Make your own cheesy garlic bread to freeze for future dinners! Fresh French bread is thick-sliced and slathered in a homemade cheesy garlic butter spread, then toasted to perfection in the oven.
If you love garlic bread, you must try making your own at home. It's less expensive and more flavorful than the frozen boxes at the grocery store. The best part is you'll only need about 15 minutes to prepare an entire batch.
Cheesy garlic bread is a staple in my freezer. It lasts for up to six months and is easy to pull out a few servings at a time to add to your next meal.
Serve freezer garlic bread with your next weeknight meal. It goes great with dishes like baked ziti, spaghetti, and beef tortellini soup.
Ingredients and substitutions
- Bread - You'll need one 12 ounce loaf of long, thin French bread from your local bakery or grocery store. I buy my bread at my local Publix. I recommend buying your bread the same day you plan to prepare your garlic bread so that it's nice and fresh. If you can't find French bread, any crusty bread will work in this recipe. Italian bread is a great option.
- Butter - Unsalted butter and ¼ teaspoon of the listed salt can be substituted with salted butter if desired.
- Garlic - I recommend only using fresh garlic cloves, not pre-minced garlic from a jar. Pre-minced garlic often has a harsh flavor, while freshly minced garlic has a superior flavor.
- Seasoning - Salt, dried parsley, and garlic powder add flavor to your garlic butter spread. We're using fresh garlic and garlic powder in this recipe for extra garlic flavor.
- Cheeses - A combination of parmesan and mozzarella cheeses creates the perfect salty, cheesy flavor and melty texture. The cheeses can be omitted to create a plain garlic bread if desired.
Tips and tricks
Use fresh bread - Even if you plan to freeze your garlic bread for later, I highly suggest using the freshest bread possible. Freezing preserves the soft texture and fresh flavor of the bread that you'll taste in future servings.
Use a serrated knife - A serrated knife cuts easily through bread without pinching the edges down like a regular chef's knife would.
Bread browning too fast? - If the edges of your garlic bread are browning too quickly, tent with foil and continue baking. Make sure your garlic bread isn't too close to the top or bottom heating elements of your oven.
Add some heat - Want to add a little heat to your garlic bread? Add a pinch of red pepper flakes or thin sliced jalapenos to your bread before baking.
Freezing
Place garlic bread slices in a single layer on a parchment lined baking sheet. Transfer to the freezer and freeze for 1-2 hours, or until solid. Transfer frozen slices to a freezer-safe container, seal tightly, and return to the freezer.
Stored in ideal conditions, homemade garlic bread will keep for about 6 months in the freezer.
Frequently asked questions
No, garlic bread can go straight from the freezer to the oven. There's no need to thaw it first.
Yes! Instead of slicing individual pieces, your bread loaf can be sliced in half lengthwise to make two long, thin slabs. Coat in butter and bake as directed below. Allow your garlic bread to cool for a few minutes before slicing into pieces and serving.
Yes. Simply omit the cheese listed in the recipe card to make regular garlic bread.
Recommended
📖 Recipe
Cheesy Garlic Bread
Ingredients
- 1 loaf french bread
- ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
- ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- If baking immediately: Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Slice a loaf of French bread into about 1 to 1 ¼ inch thick pieces and place in a single layer onto the prepared baking sheet.
- In a bowl, add softened butter, minced garlic, salt, parsley, garlic powder, parmesan cheese and mozzarella cheese. Mix until ingredients are incorporated.
- Spread butter mixture evenly over the tops of your bread slices.
- To freeze: Place baking sheet into freezer for about 1-2 hours, or until bread is frozen solid. Transfer frozen bread into a freezer-safe container and seal tightly. Transfer back to the freezer and store for up to six months.
- To prepare: Bake for about 5-7 minutes, or until golden brown around edges and lightly browned on top. Serve immediately.
Equipment Recommendations
Notes
- I recommend buying fresh bread the day you intend to prepare your garlic bread for best results.
- Use a serrated knife for easy bread slicing.
- Cheese can be omitted to make regular garlic bread.
- Frozen garlic bread will keep in the freezer for up to six months in a well sealed container.
- If freezing: Test to make sure your baking sheet fits into your freezer before you start. If needed, use a smaller baking sheet and layer a piece of wax paper or parchment paper between multiple layers of garlic bread.
This was absolutely delicious! Used half a small round loaf of crusty bread and half a batch of butter that we ate right away, didn't freeze it. I'd have been happy just having a few slices for my meal! I'm going to share this recipe with the family and will be proud to serve it to everyone at our traditional lasagna Christmas Eve meal this year! I'm also looking forward to trying the freezer version when I get some more French bread!
What a great idea! I made a small batch with extra bread I didn't want to go stale. The garlic cheesy butter is amazing!