Cheesy Garlic Bread is the quickest, easiest, and most delicious side dish that goes with almost any dinner. It is so good; You can be sure that not a single crumb will be left.
I love simple sites that don’t require a lot of brain power to put together. When I have the main course in the oven, I often don’t feel like starting a few more complicated recipes to round off the meal.
Luckily, I’ve become something of a collector of simple side dishes. That way I can share them with you and we can all avoid burnout during cook time. Roasted asparagus or butternut squash are always at the top of this list, depending on what’s in season. And Air Fryer Baked Potatoes are another tried-and-true, effortless favorite.
Most of the time, though, I make this Garlic Cheese Bread. It goes seriously with almost anything. Even the pickiest of eaters will beg for another slice (or two or three). It’s a people-friendly site that can be scaled up or down. Plus, it doesn’t require a lot of effort and is so delicious you probably won’t have any leftovers to save.
Why this recipe works
- Fresh garlic cloves instead of garlic powder or pre-chopped garlic add flavor to this recipe.
- Using Italian Seasoning saves you from pulling out 5+ spices from your cupboard and keeps this recipe as effortless as possible.
- To personalize the recipe, you can simply omit the mozzarella or replace it with a different cheese mixture.
- This Cheesy Garlic Bread only takes about 5 minutes of prep time, so you can focus on the main course or keep weeknight dinners simple.
what you will need
- Italian bread – I use a whole loaf of Italian bread, but you can easily cut the loaf in half or use multiple loaves. Alternatively, you can use any crusty bread you like. French bread and ciabatta are deliciously coated in garlic, butter and cheese.
- Butter – Use softened butter to spread lightly on every inch of bread. Both salted and unsalted butter work well for this recipe.
- Garlic – Skip the powdered or pre-shredded stuff. Fresh garlic cloves have the best flavor.
- Italian spice – Italian Seasoning combines dried basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme and marjoram. If you haven’t already mixed these spices, you can make your own Italian seasoning.
- Cheese – Pre-shredded cheese is coated with cellulose to keep the shreds from sticking together. This results in a rubbery texture when melted. If you have time, grate the cheese yourself for best results. However, the pre-shredded pouch cheese works well in a pinch. A mix of mozzarella and Colby Jack works great, or use plain mozzarella.
How to make cheesy garlic bread
- Cut your bread in half lengthways. Place on a baking sheet.
- Mix together the softened butter, garlic and spices. Then spread the mixture evenly over both halves of bread.
- Wrap the bread in aluminum foil to keep it from burning. Place in a 400°F oven for 15-20 minutes, until bread is soft and butter is melted.
- Remove from the oven and remove the foil. Sprinkle the grated cheese evenly over both halves of bread.
- Turn on the broiler setting and return the baking sheet to the oven.
- Fry the cheese for 2-3 minutes until completely melted, bubbly and golden brown.
- Remove from the oven, slice and serve immediately.
recipe tips
- If you like spicy food, add some red pepper flakes to your Italian spice mix.
- Serve the bread immediately from the oven. As it cools, it will become crispier and crouton-like. Straight out of the oven, however, the bread turns out soft, buttery, and delicious.
- Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Bake them again and they’ll turn into croutons, which are delicious on a Chicken Caesar Salad.
When the weather is too hot to turn on the oven, I get my money’s worth with my air fryer. You can easily prepare garlic bread in the air fryer. If you wish to add cheese, cover each slice with a mound of shredded cheese after completing the steps for the recipe. Then return to the air fryer until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
how to serve
This Cheesy Garlic Bread complements so many different dinners that it’s almost impossible to go wrong. However, here are some of my favorite pairings:
- Pistachio Cream Pasta – This recipe is exciting and impressive, but ready in under half an hour. Serve alongside Cheesy Garlic Bread for a complete yet surprising dinner.
- Crockpot Tortellini Soup – Combining these two recipes is like a fresh Italian take on the classic tomato and grilled cheese soup.
- Stuffed Chicken Skins – This recipe is already loaded with cheese, spinach and alfredo sauce. Add more cheese and some garlic to the mix and you have a combination made from heaven.
- Caprese Pasta Salad – When you need an ultra easy meal, serve the cheese and garlic bread with Caprese Pasta Salad. You get an affordable, effortless, and delicious meal.
Yield: 6
Cheese and Garlic Bread
Cheesy Garlic Bread – cheesy, garlicky goodness that can go with almost any meal, any night of the week!
preparation time 5 minutes
cooking time 25 minutes
total time 30 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 loaf of Italian bread
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 cup Colby Jack cheese, grated
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese, grated
instructions
- Preheat oven to 400ºF.
- Halve the bread loaf lengthways.
- In a small bowl, mix softened butter with garlic and Italian seasoning. Spread evenly on the bread.
- Cover with foil and place in the oven for 15-20 minutes until the butter has melted and the bread is soft.
- Sprinkle evenly with cheese. Place back in the oven for 5 minutes or until the cheese has melted. Turn on the grill for 2-3 minutes until golden brown cheese.
- Slice and serve immediately.
Nutritional Information
yield
6
serving size
1
amount per serving calories 455total fat 26gSaturated Fatty Acids 15gtrans fat 1gunsaturated fat 9gcholesterol 70mgsodium 772mgcarbohydrates 39gfiber 3gSugar 3gprotein 15g
I created a fun group on Facebook and would love for you to join us! It’s a place to share YOUR favorite recipes, ask questions, and see what’s new in dinner, dishes, and desserts (so you don’t miss a new recipe)! If you want to try it, you can submit a request to join HERE.
Be sure to follow me Instagram and tag #dinnersdishes so I can see all the wonderful DINNER, MEAL AND DESSERTS recipes YOU make!
Follow me on my social media channels so you don’t miss a post!
Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram
Did you know that there is a SHOP for dinner, dishes and desserts? Check out all my e-books as well as branded items HERE! Or you can buy me a coffee to say thank you!
Welcome to Dinners, Dishes & Desserts, where my love of food meets my busy life. My name is Erin and I’m a casual cook who loves to feed people. This blog has hundreds of quick and easy recipes, mostly made from scratch. I spend my days in the kitchen creating new recipes to share with family and friends.
