Here's How To Make Homemade Frozen Garlic Bread For Later

There are some pretty decent frozen store-bought garlic breads, but, sadly, if Mamma Bella's frozen garlic bread was your jam, it's not around anymore. But don't fret, it's easy to prep and freeze your own custom garlic bread for later, and it will taste much more deliciously homemade. It's a great way to use up stale bread that might be sitting on the kitchen counter with nowhere to go. Or, why not just buy two loaves of bread, have one tonight, and freeze one for later? Heck, if you make an easy homemade pasta sauce, and freeze the leftovers with your garlic bread, you'll have a whole second meal all set to go.

Making homemade frozen garlic bread is super easy. Like we're talking just a few minutes, when you have everything set up. First, you need a French baguette or Italian loaf. For this recipe, minimally crusty bread may be better, because the crust, once toasted, can be a little tough on the palate and gums. However, when used for dipping in a red sauce or a hot soup, the extra crust might just be a benefit. So, use your discretion. This preparation can even be used with regular sliced white bread or Texas toast. The key is in the compound butter, which is basically a simple mixture of butter, oil, herbs, and spices. Spread, freeze, toast, enjoy.

Choosing the bread might just be the most time-consuming part, here, because you likely have everything else you need right in the fridge or pantry. If you're using a baguette or Italian loaf, cut it into slices about an inch thick. Now make your compound butter. You'll want to use a few tablespoons of olive oil per stick of butter. It will both help the butter spread evenly and get the bread nice and toasted in the oven. There's no need to get too complicated with the butter mix. Salt? Of course. Garlic powder or fresh minced garlic? For sure — it's garlic bread, afterall. Then just add herbs and spices to your preference. Fresh minced or dried Italian herbs, like parsley, basil, and oregano definitely make sense. And if you want a little extra kick, dried pepper flakes or ground black pepper won't hurt. You simply need to smash the butter and mix in all your other ingredients.

Spread your butter on the bread and freeze it for later. You can freeze them in an air-tight bag in a single layer, or rebuild the loaf. When it's time to toast them, you'll want them butter-side up, but if the pieces are frozen all in a row, it won't take long to defrost. Bake them in the oven at 425 degrees Fahrenheit, and enjoy your clever pre-planning. There's nothing quite like fresh, hot garlic bread.