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The Best Cheesy Garlic Bread has 3 kinds of cheese, fresh herbs and tons of garlic. You can turn plain french bread into cheesy, garlicky perfection with this easy homemade garlic bread recipe!
We love this cheesy garlic bread recipe served with delicious Italian dishes like Chicken Alfredo Baked Ziti, Creamy Garlic Penne with Chicken, and Spaghetti with Chicken.
Table of Contents
Ingredients for Cheesy Garlic Bread
- French Bread – the one pound loaf that you can buy in the bakery section of the grocery store works best.
- Butter – softened.
- Fresh Parsley, chopped – Dried parsley also works, and you need about half as much. You can also add some dried Italian seasoning, basil, or oregano.
- Garlic – lots of it. Five fresh garlic cloves to be exact. We’re going for maximum garlic flavor here.
- Cheese – Mozzarella cheese, sharp cheddar, and parmesan. All freshly grated when possible.
How to Make the Best Cheesy Garlic Bread
- Start by making the garlic butter. There are 5 garlic cloves mixed with a stick of softened butter. You’re also going to stir in a generous tablespoon of fresh chopped parsley. You could use dried here, but use about half a tablespoon. It’s just as much for color as it is for flavor.
- Now slather all that buttery goodness on some french bread. I try to get the freshest loaves I can because they just taste better. But even a loaf from the discounted, day-old section will work fine. Slice it in half lengthwise and place it cut side up on a baking sheet, then slather that butter and garlic mixture all over. You want the butter to reach all of the outside edges.
- Next pile on the cheese. We’re using a luscious combination of Mozzarella, Parmesan, and sharp cheddar. The Parm and cheddar have a nice sharp bite that compliments the smooth creaminess of the Mozzarella. Sprinkle on a little more parsley for color.
- Bake. Now bake those lovely loaves in a 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes, then flip on the broiler (no need to move the rack) and broil for several minutes to get that cheese nice and golden brown.
FAQs
The best kinds of bread are soft on the inside and crusty on the outside. A thick loaf of french bread or a hearty Italian loaf will yield the best results, but in a pinch, even sliced sandwich bread will work.
Serving Suggestions
Garlic bread is one of my go-to side dishes because it’s easy to prepare and everyone loves it. I love that I can serve it with just about anything from Italian recipes, to soups to salads to just regular old baked chicken.
It’s definitely the most requested side dish in our house! My kids enjoy the leftovers with some Homemade Marinara Sauce for dipping. Here are some ideas for a main course:
- Million Dollar Spaghetti Casserole
- Roasted Cherry Tomato Pasta
- Crispy Chicken Carbonara
- Italian Bean Soup
- Italian Spaghetti Salad
- Tortellini Soup
- Easy Crockpot Chili
Variations
- Spicy – Add red pepper flakes or slices of pickled jalapenos.
- Cheese – Fontina, Provolone, White cheddar or Asiago are also delicious.
- Bread – I like to use a whole loaf of french bread like you see in the pictures, but there are options, too. Ciabatta, Sourdough or Italian bread work well, and in a pinch you can even use sandwich rolls or hot dog buns.
- Slices – Instead of slice the loaf in half, slice the full loaf into pieces and prep and freeze for another meal.
Storage
Storage: Place leftovers in a resealable plastic bag or airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 2-3 days. To freeze, wrap leftovers in foil and freeze for up to 3 months.
Reheating: Reheat in the oven or air fryer for best results.
Make Ahead and Freeze
This recipe is an excellent candidate for making ahead and freezing. I will often make a double batch so I can just pull it out of the freeze when the mood strikes.
- Prep the loaves and top with the cheese, then flash freeze on a baking sheet for 1-2 hours. Once they’re frozen solid, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, then foil and store in the freezer.
- To cook, unwrap and place on a baking sheet and bake as directed, adding 10 minutes to the cook time. Keep an eye on it, and tent with foil if the top starts to brown before the bread if fully warmed through and crispy.
- Be patient when your bread comes out of the oven. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes to cool and so the cheese will set. It’s best when it’s hot, but not straight out of the oven.
- Line your sheet pan with foil or parchment for easy clean up.
- Don’t cover the bread. You want it to melt and brown a little on top.
