Classic American Garlic Bread

Garlic bread—It’s not just for spaghetti anymore! That sounds like a pitch from an ad man from the 1970s. But, ya know what? It’s true. It would be accepted by most that garlic bread goes well as a side with almost any pasta. But when is the last time you had it with soup? This bread pairs wonderfully with a variety of soups. We recently enjoyed its crunchy, garlicky notes alongside a bowl of Hearty Minestrone to soak up the broth—mmmm! Use it to make a salad into a meal, use it for a sandwich (oh, yeah, a garlic bread steak sandwich), or eat it all by itself. Once you make it, you can file away a new go-to garlic bread for just about any occasion.

This recipe uses two types of garlic– toasted and raw. Ten cloves of toasted garlic may seem like a lot, but the method brings out a sweet, nutty flavor. For even more of that garlic heat and bite, I add a couple more cloves of finely grated raw garlic. Butter is the main platform for the “schmear”, but to bring even more flavor, I reduce the amount of butter slightly and add some good extra virgin olive oil (olive oil and garlic is always a good combo). Add a little parmesan and herbs to the mix then slather it on some good Italian bread, like homemade ciabatta. Bake in a high heat oven until golden with a crisp crust. Garlic bread has never tasted so good!

Classic American Garlic Bread

By Nicole Prep: 10 minsCook: 25 mins Servings: 8 This garlic bread is so flavorful that you will never buy the store-bought stuff again!

Ingredients 

• 10 cloves garlic with skins left on
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced or grated on a microplane
• 5 tablespoons (2 ½-ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons Extra-virgin olive oil
• ¼ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 loaf Italian bread, like Ciabatta (about 1 pound), halved lengthwise

Instructions 

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat to 500ºF.
2. In a small ungreased skillet over medium heat, toast the skin on garlic, shaking the pan occasionally, until blotched and browned in spots, about 15 minutes. When cool enough to handle, skin and mince the garlic. Using a dinner fork, mash together the toasted and raw garlic with the butter, olive oil, cheese, herbs, and salt in a medium bowl until thoroughly combined.
3. Evenly spread the garlic butter mixture on the cut sides of the each bread half. Transfer loaf halves, buttered side up, to a baking sheet. Bake, reversing position of baking sheet halfway through baking time, until the surface of the bread is golden brown and toasted, about 8-10 minutes. Cut each half into 2-inch slices. Serve immediately. Enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 243kcal, Carbohydrates: 28g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 12g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5g, Trans Fat: 0.3g, Cholesterol: 22mg, Sodium: 478mg, Potassium: 30mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 0.1g, Vitamin A: 290IU, Vitamin C: 2mg, Calcium: 41mg, Iron: 0.2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.