My garlic bread butter blend, made using unsalted butter, garlic and onion powder, seasoned salt, Cajun seasoning, dried minced onions and parsley.

Garlic Bread Butter Blend

Okay, yes. It's only garlic bread. Melt some butter, brush it on some bread, sprinkle a little garlic powder on top, pop it in the oven and you're done. True.

But, this is the butter blend that I've been using for my basic garlic bread for years. I've made it more times than I can count since I started this recipe site, but recently I actually remembered to get some final shots for once! You know how it is. You've got everything going, the meal is just about ready, so you get the bread going and you pretty much have to stand over it or else, if you're like me, you burn it. You sit down, dig in and, if you're a food blogger, you realize you got all the shots of the bread in - except for the end product. I finally remembered, so thought it about time to share.

It's the perfect bread for spaghetti or lasagna and many other "red sauce" pasta meals, and also for many soups. I even like to use it with my Hasselback Cheesy Garlic Bread. This is so easy to make that I haven't bought the pre-made garlic bread from the freezer section in the store for years. The amounts given are widely variable, so if you find you like a lot of garlic or less seasoned salt, or more butter... go for it! Make it your own.

I hope you'll give it a try it and let me know what you think. Here's how to make it.

There are many ways to prepare the bread part, but it all starts with the butter blend. For an entire pound loaf of French or Italian bread, take a stick of unsalted butter and mix it with the seasonings - garlic and onion powder, seasoned salt, Cajun seasoning, dried minced onions and parsley. If you use salted butter, you'll want to eliminate the seasoned salt.

This is the cooking method I use the most when I serve this bread with spaghetti, baked spaghetti, baked ziti or any other kind of red sauced casserole or spaghetti. Just split the French bread in half lengthwise and spread the butter blend on both cut sides. Put the halves back together and wrap tightly with the foil. Place into a preheated 350 degree F oven. Heat for about 15 minutes, remove, carefully open foil, open bread and set oven on broil. Return bread to the oven, leaving the oven door ajar, and allow the top of the bread to lightly brown, monitoring constantly, about 1 to 1-1/2 minutes, turning tray around at least once.

Cut into slices to serve.

This is the method I like to use for more wet dishes, like soups and stews. Lay a large piece of aluminum foil on a heavy baking pan. Slice the bread into 1 inch pieces, smear each piece with butter blend and place in a preheated 350 degrees for 5 minutes to warm the bread through.

Turn oven up to broil and leaving the oven door ajar, allow the top of the bread to lightly brown, monitoring constantly, about 1 to 1-1/2 minutes, turning tray around at least once.

Recipe: Garlic Bread Butter Blend

©From the Kitchen of Deep South Dish

Prep time: 5 min |Cook time: 15 min |

Yield: About 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) of unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of seasoned salt (like Lawry's)
• 1/4 teaspoon of Cajun seasoning, optional
• 1/2 tablespoon of dried minced onions
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1 large (1 pound) loaf of French or Italian style bread

Instructions

Combine all of the spread ingredients until well blended. Spread on bread and bake using your favorite method.

Method #1: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Split the bread in half lengthwise and spread butter mixture evenly on both cut sides of the bread. Place edges of bread back together and wrap entire loaf tightly in foil. Heat in oven for about 15 minutes, remove, carefully open foil, open bread and set oven on broil. Return bread to the oven, leaving the oven door ajar, and allow the top of the bread to lightly brown, monitoring constantly, about 1 to 1-1/2 minutes, turning tray around at least once. Cut into slices to serve.

Method #2: Lay a large piece of aluminum foil on a heavy baking pan. Slice the bread into 1 inch pieces, smear each piece with butter blend and place in a preheated 350 degrees for 5 minutes to warm the bread through. Turn oven up to broil and leaving the oven door ajar, and allow the top of the bread to lightly brown, monitoring constantly, about 1 to 1-1/2 minutes, turning tray around at least once.

Method #3: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cut slits in the bread about an inch apart, but don't cut all the way through the bottom of the bread. Place the bread on a large piece of aluminum foil with enough excess to wrap the bread tightly all the way around. Smear 3/4ths of the butter blend in between all of the slits, then spread the remaining blend on the top and sides of the bread. Add thin slices of cheese in the slits if desired. Seal the entire loaf up tightly for soft bread, or wrap the foil up around the sides and leave the top exposed to give it a slight crisp on top. Bake at 350 degrees F for about 15-20 minutes. Slice all the way through to serve.

Cook's Notes: If you use salted butter, eliminate the seasoned salt. Use leftover hot dog buns to make garlic bread minis - they are the perfect vehicle and it's a great way to use them up. Use any leftover garlic bread to make homemade croutons. Cube bread, toss with olive oil and bake at 400 degrees F for about 10 minutes.

Source: http://deepsouthdish.com

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Posted by Mary on February 25, 2013

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