cheesy garlic bread doesn’t have very much protein on its own, so you’ll want to make sure the other parts of your meal get you to your protein goals. Meaty Spaghetti Sauce, Meatballs, and protein pasta can help boost the protein in the meal.
Fat: Because of the butter and cheese, this garlic bread has plenty of fat to help keep you satisfied. That means you won’t want much fat in the rest of the meal. Luckily, most tomato-based sauces are generally low in fat.
Carbs: Bread obviously has carbs, so depending on your goals, you may want to choose between bread OR pasta, not both. Cheesy garlic bread also makes a delicious side for soups or salads, so plan it alongside a lower-carb meal to keep things balanced.
Looking for more ways to increase your protein? Try one of my favorite high-protein recipes – I always have these on my meal plan and keep them stocked in my fridge. This way, I always have a protein-focused meal to put on my plate! Grab High Protein Recipes on Repeat here.
RECIPES OF GARLIC BREAD WITH CHEESE 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 or dried oregano. I’ve included exact measurements and steps in the recipe card below.
What kind of cheese goes on garlic bread?
You can use just about any cheese for 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!
Can you make recipes of garlic bread with cheese using a baguette?
Yes! Whether your bread is a baguette, a French loaf, an Italian loaf, or even if you decide to make garlic bread using sliced bread, they all work!
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, topping each slice with butter and cheese before baking. If you do this, be sure to use leftover bread for garlic bread grilled cheese – yum!
How to make homemade garlic bread with regular bread?
You can make garlic bread with bread slices from a regular loaf. Instead of having two long pieces, you’ll have individual slices. Top each piece of bread with butter and cheese and bake as directed.
MORE DELICIOUS BREAD SIDES
- Perfect Crostini Bread
- Homemade Focaccia Bread
- Light & Fluffy Hawaiian Bread Rolls
- Rosemary Sea Salt Flatbread
- Jalapeno Cheddar Biscuits
High Protein Recipes on Repeat
Download the top 15+ recipes that are on repeat in my house, making it easy to feed my family AND meet my protein goals!
Garlic Cheese Bread
Ingredients
- 1 loaf of French bread
- 4 oz shredded cheese Monterey Jack, cheddar, or mozzarella (113g) (*see note below to lower the fat!)
- 8 Tbsp butter softened butter (not melted) (113g)
- 1 Tbsp minced garlic about 4-5 cloves
- 1 tsp salt
- ¼ tsp dried basil and/or dried oregano optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- Either make a loaf of homemade French bread OR buy a loaf of plain (unseasoned) “French” bread or “Italian” bread from your local grocery store.
- 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.
- Cut the loaf of bread in half horizontally so that you have two long, oblong loaves. Place each half on a foil-lined baking sheet and generously smear the seasoned butter over both halves, making sure you get butter all the way to the edges.
- Sprinkle the cheese evenly over the two halves of bread.
- Bake in the oven at 350F for 10 minutes.
- Turn the oven to broil and place the bread under the broiler for 2-5 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly and golden. Keep a close eye on it so that it doesn’t burn!
- Slice the bread and serve warm.
Notes
- *The nutrition info below is for cheddar cheese. Use nonfat mozzarella cheese to keep the protein from the cheese, but lower the overall fat of the cheesy garlic bread.
- Cheesy garlic bread doesn’t have very much protein on its own, so you’ll want to make sure the other parts of your meal get you to your protein goals. Meaty Spaghetti Sauce, Meatballs, and protein pasta can help boost the protein in the meal.
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