Has anyone else noticed that if you make a whole loaf of garlic bread the whole thing gets eaten? There’s really no reason for 2 adults (in our case) to eat a whole loaf of bread at one meal. Plus, it gets expensive. Since homemade bread became a staple around here we’ve started to make a few pieces of garlic bread at a time when we want it. It is easy to do but you have to warm up another skillet, slice the bread, butter it, add seasoning, and keep it from burning. Not exactly set it and forget it, and not what I want to be doing with a baby and everything else that needs my attention around here. So… I’m making my bread now. It’ll be there when we need it, and it’ll taste even better because I’ve taken the time to season it just the way we like.
Ingredients:
- Bread – French is our favorite (TIP: this is the perfect place to use bread off the discount rack in the bakery section. I scored my loaf for $0.90! Throw it in the freezer until you get time to do this and pull it out a few hours ahead to thaw.)
- Butter – 1 stick per loaf
- Salt – if using unsalted butter
- Pepper
- Garlic Powder
- Italian Seasoning
- 1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese
- Mozzarella – or your shredded cheese of choice
- Parsley
Slice loaf to your preferred thickness. I prefer flat, whole pieces. If you have a large family and want to make it stretch you can slice the loaf lengthwise first and then make your slices. Cut butter in to a few pieces and warm until it can be whipped with a butter knife (25 seconds in my microwave – or set it out ahead of time on a hot day). Add in the salt, pepper, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning. I judge the amounts based on our taste preferences and knowing that we have really potent garlic powder. If you aren’t sure just go on the light side – you can always sprinkle a bit more on later. Add in Parmesan cheese and whip well with your knife.
Spread a generous (but not artery clogging!) layer of butter mixture on one side of each slice of bread. Spoon the shredded mozzarella cheese on to each slice. Sprinkle with parsley for extra color. Pat shredded cheese down firmly so it sticks to the butter mixture. Lay slices in a single layer on a cookie sheet and place in the freezer until they are hard to the touch (a few hours). It won’t be the end of the world if you forget them for a day or two but try to get back to them the same day to avoid freezer burn. Package in Ziplocs or your container of choice. Bake from frozen until just browning at the edges. I’ve baked them at anywhere from 350-400 F along with whatever else is in the oven for dinner – usually 10 minutes or so is perfect!