Roasted Garlic Butter (with pull-apart bread)

Roasted garlic butter is a simple yet delicious spread that can elevate any bread with its rich, savory flavor.

Made with roasted garlic, butter, fresh parsley, paprika, and parmesan cheese, this creamy and aromatic sauce can easily take your cooking to the next level.

By making your homemade roasted garlic butter and using some mozzarella cheese, you can transform any ordinary bread into a delectable pull-apart garlic cheese bread.

This flavorful bread is loaded with aromatic garlic butter and melted gooey cheese, making it an irresistible treat for any occasion. Just follow the simple steps below, and you’ll have a mouthwatering appetizer that’s sure to impress your guests at your next gathering or party.

How to roast garlic?

When garlic is roasted, the heat breaks down the garlic’s natural sugars, resulting in a caramelized and nutty flavor that’s milder than raw garlic. Roasted garlic also becomes soft and creamy, making it easy to spread on bread or incorporate into recipes. Additionally, roasting garlic can reduce its pungent odor, making it a more subtle and pleasant addition to dishes.

Roasting whole heads of garlic is a simple way to bring out their sweet, nutty flavor. Specifically, you slice off the top quarter inch of each head, exposing the cloves. Then, you can drizzle olive oil and sprinkle salt and pepper on them, cover them in aluminum foil, and bake them at 400°F (204°C) for approximately 40 minutes until the cloves are soft and caramelized.

– Can I roast garlic with an air fryer?

To make your cooking more eco-friendly, consider using an air fryer instead of a conventional oven to roast garlic. Simply preheat the air fryer to 375°F (190°C), place the wrapped garlic in the basket, and cook for about 30 minutes. This method not only saves energy but also helps to achieve the desired tenderness and flavor of the roasted garlic.

Tips for making pull-apart cheese bread with roasted garlic butter:

1. Choice of bread

Regardless of the type of bread you prefer, you can spread the roasted garlic butter on it and savor it as is, without requiring any heating.

To make a pull-apart bread with a deliciously melted cheese filling, a variety of bread types can be used such as sourdough, white miche, ciabatta, baguette, or toast. For this recipe, I chose to use a black pepper focaccia from Panera. To assemble, slice the bread vertically into halves and generously stuff it with mozzarella cheese.

2. Cut the bread into a crosshatch pattern

Before you add any ingredients to the bread, use a serrated knife to make diagonal cuts in one direction, then repeat in the opposite direction, creating a diamond pattern. Be sure not to cut all the way through the bread. By following this method, you’ll find it effortless to separate the bread into individual pieces once it’s baked.

3. Thousand island dressing/mayonnaise

Thousand Island dressing is typically made with mayonnaise, ketchup, and sweet pickle relish, and various spices and seasonings. In my recipe, I prefer to apply a thin layer of Thousand Island dressing to the bottom half of the bread, which imparts a sweet and tangy taste, while spreading homemade roasted garlic butter on the top half.

You could also substitute Thousand Island dressing with mayonnaise if you prefer.

EQUIPMENT you will need:

• Oven
• Aluminum foil
• Baking sheet

INGREDIENTS List:

• 4 heads of garlic (unpeeled fresh garlic bulbs)
• 4 tsps olive oil (can also use other neutral flavor oil, such as vegetable oil, sunflower oil, or corn oil)
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp pepper (optional)
• ¾ cups salted butter (¾ cup of buster is about 1½ sticks. You can also use add ⅜ tsp of salt to 1½ sticks of unsalted butter to substitute the salted butter.)
• 4 tbsp parsley (washed and chopped; Alternatively, you can use 1 tbsp of chopped rosemary, thyme, or basil instead. Keep in mind that these herbs have a more robust flavor than parsley, so you may need to use less of them in the garlic butter sauce.)
• ½ tsp paprika (optional or you can use other chili powder of your choice.)
• 2 tbsp parmesan cheese (optional)

Step-by-step INSTRUCTIONS:

– How to make Roasted Garlic Butter:

1. Preheat your oven to 400°F (204°C). Take 1½ sticks of salted butter out of the fridge and let it soften at room temperature.

2. Cut off the top ¼ inch of each head of garlic to expose the cloves. Place the garlic heads, cut side up, on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil.

3. Drizzle each head of garlic with 1 tsp of olive oil. Evenly sprinkle ¼ tsp of salt and ¼ tsp of pepper over 4 heads of garlics.

4. Cover the garlics with aluminum foil. Bake at 400°F (204°C) for 40 minutes, or until the cloves are tender and caramelized.

