This crowd-pleasing cheesy garlic bread will have your family asking for seconds…or thirds! It’s cheesy, garlicky, and the perfect budget-friendly side dish for any meal. Made with just a few staple ingredients, you’ll come back to this cheese bread recipe again and again!
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 garlic cheese bread were passed around the table, and every time my husband would eye how many pieces each person had, secretly crossing his fingers there would be enough left over to take home for his lunches that week!
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 a few staple ingredients
- The perfect side dish or appetizer 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.
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 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!
- One loaf of 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 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!
INSTRUCTIONS HOW TO MAKE THE BEST CHEESY GARLIC 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” that are typically found close to the checkout lines, not the sandwich loaves in the bread aisle.
Step 3: 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.
Step 4: 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.
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 warm.
GARLIC CHEESE BREAD RECIPE TIPS & STORAGE
- 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 it on the bread.
- 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!
WHAT TO EAT WITH CHEESY GARLIC BREAD
This cheese garlic bread 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 cheesy garlic bread into sticks and serve with marinara sauce or Pizza Sauce for a fun pizza sticks lunch for the kids!
RECIPE 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!
Is this recipe of garlic bread with cheese made from a baguette? Is it French or Italian?
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 CLASSIC FAVORITES
- Homemade Pizza Bagel Bites
- Homemade Pizza
- Slow Cooker Meatless Lasagna
- Classic Homemade Spaghetti-O’s
- 15-Minute Italian Meatballs
Fight Inflation Workshop!
Sign up for my FREE Fight Inflation Workshop and learn simple strategies to save money, even with rising food costs!Garlic Cheese Bread
This crowd-pleasing cheesy garlic bread will have your family asking for seconds…or thirds! It’s cheesy, garlicky, and the perfect budget-friendly side dish for any meal. Made with just a few staple ingredients, you’ll come back to this cheese bread recipe again and again!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: 22 minutes
- Yield: 2 Half Loaves 1x
- Category: Bread
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 loaf of French bread (store-bought, or homemade recipe)
- 4–8 oz shredded cheese (Monterey jack and/or cheddar)
- 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)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- 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.
- 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
- 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!
Nutrition
- Calories: 210
Leave a Comment