Wow, is this easy garlic bread tasty! It’s crunchy on top, chewy on the inside, and full of flavor: the perfect side to go with pasta or tomato soup.

Looking for the best and easiest garlic bread recipe? This delectable side dish is a treat food around here. Alex and I don’t eat it often, but when we do: we make this easy garlic bread recipe! It’s got the perfect savory, garlicky flavor. It’s tender on the inside and crunchy on top from broiling it with Parmesan cheese. And somehow, it’s only got 4 tablespoons of butter, less than most garlic bread recipes! So it’s a lighter spin on the classic. But most of all: it’s gosh darn delicious. Here we’ve broken down the steps with photos so it’s easy to follow. Let’s get cooking!

How to make garlic bread: in 4 easy steps!

This is our very favorite easy garlic bread, perfect as a side for pasta like our Pasta Marinara or Creamy Cavatappi. Or it’s fabulous with our Tomato Basil Soup. You also can serve it as an easy appetizer dipped into our Easy Marinara Sauce (or even better, Baked Goat Cheese). It’s got the best rich and savory flavor, and crunchy yet chewy texture. Alex and I spent a while researching garlic bread to figure out the best method. Here’s what we discovered!

Step 1: Use French bread and slice it lengthwise.

First off, what’s the best bread for garlic bread? You’ll want to use French bread, or any medium sized artisan bread loaf. Here’s a photo of the size of bread we used. It’s can be hard to find bread specifically labeled “French,” so just find something that looks similar to what you see here. Some garlic bread recipes state to get a baguette: but baguettes are much smaller and crustier, and don’t make as good of garlic bread.

How to slice the bread? You’ll slice it lengthwise, as shown below. This makes for the fun strip-sized pieces you see above, versus a large round bread circle. (Also tasty, just not as fun!) While you’re cutting the bread, make sure you preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Step 2: Brush the cut sides with garlic butter and bake 8 minutes.

To make the garlic butter, you’ll melt 4 tablespoons butter. The best way? You can do it either in the microwave or place it in a saucepan over low heat for a minute or two. Then transfer the butter into a small bowl and grate in 3 garlic cloves. The easiest way to grate garlic is with a microplane (here’s the microplane we use). Or, you can use a box grater: just be careful of your fingers! If you don’t have a grater, just mince the garlic as finely as possible.

Mince the fresh parsley as finely as possible as well: you’ll want it to be very fine flecks as you see below. Then mix both into the butter. Use a brush to brush it evenly onto the cut sides of the bread. Then place the halves together, cover the garlic bread loaf in foil and bake for 8 minutes until warmed through.

Step 3: Top with Parmesan and broil 2 to 3 minutes.

Here’s the fun part: remove the bread from the oven and sprinkle it evenly with grated Parmesan cheese. (Grated Parmesan is the type that looks like powder, versus shredded is long shreds. You could use either, but we like the texture of grated).

Then broil it for 2 to 3 minutes: this is what gets the crunchy top! Alex and I tried it without broiling and while it’s tasty, the crunchiness adds an irresistible element. Tip: Rotate the baking sheet halfway through broiling to get an even brownness! You can see that even so, our broiler is not very even: it doesn’t need to be perfect! But it’s helpful to get an even crust on the top.

Step 4: Slice into pieces and serve!

Almost there! Slice the bread into thin slices cross-wise. This makes the perfect crunchy tender strips for serving as a side dish. Serve immediately warm out of the oven. Or, you can put the strips back into the aluminum foil, turn down the oven to 350 degrees, and keep them warm until serving. Voila: the best easy garlic bread ever!

What to serve with this easy garlic bread

What doesn’t go well with garlic bread, really? As I mentioned, though this is a healthy spin versus other recipes, it’s still not the most good-for-you side dish (here’s a list of healthier ones!). Because of this, Alex and I save it as a treat food for entertaining, like for dinner parties. Here are some great entrees that would be made more perfect with garlic bread:

• Creamy Cavatappi Pasta This one is made with creamy cauliflower sauce, so it’s a healthy spin using less cheese than most pasta recipes!
• Spicy Kale Lasagna or Favorite Vegan Lasagna Go classic and serve with lasagna!
• Easy Marinara Sauce Dip it into marinara sauce as an easy appetizer!
• Tomato Artichoke Soup Serve with creamy soup, like this tomato artichoke, Butternut Squash Soup or even Loaded Potato Soup.
• Easy Arugula Salad or Spinach Apple Salad Balance out the cheesy carbs by serving with a simple salad! The first takes minutes to whip up and features lemony greens; the second pairs apples and pears with a zingy balsamic vinaigrette.

This easy garlic bread recipe is…

Vegetarian. For vegan, omit the Parmesan cheese and use vegan butter or olive oil (still complete the broiling step since it adds a nice crunch).

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A Couple Cooks - Healthy, Whole Food, & Vegetarian Recipes