Garlic Bread Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
Are you tired of choosing between garlic bread and grilled cheese? Us too. So we combined them for a cheesy, crispy, garlicky, and most importantly, flavorful sandwich. Even the word sandwich seems too simple a word to describe this understated creation.
If you love these Garlic Bread Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, try our other sandwich recipes, like chicken Caesar sandwiches, crispy eggplant parm sandwiches, or chicken parm sandwiches.
Why Jacqueline Loves This Garlic Bread Grilled Cheese Sandwiches Recipe
- Easy to make
- So cheesy
- So garlicky
- Roasted garlic takes 45 minutes, but it’s all a waiting game!
Ingredients
Haven’t been to the store or have fussy eaters? Learn more about the ingredients and substitution ideas for this Garlic Bread Grilled Cheese Sandwich recipe.
- Garlic – Roasted garlic is the flavor base here. If you don’t want to wait 45 minutes, you can sauté fresh garlic in butter for a quicker, but sharper option. I recommend roasting it for a mellow garlic flavor.
- Butter – Softened butter makes it easy to spread. Salted or unsalted both work, just adjust the added salt.
- Parmesan – Adds a salty bite to balance all the gooey cheese. Grated Romano works too.
- Mozzarella – Gives you that stretchy cheese pull that everyone loves in a grilled cheese.
- Bread – Sourdough, Texas toast, or ciabatta bread hold up well. Regular sandwich bread works, but won’t be as sturdy.
- Parsley – Dried parsley gives a little color and a slight herby note. Dried Italian seasoning is a good alternative.
- Salt and pepper – Don’t skip seasoning the butter.
Technique Swap: Faster Garlic
No time to roast a whole head of garlic? Finely mince a few cloves and gently sauté them in butter, just until golden. Mix that into the softened butter for a quicker (but punchier!) garlic spread. Or try garlic powder, although we still recommend roasted garlic.
How to Make Garlic Bread Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
To make these sandwiches, you’ll first roast the garlic. This takes a bit of time, but you can roast a couple of heads of garlic at a time and keep them in the fridge all week to use when needed. We like to add garlic to a sheet pan when we’re roasting vegetables for the week. 2 for 1!
Roast the garlic: Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Slice the top off the garlic head to expose the cloves. Drizzle with olive oil, wrap in foil, set on a sheet pan, and roast for 45 minutes until soft and golden.
Make garlic butter: Squeeze the roasted cloves into a bowl. Mash with softened butter, Parmesan, parsley, salt, and pepper.
Assemble sandwiches: Spread garlic butter on one side of each bread slice.
Stack the bread, butter sides together.
Top with shredded mozzarella.
Place the top slice of bread, butter side down, in a skillet over medium-low heat.
Top with the other slice of bread, butter side up.
Cook: Toast 3–5 minutes per side until golden and the cheese is melted. Serve hot.
Jacqueline’s Recipe Tips
- Roast a bunch of garlic ahead of time and keep it in the fridge for easy sandwich nights.
- Use medium to medium-low heat so the bread doesn’t burn before the cheese melts.
- Shred your own mozzarella for better melt and less clumping.
Kitchen Tools to Make it Easier
We’ll let you know the basics and then give some suggestions for kitchen tools that can make this recipe even easier to prepare.
- A cast-iron skillet gives the best crust because it holds heat evenly, but any heavy-bottomed pan will work. I use a cast iron by Lodge or an extra large skillet by the Rock.
Serving Suggestions
Serve garlic bread grilled cheese with tomato soup, minestrone soup, lentil soup, marinara for dipping, or a simple side salad to balance all the richness.
How to Store Leftover Garlic Bread Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
Leftovers aren’t as good as fresh, but you can reheat a sandwich in the oven at 350°F for 5-10 minutes. Skip the microwave if you want to keep that crisp bread.
FAQ
Sturdy bread like sourdough, ciabatta, or Texas toast holds up well to the butter and cheese.
Lower your heat and cover the pan with a lid for a minute. Trapped steam helps the cheese melt without burning the bread.
More Sandwich Recipes
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Garlic Bread Grilled Cheese
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Slice the top of the head of garlic off. You want to see all of the open cloves, but don’t get rid of too much garlic; it’s all flavor.
- Place the garlic on a sheet of foil and drizzle with olive oil. Close the foil and place the package on a baking sheet. (We do this when we roast vegetables to make use of the oven being on.)
- Stick the baking sheet in the oven for 45 minutes.
- Let the foil cool a bit or carefully go in like we do and unwrap the roasted garlic.
- While the skillet preheats over medium-low heat, make the garlic butter.
- Carefully squish all of the soft garlic cloves out of papery peel and into a small bowl with the room temperature butter, dried parsley, and a healthy pinch of salt and some fresh cracked black pepper (flavor!).
- Butter 4 slices of bread. Stick the buttered sides together like that is the inside of the sandwich, and then cover the tops with the melted cheese.
- Now lift the top slices of bread with the cheese on them and place them butter side down in the skillet. Top with the other slices of bread, butter side up.
- Cook for 3-5 minutes on each side until buttery, crispy, and golden brown. Serve hot.
