garlic bread

Eating anything with marinara sauce is just so much better when you have a garlicky, chewy/crispy piece of bread to sop up the extra sauce. So, while I was planning my Pesto Stuffed Shells this week, I thought about grabbing a box of garlic bread from the freezer aisle... after all, it's very cheap, only about $2 a box. Then I started thinking, "Well, I can buy a HUGE loaf of fresh french bread for a dollar... can I make the garlic bread for less?" You bet. Many grocery stores sell giant baguettes of French bread hot from their bakery every day for $1-$2. Snatch one of those up, make this quick buttery garlic spread and you're well on your way to having hot, fresh (and trans-fat free!) garlic bread. This bread was so delicious that it disappeared almost instantly between me and my roommates.

The best part of it is that you can control how much butter/oil is on your bread- you just never know with the frozen kind. This recipe yielded 16 2-inch wide pieces of bread and I only used 4 Tbsp of butter and 2 Tbsp of olive oil total. That equals out to just .25 Tbsp of butter (less than a teaspoon!) and half that much oil per piece. Not bad... not bad.




Total Recipe cost: $1.77
Servings Per Recipe: 16 (2 inch wide pieces)
Cost per serving: $0.11
Prep time: 10 min. Cook time: 15 min. Total: 25 min.

INGREDIENTS		COST
1 loaf	french bread (approx. 16" long)	$0.99
4 Tbsp (1/2 stick)	butter	$0.20
2 Tbsp	olive oil	$0.21
3 cloves	garlic	$0.07
1/4 cup	fresh parsley, chopped	$0.25
a pinch	salt	$0.05
TOTAL		$1.77

STEP 1: Let the butter sit out and come to room temperature prior to beginning the recipe. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

STEP 1a: If using a food processor, combine the garlic (cloves can be whole) and olive oil. Process until the garlic is minced. Next add the softened butter and process for another 30 seconds. Add fresh parsley and process once more until the parsley is in small pieces. Add a pinch of salt, taste and adjust to your liking.

STEP 1b: If you are not using a food processor, mince the garlic with a knife. In a bowl combine the garlic and softened butter. Stir in the olive oil. Mince the parsley and stir it into garlic/butter/oil mixture. Add a pinch of salt, taste and adjust to your liking.

STEP 2: Slice the baguette in half lengthwise and open it so that both cut sides are facing up. Spread the butter/garlic mixture evenly over the cut surface. Bake the bread for 10-15 minutes at 400 degrees. Every oven is different so keep a close eye on it. Take the bread out when it is a deep golden brown on the edges.

STEP 3: Cut the bread into 2-inch wide pieces and serve with a saucy Italian meal!

Step By Step Photos


Mince the garlic with the olive oil in a small food processor.


Add the butter, process. Add the parsley, process again. Now it's ready to spread!


Spread the garlic butter over the cut surface of your baguette. Start with a thin layer then add more to make sure you don't run out mid-way.


Bake the bread for 10-15 minutes at 400 degrees. Slice the bread into 2-inch wide pieces and enjoy! Be careful... it's addictive!



NOTE: My first instinct was to use my mini-food processor for the garlic butter but next time I will definitely be doing it by hand. Because there wasn't very much in the food processor, it was not able to mince the garlic as fine as I could with a knife. Plus, it just created more dishes to wash. Lesson learned.