Love garlic bread? Well, this cheesy French onion garlic bread is the best of both worlds, combining garlic bread and French onion soup, with none of the hassle. With just a few ingredients and a little help from the grocery store, you’ll have a delicious twist on garlic bread in no time. A great addition to most dinner parties.
Here, I use a packet of onion soup mix and some butter to season the bread. Topping it with gooey mozzarella, Gruyère, fresh thyme, and black pepper achieves that signature French onion soup flavor. The bread crisps up in the oven to become a buttery, cheesy delight. It’s the ideal companion to any pasta dish — or perhaps a great midday snack. No matter what you pair it with, it’s one of the best complements to any meal.
While the original recipe didn’t say to, we found it’s best to let the butter/onion soup mix sit at room temperature so that the dried bits of onion hydrate some.
Make ahead: The butter mixture can be made up to two days ahead and refrigerated in an airtight container. Let sit at room temperature until softened before using.
Storage: Leftover bread can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to four days. Reheat in a 350ºF oven until warmed through, about 8 minutes.
Cheesy French Onion Garlic Bread
Ingredients
For the Butter
- 9 Tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 3 Tbsp. mayonnaise
- 1 1-oz. packet of dried onion soup mix, such as Lipton’s
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
For the Bread
- 1 12-oz. loaf French or Italian bread
- 4 1/2 oz. low-moisture mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 4 1/2 oz. Gruyère cheese, shredded
- 1 Tbsp. fresh thyme leaves from about 5 sprigs, plus more for garnish
- Freshly ground black pepper
Directions
- Make the butter: Stir and smash room-temperature unsalted butter, mayonnaise, onion soup mix, and minced garlic cloves together with a flexible spatula in a small bowl until combined. Let sit for about 30 minutes to ensure the dried onion bits hydrate.
- Assemble the bread: Heat the oven to 375ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
- Use a serrated knife to split 1 loaf French bread in half. Place cut side up on the baking sheet. Spread the butter mixture evenly onto the bread.
- Sprinkle evenly with shredded mozzarella cheese, shredded Gruyère cheese, fresh thyme leaves, and liberally season with black pepper.
- Bake, rotating halfway through, until the cheese is melted and the top is browned in spots, about 15 minutes total. Let cool for at least 10 minutes. Garnish with more fresh thyme leaves if desired and cut crosswise into pieces.
Recipe by Janette Zepeda for The Kitchn.com
Accounting for Taste 