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!

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.

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.

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.

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.