Easy, Cheesy Pesto Garlic Bread
Is there anything better than fresh bread? This cheesy pesto stuffed garlic bread is one of my go-to sides with pasta, pizza, steak, and more! Make this bread for a dinner party or bring it to a potluck. It's easy, savory, buttery, and so flavorful!
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup lemon pesto or store-bought (180 grams)
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened (60 grams)
- 1 Tablespoon minced garlic (4 large cloves)
- Kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 loaf of crusty Italian bread (about 1 pound/454 grams)
- 1 cup freshly-shredded whole milk mozzarella (100 grams)
- 1/2 cup freshly-shredded parmesan (35 grams)
Equipment
- Bread knife
- Box grater
- Garlic press
- Small rubber spatula
- sheet pan
- Parchment paper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C). Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Add the pesto, butter, and garlic to a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Use a rubber spatula or fork to combine the filling until it's well-mixed. A few small lumps are ok.
- Next, use a bread knife to cut the loaf of bread in half horizontally. Then, cut the bread halves into thick slices, leaving the bottom 1/2-inch of the bread uncut. You want the loaf of bread to stay intact so the filling stays put.
- Using a small rubber spatula or butter knife, spread about half of the filling in-between the slices of bread. Then, spread the rest of the filling on top of the bread halves.
- Evenly sprinkle the mozzarella and parmesan over the tops of the bread halves. Bake the bread for 10-15 minutes, until the bread is hot and the cheese is melted and starting to bubble on top.
- Let the bread rest at room temperature for 3-4 minutes. Then, slice the bread all the way through. Enjoy!
Notes
Now is the time to use a good quality bread. It holds up all of the toppings and tastes so much better!
Feel free to adjust the garlic to your tastes. Some pestos have more garlic than others, so taste the pesto and add more or less fresh garlic if needed.
It's important to get into all of the nooks and crannies of the bread for the best flavor. I like to use a mini rubber spatula or a butter knife.
If your bread loaf is extra large, feel free to use more pesto. Just don't get too wild, or the bread could end up soggy instead of soft in the center and crisp on the edges!
If you like crustier bread, broil the cheese for 1-2 minutes after baking. Just don't over-broil or the bread will be crunchy and hard to eat!
If you like softer garlic bread, here's how to get it! First, you'll want to start with a softer loaf like French bread. Then, mix the cheese into the the pesto-butter mixture. After you spread the bread with the pesto-butter-cheese mixture, sandwich it back together and wrap it in tinfoil. Bake until the bread is hot and the cheese is melty. Slice and enjoy!
This recipe can be repurposed for French bread pizzas! Instead of cutting the bread into slices, leave the loaf halves whole. Spread the bread halves with the pesto filling, sprinkle with cheese, and add your favorite toppings. Bake, slice, and enjoy!
Serving: 1slice, Calories: 116kcal, Carbohydrates: 13.2g, Protein: 4.4g, Fat: 5.2g, Saturated Fat: 2.6g, Cholesterol: 12mg, Sodium: 220mg, Potassium: 36mg, Fiber: 0.6g, Sugar: 0.8g, Calcium: 54mg, Iron: 1mg
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