This Garlic Bread Spread is delicious slathered over a loaf of French bread and baked to toasty perfection! It's a quick and easy, packed with garlic flavor and the ideal side dish for any pasta meal!
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There's something about pasta that's so comforting. Whether it's a bowl of spaghetti or a plate of lasagna, there's no better side dish than a buttery slice of garlic bread!
Skip the store-bought frozen garlic bread and make this homemade garlic spread recipe!! It's got just a few ingredients and can be slathered on almost any kind of bread you have on hand. And the best part?! The aroma from the garlic and buttery goodness in the oven is incredible and it doesn't take long to make!
Garlic Bread Ingredients (amounts listed in recipe card below)
- Loaf of Bread - French bread is my favorite bread for this. Don't have any? No worries. See my list of other options below!
- Softened Butter - You'll want to use real butter, no margarine! I like to use salted butter, but unsalted butter would work fine, too.
- Mayonnaise
- Salt
- Garlic Powder or Ground Garlic - You can also use fresh garlic. See recipe notes for details.
- Onion Powder
- Fresh Parsley - You can also use dried parsley. See recipe notes for details.
What type of bread should I use to make Garlic Bread?
The best bread to use (in my opinion!) is French bread, however, that's certainly not the only option! We've used leftover hamburger or hot dog buns, Texas toast, sliced white bread, sourdough, etc.
How to Make Garlic Bread
First things first, you'll make the easy garlic butter spread.
You'll want to make sure the butter is soft (cold butter is hard to mix well). Once softened, you'll mix the butter and mayo until it's nice and smooth. Then add the salt, garlic & onion powders and the parsley. Once it's combined, it's time to slather it on some bread!
Preheat the oven to 350F and grab the bread you plan to use. If you're using French bread, you'll slice it down the center and place it on a sheet pan with the cut sides up. Add a layer of parchment paper for super easy cleanup, if you'd like.
Spoon the garlic bread spread (as little or as much as you'd like) over the bread and smooth it out to an even layer.
Now, you need to decide if you want a crunchy, toasty garlic bread OR a soft, buttery garlic bread....
For Crunchy Garlic Bread
For a crunchy, toasty garlic bread, you'll leave the bread as-is on the baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the butter is all melted. Then turn the oven on broil and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes, or until golden brown on top.
For a Soft, Buttery Garlic Bread
If you don't want so much crunch, I'd recommend baking it a little differently. Once you have the spread on the bread, press the two bread halves back together and wrap in aluminum foil. Then place back on the baking sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes in a preheated oven. This will melt the butter and make the bread nice and hot without the crunch.
Once the bread is done, transfer it to a cutting board, cut into thick slices and serve warm!
Absolutely. There's a couple ways to do this. First, you can simply make the spread and keep it in an airtight container in the fridge. That'll stay good for at least 1 week. Once you're ready to use it, simply let it set out at room temperature to soften a bit before spreading on the bread.
Or, you can make the spread, put it on the French bread halves, put the bread back together, wrap in foil or plastic wrap and refrigerate. Bake within 24 hours.
Absolutely. Add ¼ cup of grated parmesan cheese to the spread. Then, once the spread is on the bread, top with freshly shredded mozzarella cheese and bake until melted!
My Favorite Pasta Dishes
Creamy Red Pepper Pasta Skillet
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Garlic Bread Spread
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup softened butter
- ⅓ cup mayonnaise
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder*
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley*
- large loaf of French bread
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, combine the softened butter and mayonnaise until smooth.
- Add the garlic powder, salt, onion powder and parsley. Stir until well-combined.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Slice the loaf of French bread down the center and place it on a sheet pan with the cut sides up.
- Spoon the garlic bread spread over the bread and smooth it out in an even layer.
- Bake for 10 minutes, then broil for an additional 1-2 minutes or until a light golden brown.
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