The Best Cheesy Kale Garlic Bread
The Best Cheesy Kale Garlic Bread
This Cheesy Kale Garlic Bread is the best homemade garlic bread in the oven you'll ever eat and it's a guaranteed winner for both adults and kids! Made with crusty french baguettes that come topped with herbs + seasonings, tons of garlic, chopped kale for some greens, and melty gooey cheese----this bread is the star of any table whether as a side dish to your fave pasta, soup or pizza or as an appetizer as a delicious handheld food for the crowd. Vegan + Gluten-free options.
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When it comes to garlic bread in general, I am one of the biggest fans. There's just something about a perfectly crispy, flavorful, and garlicky bread that makes everything taste better. Growing up in the South, I loved indulging in cheesy garlic bread from Pizza Hut, which was the most gooey, flavor packed bread I've tasted. Then after moving to Brooklyn, I found myself loving the one from Dominoes, but of course, I always love a good homemade bread especially when it comes to having more control over the ingredients. Hence, the Best Cheesy Kale Garlic Bread was born!
This mouth-watering cheesy bread recipe in the oven makes for the perfect side dish to a good bowl of comforting Spicy Roasted Red Pepper Pasta or Weeknight Tomato Kale Ravioli Bake for the perfect soak up of sauce. Of course, I enjoy a good side of crispy bread with my soups as well, especially this Creamy Roasted Garlic Tomato Soup and Easy Flavorful Rigatoni Meatball Soup.
Either way, you're sure to love having this cheesy garlic bread in tow and the family will thank you for it too! Plus, it's a trillion times better than store-bought garlic bread and it's so easy to make, only uses a handful of ingredients, complete in just 20 minutes or so, can be personalized based on your preferences, and comes with a vegan and gluten-friendly option. Also, spruce things up by adding a bit of Homemade Pesto Sauce as the base of this garlic bread!
What is Cheesy Garlic Bread Made of?
This homemade cheesy garlic bread recipe in the oven is made with a homemade "garlic butter" mixture which consists of softened butter, olive oil, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, oregano, basil, and thyme which is mixed together to form a butter paste. Then it's spread a top the halved french bread, followed by the chopped kale and two cheeses.
Jump to:
- What is Cheesy Garlic Bread Made of?
- How to Make The Best Garlic Cheese Bread
- Ingredients for The Best Homemade Garlicky Bread
- How Long Does Garlic Bread Take in the Air Fryer?
- How to Freeze for Longer
- Which Olive Oil is Best?
- Best Types of Cheese to use
- Easy Homemade Bread in Under 5 Minutes
- Tips to Making the Best Garlic Bread in Oven
- Common Q + A's for this Bread Recipe
- What Goes Best with this Bread?
- MADE OUR RECIPE(S)?
- The Best Cheesy Kale Garlic Bread
How to Make The Best Garlic Cheese Bread
The first step in this delicious garlic cheese bread recipe is to cut the breads in half, lengthwise. Once those are set, simply mix together the "garlic butter" for an easier topping, and assemble! Then you bake everything for 10-15 minutes until crisp and golden and wallah!
Ingredients for The Best Homemade Garlicky Bread
The delicious savory flavor of this cheesy garlic bread comes from a handful of simple ingredients. Here's what you need to make them the best bread:
- French bread. You can also use baguettes or a loaf of French bread or Italian bread for thicker slices. For a GF-friendly option, just substitute with a GF version of this bread.
- Olive oil. You can also use avocado oil, coconut oil, or Grapeseed oil, if you prefer.
- Kale. I love adding greens to this bread, however, you can totally omit the chopped or frozen kale for a more traditional recipe or substitute with your favorite veggie like broccoli, spinach, Brussels sprouts, asparagus, etc.
- Garlic. I prefer to use 1 bulb of fresh garlic, but you could substitute with 1 Tablespoon garlic powder in a pinch for a bold flavor. You can also roast a garlic bulb for greater flavor or reduce the amount of garlic to 4-6 cloves.
- Butter. Use unsalted butter to control the flavor of this garlic bread. For a vegan version, substitute with vegan butter.
- Mozzarella + Mild Cheddar. I love to freshly-grate my cheese, however, you can use your favorite shredded brand---quality does matter! Also, this bread tastes amazing with grated parmesan. For a vegan option, there are great premium dairy-free shreds that taste great.
- Herbs + seasonings. You can use fresh herbs, but you'll need a teaspoon of each: salt, black pepper, garlic powder, oregano, basil, and thyme.
How Long Does Garlic Bread Take in the Air Fryer?
If you're thinking of making this delicious garlic bread in an air fryer, it's definitely an easy task! To do so, simply spray the air fryer basket with oil and once your garlic bread is assembled with the toppings, place each bread inside of your air fryer and cook at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 5-6 minutes or until golden at the edges and the cheese has melted.
How to Freeze for Longer
If you're thinking of making this cheesy garlic bread in batches so that you can easily pull them out of your freezer and heat up when ready to enjoy, no worries! It's so simple to do so. They last for up to 3 months. Here's how to freeze garlic bread for longer in a few steps:
- After making your garlic butter and spreading it on each bread, simply place the breads (in a single-layer) in a freezer-friendly ziplock or resealable bag and store them in the freezer.
- When ready to use, simply remove the amounts needed and bake it in the oven on a baking sheet lined with parchment for the full 10-15 minutes. NOTE: You may need an extra 3-5 minutes since they're frozen, but always keep an eye on them to ensure that they don't toast too much.
