Garlic Bread

Good garlic bread enhances about any meal you can imagine. It’s a natural with Italian food, like the Oven Chicken Parmesan, but it’s also perfect for steaks, roasts, barbeques, and stews.

If you can, buy fresh baguettes. They are increasingly available at supermarkets, whose bakeries sometimes make them several times a day.

For this recipe, cover a baking sheet with foil and spray the foil with Pam. Heat the oven to 375 degrees.

Cut slices in the bread on the diagonal every 3/4 inch or so, cutting almost all the way through the bread.

Melt one stick of butter per loaf of bread in a small skillet, and add four minced garlic cloves per loaf. (This is the starting point; adjust the garlic to your personal taste next time you make this.)

With a 1 1/2 ” paint brush, paint the butter mixture inside each cut you made in the bread. If you have some left over, brush it over the top. Sprinkle some grated Parmesan cheese and some Italian herbs over the loaves, like you see in the photo. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes or so until the bread is warm on the inside.

Either cut into slices or put on the buffet table so the guests can tear off their own pieces. The flavor and aroma makes everyone want more!

Here’s an alternative that daughter-in-law Sherry made the other night. She sliced the bread and painted each slice with melted butter, minced garlic, Italian herbs, and Parmesan cheese. She then covered the pan with foil, and put in the 375 degree oven for 15-20 minutes.

This method doesn’t make as many slices at once at the one at top, but each slice gets as much garlic and cheese as you want. Both of these are really hard to beat!