- You have to have soft butter. Make sure you take the butter out of the fridge at least an hour before you plan to make this bread.
More Cheesy Bread Recipes
- Taco Stuffed Bread
- Buffalo Ranch Chicken French Bread Pizza
- Sloppy Joe French Bread Pizza
- Air Fryer Texas Toast Garlic Bread
- Homemade Garlic Breadsticks
Cheesy Garlic Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 loaf french bread
- 1/2 cup butter softened
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley divided
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup fresh grated Mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup fresh grated sharp cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup fresh grated Parmesan Cheese
Instructions
- Slice French bread loaf in half lengthwise. Place each half, cut side up, on a foil lined baking sheet. Set aside.
- Stir together softened butter, minced garlic, and 1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley. Spread evenly on each half of the french bread loaf. In a small bowl combine cheese then sprinkle evenly on top of the bread. Sprinkle remaining parsley even over the cheeses.
- Bake in the 350 degree oven for 10 minutes. Turn on the broiler to high, move the rack to the top position, and broil for the last 2-3 minutes until cheese is golden and bubbly. (*The broiling step is optional – you could just let it bake for the 10 minutes and call it good).
- Allow bread to cool and cheeses to set for about 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Nutrition
It’s the best cheesy garlic bread ever, simple!
Thank you Lorie! Thanks for stopping by.
Very good garlic bread. This is the one I’m keeping!
Nice! Thank you for the feedback Elayne.
Made this tonight for dinner. It was so delicious and everyone loved it! No leftovers. We will be making this again.
Nice! Thank you for your feedback Deborah.
This was really good!!! I personally would prefer to bake a little longer but that’s just me. I didn’t have any Mozzarella on hand so I used Sharp White Cheddar which gave it some zip. Family loved this recipe.
Nice! Thanks for the awesome feedback Kathy.
Do you think you could put this together using Italian bread, freeze it to be baked later? Trying to take a couple of meals to a neighbor who will be having surgery. Thanks so much.
Hi Brenda, yes just do everything except bake it. Then wrap in plastic wrap and freeze. I haven’t tried baking it from frozen, but it shouldn’t take long to thaw.
This was very good, the whole family loved it! Great side for soup on winter months. Thank you!
You are so welcome Kimberly! Thanks for stopping by.
Made this last night and it is very good and garlicky
Nice! Thanks for stopping by Paula.
Can I use Italian Seasoning instead of Parsley
Sure!
This sounds delicious.
My kids love love love this!
Thanks for the recipe.
You are so welcome Jenna! Thanks for stopping by.
Made twice. Really delicious
would it be better to cut them before adding the cheese as not to have all the cheese come off and/or making it messy
You could do that I suppose, but it as long as you use a sharp bread knife and are cautious you shouldn’t have any problem.
Delicious and one of the best I’ve made
Thank you
I used bottled chopped garlic tins of it lol and green onions instead of parsley for a change
But versatile and very good !!!!!
Thank you Iris for stopping by!
Best I’ve ever had. Will use this from now on. Thank you.
I loved the recipe! I didn’t look at the recipe until I had mixed everything together, but it was still delicious. Next time I will follow the correct instructions and put cheeses on last, it was a little stiff spreading on the loaves but it worked!
My husband loves this combination-yummy
So happy that you and your family loved this recipe!
Thank you very much for this, I made it tonight and it looked just like yours and was PERFECT!
This is my go-to recipe from now on.
10 minutes was waaaaay too long. Burned to a crisp, triggering fire alarms and all. 🙁
Did you bake for 10 minutes or broil? Baking at 350 for 10 minutes definitely wouldn’t burn the bread.
Hello! It says 350 degrees in the recipe and 400 degrees in the text. Which temp works best? Thanks!
Ohhh good catch -it’s 350, sorry about that!
The body copy says 10 minutes and the recipe card says 20 minutes. Can you clarify?
You’re right – it should say 10 minutes. My mistake, thanks for pointing it out. I fixed it. 🙂
1 1/2 T of butter seems a little off?
Sorry Karen, big typo! Not sure what happened there. It’s 1/2 cup butter (1 stick) for the whole loaf. It’s fixed now.
1 stick of butter is usually a cup!
No, a stick of butter is half of a cup.