5. Remove the garlics from the oven, carefully open the foil, and let the garlics cool for 5 minutes. Once they are not too hot to touch, squeeze the roasted garlic cloves to a bowl.

6. Add softened butter, chopped parsley, paprika, and parmesan cheese (optional) to the roasted garlic cloves, mash with a fork until all the ingredients are well combined.

7. You can simply spread this roasted garlic butter on bread for a tasty and easy snack. Or you can use it to make a pull-apart garlic cheese bread (See steps below).Save any leftover in a small airtight container. It can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week.

How to make pull-apart garlic cheese bread:

1. Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C).

2. Using a serrated knife, to vertically slice a bread of your choice into halves. (You can use a sourdough bread, white miche bread, ciabatta, baguette, or toast. I used a black pepper focaccia from Panera.) Make diagonal cuts in both slices of the bread, about 1 inch apart, to create a grid pattern on the bread. Be careful not to cut all the way through the bread.

3. Place the bottom half of the bread, cut side up, on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Brush a layer of thousand island dressing or mayonnaise over the bread, add a layer of mozzarella cheese, cover with the top half of the bread.

4. Spread a generous layer of homemade roasted garlic butter onto the bread’s top surface. Optionally, sprinkle a thin layer of shredded mozzarella cheese and some freshly chopped parsley on the top.

5. Bake at 375°F (190°C) for 10. Remove from the oven, enjoy hot.

My other snack recipes you will also like:

Roasted Garlic Butter

Ms Shi and Mr He

Roasted garlic butter is a simple yet delicious spread that can elevate any bread with its rich, savory flavor. Made with roasted garlic, butter, fresh parsley, paprika, and parmesan cheese, this creamy and aromatic sauce can easily take your cooking to the next level.

5 from 4 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Total Time 50 minutes mins

Course Sauce, Spread

Cuisine American

Servings 8 oz

Calories 199 kcal

Equipment

• oven
• aluminum foil
• Baking sheet

Ingredients

  

• 4 heads garlic
• 4 tsps olive oil
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp pepper (optional)
• ¾ cups salted butter (¾ cup of buster is about 1½ sticks. You can also use add ⅜ tsp of salt to 1½ sticks of unsalted butter to substitute the salted butter.)
• 4 tbsp parsley (washed and chopped)
• ½ tsp paprika (optional or you can use other chili powder of your choice.)
• 2 tbsp parmesan cheese (optional)

Instructions

 

How to make Roasted Garlic Butter

• Preheat your oven to 400°F (204°C). Take 1½ sticks of salted butter out of the fridge and let it soften at room temperature.
• Cut off the top ¼ inch of each head of garlic to expose the cloves. Place the garlic heads, cut side up, on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil.
• Drizzle each head of garlic with 1 tsp of olive oil. Evenly sprinkle ¼ tsp of salt and ¼ tsp of pepper over 4 heads of garlics.
• Cover the garlics with aluminum foil. Bake at 400°F (204°C) for 40 minutes, or until the cloves are tender and caramelized.
• Remove the garlics from the oven, carefully open the foil, and let the garlics cool for 5 minutes. Once they are not too hot to touch, squeeze the roasted garlic cloves to a bowl.
• Add softened butter, chopped parsley, paprika, and parmesan cheese (optional) to the roasted garlic cloves, mash with a fork until all the ingredients are well combined.
• You can simply spread this roasted garlic butter on bread for a tasty and easy snack. Or you can use it to make a pull-apart garlic cheese bread (See steps below).

  Save any leftover in a small airtight container. It can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week.

How to make pull-apart garlic cheese bread

• Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C).
• Using a serrated knife, to vertically slice a bread of your choice into halves. (You can use a sourdough bread, white miche bread, ciabatta, baguette, or toast. I used a black pepper focaccia from Panera.) Make diagonal cuts in both slices of the bread, about 1 inch apart, to create a grid pattern on the bread. Be careful not to cut all the way through the bread.
• Place the bottom half of the bread, cut side up, on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Brush a layer of thousand island dressing or mayonnaise over the bread, add a layer of mozzarella cheese, cover with the top half of the bread.
• Spread a generous layer of homemade roasted garlic butter onto the bread's top surface. Optionally, sprinkle a thin layer of shredded mozzarella cheese and some freshly chopped parsley on the top.
• Bake at 375°F (190°C) for 10. Remove from the oven, enjoy hot.

Video

Keyword Garlic Bread, Roasted Garlic, Roasted Garlic Butter