Which Olive Oil is Best?
When it comes to using olive oil, it's always important to use a high-quality oil which gives you the most robust flavor. I love using EVOO (aka Extra virgin olive oil) for the best chemical stability when it comes to baking or cooking, however, you can also use artisan-style oil for even more flavor. Personally, I enjoy using Brightland's oils which come in various flavor profiles like basil, chili oil, etc. which adds so much flavor to this garlic bread as well.
Best Types of Cheese to use
Even though this cheesy garlic bread is based on using mozzarella and mild cheddar cheese, you can also switch things up and add a new flare in it's flavor profile by adding any of the following (feel free to mix and match):
- Provolone
- Sharp Cheddar Cheese
- Gouda
- Muenster, etc.
Easy Homemade Bread in Under 5 Minutes
Prep your pan + bread. It's best to have a baking sheet that's lined with parchment paper for an easy bake without the bread sticking to the pan. For the bread, you'll want to slice the baguettes (if using) in halves, lengthwise.
Make the garlic butter. This butter mixture adds all the flavor to the entire garlic cheesy bread. You'll stir together the softened butter, oil, minced garlic, and seasonings.
Bake + Serve. Now, you'll add everything to the oven to bake and once golden at the edges and the cheese is nice and bubbly, remove from the oven, let it cool slightly, and slice to serve. Enjoy!
Tips to Making the Best Garlic Bread in Oven
- For extra crispy garlic bread, it's best to keep it in the oven for an extra 2-3 minutes while watching to make sure that it doesn't burn.
- You can cover the tops with foil for the first 5 minutes to prevent the bread from toasting too quickly before the cheese fully melts. Then remove the foil for the remaining minutes of baking.
- When serving, it's best to allow the bread to cool a bit and for the cheese to "set" before slicing.
- It's always best to use a really good sharp knife to cut your garlic bread to keep things in tact.
Common Q + A's for this Bread Recipe
Leftover bread is best kept tightly wrapped in foil paper or plastic wrap, refrigerated for 3-5 days for optimal freshness. To extend its shelf life, you can also freeze garlic bread. When frozen, garlic bread will last for 2-3 months.
Absolutely! You can reheat garlic bread in the air fryer for 2-3 minutes at 350 degrees or in the oven for about 5-7 minutes at 350 degrees.
It's so easy! If you like crispier garlic bread, bake it for 3-5 minutes more, watching it carefully so that it doesn't burn or get too crispy. However, If you like it softer, take it out closer to 10 minutes or wrap the bread in aluminum foil before baking it so that it remains soft while baking.
To prevent garlic bread from getting soggy, be sure to wrap it tightly in foil or plastic wrap before adding it to the fridge. You can also store it in a resealable ziplock bag and ensure that the air is squeezed out.
Not at all. You can totally omit the kale and make this a more traditional cheesy garlic bread. In addition, you can always substitute the kale for your fave veggie like spinach, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, asparagus, etc.
What Goes Best with this Bread?
Now that you're on a cheesy kick with this cheesy garlic bread recipe, give these recipes that your entire family will love a try for a complete meal:
- Creamy Garlic Chicken Gnocchi Soup
- Loaded Vegan Veggie Soup
- The Best Vegan Meat Sauce + Gnocchi
- Herbed Butter Tomato Pizza
- Creamy Garlic Tomato Conchiglioni Pasta
- Lemon Brown Butter Pasta
![Overhead shot of Vodka Ravioli [without the Vodka]](https://www.orchidsandsweettea.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Date-Night-Ravioli-6-of-8-720x960.jpg)
MADE OUR RECIPE(S)?
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The Best Cheesy Kale Garlic Bread
Ingredients
GARLIC BREAD:
- 1 lb. French bread or Italian loaf (I love using French baguettes)
- 1 garlic bulb, minced (You can reduce it to 4-6 garlic cloves, if desired)
- 2 Tbsps Extra virgin olive oil
- 6 Tbsps unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup Mild cheddar cheese, shredded or grated
- 1 cup Mozzarella cheese, shredded or grated
- 2 cups chopped kale
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
Instructions
CUT THE BREAD:
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.
- Cut the french bread in half, length-way and Place each halved french bread unto the prepared baking sheet, insides facing upward.
TO MAKE THE "GARLIC BUTTER":
- In a bowl, add the softened butter, olive oil, minced garlic, and seasonings: salt, black pepper, garlic powder, oregano, basil, and thyme, stirring everything together until combined and smooth.
ASSEMBLY:
- Spoon generous amounts of garlic butter unto each halved french bread evenly followed by chopped kale and cheeses.
- Bake for 10-15 minutes or so, or until the cheese has melted (and becomes bubbly), and the edges are slightly golden brown. For a bit of extra crispiness, bake for another 3-5 minutes, but watch it carefully to avoid burning.
Tips & Tricks
- STORAGE: Leftover bread is best kept tightly wrapped in foil paper or plastic wrap, refrigerated for 3-5 days for optimal freshness. To extend its shelf life, you can also freeze garlic bread. When frozen, garlic bread will last for 2-3 months.
- GLUTEN-FREE OPTION: To make this garlic bread GF-friendly, be sure to substitute the french bread or baguettes with a gluten-free version.
- VEGAN OPTION: This garlic bread can definitely be enjoyed vegan by substituting three things: the butter, the cheese and ensuring that the bread is vegan-friendly. For a vegan option, So Delicious Dairy-Free or Violife cheese shreds tastes great.
Nutrition
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