How to Bake Four Cheese Garlic Bread

Homemade four cheese garlic bread is much more delicious than the frozen store-bought varity. Use any four of your favorite cheeses, real butter and fresh garlic. The advantage of making your own garlic bread is portion control--the basic recipe is easily adapted to any number of slices. A food processor makes the job easier but isn't essential.

Things You'll Need

• Baguette
• 1 stick butter
• 5 to 10 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1/4 cup each of four cheeses, grated (such as cheddar, Parmesan, mozzarella and gouda)
• Bread knife
• Butter knife
• Food processor
• Aluminum foil

Instructions

1. Put the peeled garlic cloves in the food processor and blitz until they are finely chopped. Alternatively, use a garlic press or a sharp knife to chop the garlic.

2. Add the stick of butter and all the grated cheeses to the food processor and pulse it a few times until all the garlic, butter and cheese is blended into a soft spread. Mash the ingredients together with a fork if you are not using a food processor.

3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Use the bread knife to make slices across the baguette, almost but not all the way through the base of the loaf. Make the slices as thick or narrow as you like. For a smaller portion, make as many slices as you want, cut the last slice all the way through and save the rest of the baguette for something else.

4. Hold one slice at a time open, being careful to keep it attached to the base of the loaf, and spread both sides generously with the cheese-garlic-butter spread. Cover each side of every slice with the spread.

5. Press all the slices together and wrap the baguette loosely with aluminum foil. Place it directly on the oven rack or on a cookie sheet and bake for 30 to 45 minutes. When you remove the bread and unwrap the foil, the cheese and butter should be melted and bubbly.

Tips & Warnings

• Four cheese blends are widely available pre-grated in bags and make the job even easier. Any leftover cheese-garlic-butter will keep in the refrigerator for about a week. Try a whole wheat or sourdough baguette as an alternative.