Homemade Garlic Bread

My mom used to make garlic bread every time we had spaghetti at our house when I was growing up. When I became an adult, I discovered the ease of frozen garlic bread, which you can't beat, when you live by yourself. I got so used to frozen garlic bread that I kind of forgot about making homemade garlic bread. Until I happened to shop at Sweet Bay one day and spotted Italian bread - a bread that the Publix bakery seems to no longer carry. I picked it up and brought it home to make some yummy homemade garlic bread. This recipe comes straight from my mother, and is a sure-fire hit. This is one you'll make over and over and over again. And even though I make it over and over again, my family continually polishes it off before I can manage to take a picture of it.

Garlic Bread
16-ounce loaf of Italian bread or French bread
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
2 large cloves of garlic, smashed and minced
2 tsp garlic powder
1 heaping tablespoon of freshly chopped parsley
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Make the butter, garlic, parsley mixture as above.
3. Make 1-inch thick slices into the bread, but do not go all the way through, just to the bottom crust. Put a teaspoon or two of the butter mixture between each slice.
4. Wrap the bread in aluminum foil and heat for 15 minutes in the oven.

NOTE: You can also toast the bread, if you'd rather - you can cut the bread in half, rather than in slices, lay on a cookie sheet on top of some aluminum foil, smear the garlic butter all over both sides, and then put in a 400 degree oven for about 5-10 minutes, depending on the amount of browning you'd like.

Printable recipe