Your next pasta night deserves to have this deliciously simple Cast Iron Garlic Bread loaded with buttery garlic goodness. This garlic bread recipe uses simple ingredients that you probably have on-hand making this a recipe you can whip up quickly and easily.
This garlic bread goes great with our Dutch Oven Lasagna, Baked Spaghetti, and Pizza Pasta. Or go traditional with our Skillet Spaghetti and Meatballs.
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Why make garlic bread?
Pretty much the question should be, why not make garlic bread. Sure, if you're traveling in Italy you won't find it on the menu at restaurants, but in the US, it's a staple when serving up Italian food.
Bread, butter, garlic, and cheese is a delightful and heavenly combination that is the perfect vehicle for sopping up extra sauce or helping to push pasta onto your fork. We love dipping garlic bread in marinara sauce like a dip.
What type of cast iron should I use to make garlic bread?
Any with a flat surface is best. A 12-inch skillet, a baking pan (or sheet), or griddle work perfectly. Although, if you want grill marks, a cast iron grill pan is just the ticket.
Recipe ingredients:
- Bread — We used a sliced Italian loaf found in the bakery department of our local grocery store.
- Butter — We do recommend using unsalted butter if sodium content is an issue for you, but we did use salted butter because it is what we had on hand.
- Parmesan Cheese — Finely grated cheese is the best for this recipe and how we make it. Kraft brand in the green can or similar works wonderfully in this recipe.
- Garlic — What is garlic bread without garlic? Granulated garlic is the perfect for it's bold garlic flavor but ability to blend into the butter mixture seamlessly.
- Parsley — Dried parsley adds a bit of brightness and color to the bread.
How to make garlic bread in cast iron
Step 1 — If not pre-sliced, slice bread about ½" thick. Place 1 stick of the softened butter into a small mixing bowl. Use a fork to smash it and spread it out around the bowl. Add the Parmesan cheese, granulated garlic, and parsley and mix well with the fork.
Step 2 — Spread the garlic butter mixture generously to one side of each slice of bread. We found using the back of a spoon worked the best for applying and spreading the garlic butter.
Step 3 — Heat the cast iron over medium heat and add a couple of tablespoons of the remaining stick of softened butter. We know cast iron should be non-stick but we're after a delicious golden brown crunch similar to that of grilled cheese, so a lovely pool of melted butter is needed.
Step 4 — Once the pan is hot and butter has melted, place as many slices of bread, butter side up, as can comfortably fit into your cast iron. Once golden brown, about a minute or so, flip the bread to buttered side down and toast. After another minute it should be ready. Repeat this process until all the bread slices have been toasted. Add additional tablespoons of butter to the cast iron as needed, allowing it to melt before adding the next round of bread toast.
Adaptations and variations
Bread — We used Italian, but a loaf of French bread is equally delicious. But any bread you love will do from farmhouse white, whole wheat, sourdough, and in a pinch, hamburger or hot dog buns.
Cheese — Grated Parmesan cheese is classic but get creative and use Asiago, mozzarella, or an Italian blend.
Garlic — Garlic powder, freshly minced garlic, and smashed roasted garlic will all be wonderful. We do not recommend using garlic salt due to the saltiness of Parmesan cheese.
Herbs — Use your favorite: dried oregano, rosemary, thyme, basil, and/or Italian seasoning blend. Fresh parsley is wonderful in place of dried. Black pepper and chili flakes can add a touch of heat.
Recipe FAQs
Absolutely, shredded some mozzarella and melt it on top for cheese garlic bread.
Wrap the leftovers in foil or in an airtight container and place it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Place the bread on foil in a single layer, cover completely, preheat oven to 350°F then rewarm for about 10 minutes.
Our favorite tools to make Cast Iron Garlic Bread!
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If you tried this Cast Iron Garlic Bread or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Get the Recipe
Cast Iron Garlic Bread
Equipment
- 12" Cast Iron Skillet or Cast iron griddle or baking sheet
Ingredients
- 1 loaf Italian bread or French; sliced
- 1 cup butter softened; 2 sticks
- ⅓ cup Parmesan cheese grated
- 1 tablespoon granulated garlic
- 1 ½ tablespoon dried parsley
Instructions
- Slice the bread if it's not pre-sliced to about ½-inch thick.
- Add one stick of butter to a small bowl; smash it with a fork.
- Mix in the Parmesan cheese, granulated garlic, and parsley to the butter until well combined.
- Spread the garlic butter on each slice of bread.
- Heat the cast iron on medium heat and add a couple of tablespoons of the remaining stick of butter to melt.
- Place as many slices of bread, buttered side up, as can comfortably fit in the cast iron; 1-2 minutes
- Once golden brown, flip to buttered side down and toast; 1-2 minutes.
- Repeat until all the slices of bread have been toasted, adding more of the reserved butter to the skillet as needed.
Nutrition
Dutch Oven Daddy is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is only an estimate. We recommend running the ingredients through an online nutritional calculator if you need to verify any information.
Toni
I love how it turned out in my cast iron! It is so perfect!!
holley
This is a game changer for me! It's easy and oh so delicious!
Tayler
I made this garlic bread with our pasta last night and it was amazing! Never buying the frozen kind again!
Dannii
This was such a great way to cook garlic bread. Perfectly crispy.
Amanda Wren-Grimwood
What an easy way to make garlic bread without turning on the oven. So tasty and crispy too.
Biana
Garlic bread looks awesome. A great idea for a side dish to go with all fall soups.
Kushigalu
This garlic bread looks amazingly delicious. Thanks for sharing.
Kelley
This garlic bread was sooo good! Everyone wanted more but we went through it so fast! Will definitely make again!!
Mimi Rippee
That looks wonderful! I would use fresh garlic, but that’s just me…
Ned Adams
Fresh garlic would be fantastic!
Elisa
Love this Cast Iron Garlic Bread recipe, we love garlic bread and never use the parmesan, will definitely try this. Looks delicious and easy to make. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Cathleen
Garlic bread is one of my most favorite things ever. Why have I never thought of making it in a cast iron before?? Making this this weekend, thank you so much for sharing this recipe 🙂
Dannii
This was such a great way to make garlic bread. Perfectly crispy.
Kristen
This garlic bread turned out great in my cast iron! Thank you for the recipe!
Tara
Oooh, you had me at buttery garlic goodness. This garlic bread looks fantastic and I love how easily it comes together in the cast iron.
Travis
It was quick and simple. Helped contribute to am Italian dish my wife already had planned that night.