Irresistible Cheesy Garlic Bread Recipe for Perfect Crispy Loaves

If you love cheese-stuffed garlic bread but are turned off by the long ingredient lists in many store-bought versions (some don’t even contain real butter!), make this simple homemade version. Just garlic, butter, salt, parsley, cheese and a French stick. It’s quick, uses real ingredients and tastes so much better.

For that irresistible stringy cheese pull, use mozzarella combined with a second cheese for flavour. I prefer a 50/50 mix of mozzarella and cheddar to balance stretch and taste, but parmesan, Swiss or gouda also work well.

Ingredients

• French stick (baguette) — A basic, soft-centered baguette is best. Avoid very crusty, rustic styles. A simple supermarket or bakery stick works perfectly.
• Fresh parsley — Adds brightness to balance the richness. Skip dried parsley if you can; fresh is preferable.
• Mozzarella and cheddar — Use block cheeses and grate them yourself. Pre-shredded cheeses contain anti-caking agents that prevent the ideal melt and stretch. Freshly grated block cheese melts and stretches beautifully and is often cheaper.

This is how you make it

Start by combining melted butter with minced garlic, a pinch of sea salt and finely chopped parsley. You can melt butter on the stove or in the microwave; if using the microwave, watch it closely to avoid overheating.

I prefer melting butter on the stove so it’s easy to monitor. Once combined, slice the baguette about 1 inch (2.5 cm) apart without cutting all the way through so the slices remain attached. Cut the baguette into two shorter loaves if needed to fit your oven.

Spoon or spread the garlic butter into each incision. If the butter has partially solidified, spreading works better than drizzling. I usually butter only one side — as the bread and cheese heat, the butter will distribute to the other side.

Grate your cheeses and stuff them generously into the cuts. The baguette may curl slightly with all that cheese, but it will settle as the cheese melts in the oven.

Place the stuffed loaves on a sheet of foil and fold the foil up around the sides, leaving the top exposed. This helps the cheese melt quickly while allowing the crust to crisp.

Bake on the middle shelf at 220°C / 430°F for 12–15 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbling and the top starts to blister. If you aren’t serving immediately, cover the top with foil and keep it in the turned-off oven until ready to serve.

This cheesy garlic bread is an indulgent side for pizza, pasta or a casual meal. It pairs particularly well with saucy pastas or simple mains. Serve hot for the best stretch and flavour.

Buttery, garlicky and delightfully stretchy — this cheese-stuffed garlic bread is comfort food at its finest.

Fun variations

Add cured meats like thin slices of salami, pepperoni or prosciutto into the slits for a meatier version. Be mindful not to overfill the gaps — they’re relatively narrow.

For a lighter option, skip the cheese and make classic garlic bread with just the garlic butter. It’s still delicious and cuts back on calories if that’s your goal.

Batch make garlic butter for later

Garlic butter freezes well. Make a double batch, portion it, and freeze for up to four months. Use it for garlic bread, to sauté mushrooms, to finish seafood or to add flavour to simple pan-fried fish.

Freezing

To freeze prepared loaves, wrap them tightly in foil and freeze for up to four months. Bake from frozen by adding 8–10 minutes to the normal bake time.

Made this recipe? Share your feedback in the comments — I’d love to hear how it turned out.

Happy cooking! – Gen

📖 Recipe

Cheese Garlic Bread (Super Easy!)

Fantastic as a side or enjoyed any time of day. Homemade ingredients make all the difference.

Prep Time:
10 minutes

Cook Time:
15 minutes

Total Time:
25 minutes

Servings:
6 people

Calories:
375 kcal

Ingredients

• 1 French stick (baguette)
• 100 g unsalted butter, melted or soft
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley, minced
• 4 pinches sea salt (~¼ tsp)
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella
• 1 cup shredded cheddar

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 220°C / 430°F.
2. Slice the French stick about 2.5 cm (1 inch) apart without cutting all the way through. Cut the stick into two even halves if needed.
3. Mix melted butter, minced garlic, chopped parsley and sea salt.
4. Place the baguettes on a sheet of foil with space around them.
5. Spoon about ½ teaspoon of the garlic butter into each incision, then distribute any remaining butter evenly.
6. Combine the shredded cheeses and stuff them into the incisions, using a small pinch in each. The loaf may curl slightly — that’s fine.
7. Wrap the foil up the sides of the loaves, leaving the tops exposed.
8. Bake on the middle shelf for 12–15 minutes until the cheese blisters and the top is golden.
9. Serve immediately and enjoy.

Notes

Note 1: Choose a basic French stick with a soft interior rather than a very crusty artisan loaf.

Note 2: Grate block cheeses for the best melt and stretch — pre-shredded cheese contains anti-caking agents that affect melting.

Make double: Double the recipe and freeze half tightly wrapped in foil for up to 4 months. Add 8–10 minutes if baking from frozen.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 375 kcal | Carbohydrates: 28.1 g | Protein: 13.1 g | Fat: 22.4 g | Saturated Fat: 14.1 g | Cholesterol: 65 mg | Fiber: 1.1 g | Sugar: 1.4 g | Calcium: 214 mg

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