Easy Garlic Bread Recipe

Garlic bread is the ultimate dinner starch. It's a warm, buttery, cheesy burst of flavor, and the best part is that it is incredibly easy to make. If you've never made garlic bread before, this easy garlic bread recipe from recipe developer and food photographer Christina Musgrave is where you should start. "I love how easy it is to make, and it tastes just like restaurant quality garlic bread," Musgrave says.

Garlic bread originated as an early form of bruschetta. Bruschetta alla romana consists of toasted bread, olive oil, salt, and garlic. It wasn't until the 16th century, with the rise in imports from America to Italy, that bruschetta started to include ingredients like tomatoes and basil. When Italians began immigrating to the United States in the 19th century, they recreated classic Italian dishes with readily-available ingredients. French bread was a cheaper alternative to ciabatta, butter was a reasonable stand-in for olive oil, and so the version of garlic bread that we now know and love was born (via Foodicles). 

This recipe requires a mere handful of ingredients, 15 minutes, and the desire to eat some garlic bread. Let's get started!

Gather your ingredients for fresh garlic bread

To make this garlic bread, you'll need 1 stick of unsalted butter, and chopped parsley. You'll also need 3 cloves of minced garlic, and ¼ cup of parmesan cheese. Last but certainly not least, you'll need 1 baguette. If you'd like to venture beyond French bread, Musgrave has a few suggestions. "You can use sourdough, ciabatta, or even leftover dinner rolls in this recipe," she says.

Make the garlic butter

Preheat your oven to 400 F. Mix the softened butter, garlic, and parsley together. If you haven't already, slice your baguette length-wise, and then spread the garlic butter on the baguette halves.

Bake the garlic bread

Transfer the bread to a baking sheet or pan, and bake for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, remove the pan from the oven. Top the garlic bread with parmesan cheese, and slice it into pieces.

Serve the garlic bread

Now this garlic is ready to be enjoyed, as desired. "I love making this for a crowd. If I'm feeding a lot of people, I'll double the recipe because it goes quickly," Musgrave says. She recommends serving this garlic bread with pasta, and a side salad. This garlic bread lasts in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days, and Musgrave recommends warming it up in the oven at 350 F.

Easy Garlic Bread Recipe
5 from 41 ratings
Serve this quick and easy garlic bread alongside pasta, a side salad, or just about anything.
Prep Time
5
minutes
Cook Time
10
minutes
Servings
8
servings
sliced garlic bread on board
Total time: 15 minutes
Ingredients
  • 1 baguette, sliced length-wise
  • 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • ¼ cup chopped parsley
  • ¼ cup parmesan cheese
Directions
  1. Preheat the oven to 400 F. Mix the butter, garlic, and parsley together. Spread the butter mixture on the bread slices.
  2. Transfer the bread to a pan, and bake for 10 minutes.
  3. Top the baked garlic bread with parmesan cheese, and cut it into smaller slices.
Nutrition
Calories per Serving 224
Total Fat 13.6 g
Saturated Fat 8.2 g
Trans Fat 0.5 g
Cholesterol 33.5 mg
Total Carbohydrates 20.1 g
Dietary Fiber 0.9 g
Total Sugars 1.8 g
Sodium 292.5 mg
Protein 5.9 g
The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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