The Key To Making Air Fryer Garlic Bread Cheesy
Ever heard of how you can make virtually anything with an air fryer? Well, you can add homemade garlic bread to the list. This handy appliance can not only give you some crispy, perfectly golden-brown slices, but it can also make them extra cheesy, too.
Air-frying cheese can be tricky. Most cheeses have a low melting point, so the heat of the air fryer can cause them to turn gooey before they have a chance to form a crust, leading to a messy situation in the frying basket. However, when you layer the cheese on something like a slice of garlic bread, it acts as a container, preventing the cheese from dripping all over the place. So, there is no need to worry about a huge mess afterward.
As you're preparing your garlic butter mixture, toss in a handful of melty cheeses, like parmesan or shredded cheddar. Spread the mixture generously on your bread slices, then pop them into the air fryer. The cheese will melt beautifully in the heat, creating a rich and flavorful topping for your garlic bread that's bound to become a favorite.
The best cheeses for making air-fried garlic bread
As mentioned earlier, any kind of melting cheese will work for this recipe. We've introduced you to classics like parmesan and cheddar, but if you have Gouda or provolone on hand, they'll be just as delicious on a slice of garlic bread.
You can also try and work in mozzarella, but it's best suited for pull-apart garlic bread, rather than as a topping. For easy pull-apart bread, cut a round loaf in a crosshatch pattern, then pour garlic butter and mozzarella into the seams created by the pattern. After air-frying, you can pull apart individual pieces, each with a wonderfully stringy bit of cheese attached. Think of it like a bouquet of mozzarella sticks!
In addition to melting cheese, you might want to add a sharp-tasting cheese to the mix to expand the flavor profile, too. For instance, a combination of mozzarella (for its melting properties) and Parmigiano Reggiano (for its sharpness) will give your garlic bread a cheesier, yet more balanced flavor.