Best Cheesy Garlic Bread

4.94 from 15 votes

Ditch the frozen stuff and make this incredibly easy homemade garlic bread instead!

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Total Time30

Course: Bread, Side Dish

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: cheesy garlic bread, garlic bread, homemade garlic bread

Servings: servings (approximately 2 slices per person)

Calories: 217kcal

1/2 cup salted butter, softened to room temperature (1 stick)
1/4 cup grated/shredded Parmesan cheese (freshly shredded/grated is best)
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3-4 cloves garlic, grated or very finely minced
1/2 tsp grated lemon zest (optional but recommended)
1 tsp Italian seasoning blend
1/4 tsp cracked black pepper
pinch of kosher salt
1 loaf of artisan bread (my personal favorites are sesame seed, Italian, or any other bread with a tight crumb to hold the butter)
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Set a baking sheet aside.
While oven is preheating, combine butter, Parmesan cheese, olive oil, garlic, lemon zest, Italian seasoning blend, cracked black pepper, and salt in a small mixing bowl. Mix together with a small rubber spatula or wooden spoon. Set aside.
Using a bread knife, slice bread into roughly 1 inch thick slices, not cutting all the way through, just down to about 1/2 inch from the bottom.
Spread an even coating of butter mixture on both sides of the bread slices. Be generous, and if there's any butter left over, refrigerate in an airtight container. Add shredded mozzarella cheese in between each slice of bread.
Wrap loaf of bread completely in aluminum foil (this will likely take two pieces, one on the bottom and one on the top). Place wrapped bread on baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes.
Open the top of the foil and bake another 5 minutes to let the top of the bread toast a little.
Serve hot and enjoy!