Cheesy Pesto Garlic Bread is thick, cheesy and so indulgent. An Italian loaf of bread is covered in garlic butter, nutty basil pesto, heirloom tomatoes and tons of shredded cheese. It’s soft and fluffy, loaded with pesto and cheese and so much garlic flavor. Enjoy as a quick and easy appetizer or with this Blackened Salmon Caesar Salad for dinner!
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Why This Recipe is So Good
The best garlic bread starts with tons of garlic butter. This is made by combining minced garlic with softened butter. Now the pesto has some garlic in it, but I love a LOT of garlic and you really want to taste garlic flavor in every bite. This is not a health-conscious recipe because it has tooons of butter(a whole stick!) and cheese but it’s sooo worth the indulgence!
This pesto cheese bread is quick and easy to make in under 30 minutes. For this recipe, we are using store-bought basil pesto, a loaf of Italian bread, and a blend of pre-shredded cheeses. This cheesy pesto bread takes 10 minutes to prep and another 10 – 15 minutes to bake. Simple, easy, and delicious!
Pesto always makes garlic bread better. It makes this bread extra savory and flavorful. I added shredded provolone and mozzarella cheeses and juicy heirloom tomatoes to lighten it all up. It’s kinda like a pesto pizza bread, and it’s seriously the best appetizer or side dish.
Serve this pesto garlic bread with
- The Best Homemade Lasagna
- Bison Jollof Spaghetti
- Homemade Spaghetti Sauce with Bison
- Spinach Artichoke Alfredo pasta
- Linguine with Red Cabbage and Kale
- Bacon Caesar Salad
- Baked Lamb Meatballs Recipe with Bok Choy
Recipe Ingredients
Bread – This can be really any type of bread. Homemade or store-bought French loaves, baguettes, Italian loaves, and Ciabatta bread. You can cut the loaf in half lengthwise or cut the bread into slices but don’t cut all the way through so the loaf is connected at the bottom. Once it is baked, you will have pull apart pesto cheese bread.
Pesto – I used store-bought basil pesto. Arugula pesto, walnut pesto, or spinach pesto can work here. You can make your own pesto from scratch if you like!
Cheese – A mix of shredded mozzarella and provolone cheeses makes this pesto garlic bread extra cheesy and delicious. Shredded cheddar cheese, parmesan cheese or even Pepper Jack Cheese will taste amazing as well.
Butter – Softened butter. I like to use unsalted since we are adding pesto and so much cheese, which is naturally very salty. The butter is mixed with the garlic to make a flavor-packed garlic butter spread.
Garlic – Fresh garlic is the best to use when making garlic bread. Its strong and garlicky flavor is better than the subtle flavor of garlic powder or even granulated garlic.
How to Make Pesto Garlic Bread with Cheese
All ingredients, measurements, and instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper then set aside.
In a small bowl, mix together softened butter and minced garlic. Place halves of the bread on the sheet pan, and then spread garlic butter on the cut sides of the bread.
Spoon over pesto sauce, then place sliced tomatoes then finally top with shredded cheeses.
Bake for 10 – 15 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly. If you want the cheese to be a little more browned, turn the broiler on for 1 – 2 minutes.
Allow your cheesy pesto garlic bread to cool slightly, then slice and enjoy!
Looking For More Recipes?
- Orzo Pesto Pasta Salad
- Pizza Toast
- Spinach Artichoke Alfredo Pasta
- 3-Ingredient Alfredo Sauce
- Cornmeal Pizza Crust
- Easy Homemade Challah Bread
- Rosemary Sourdough Bread
- Honey Whole Wheat Bread Recipe
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Cheesy Pesto Garlic Bread
Equipment
- Chef knife
- Small mixing bowl
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter unsalted, room temperature softened
- 3 – 4 large cloves garlic minced
- 1 French or Italian loaf cut in half lengthwise
- ½ cup basil pesto store-bought or homemade
- 2 heirloom tomatoes or beefsteak tomatoes thinly sliced
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese shredded
- 1 cup provolone cheese shredded
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper, and then set aside.
- In a small bowl, mix together softened butter and minced garlic. Place halves of bread on the sheet pan, and then spread garlic butter on the cut sides of the bread.
- Spoon over pesto sauce, then place sliced tomatoes, then finally, top with the shredded cheese.
- Bake for 10 – 15 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly. If you want the cheese to be a little more browned, turn the broiler on for 1 – 2 minutes.
- Allow your cheesy pesto garlic bread to cool slightly, then slice and enjoy!
Notes
How To Store/ Reheat
- Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days stored in an air tight container or wrapped individually.
- Reheat at 350 degrees for 15 – 17 minutes until hot and the cheese is melted.
Variations
- Add red crushed pepper flakes for a kick of heat.
- Leave off the tomatoes or add chopped sun-dried tomatoes
- Use roasted garlic instead of fresh garlic for a sweet and mellow flavor.
- Skip the cheese or use dairy-free cheese
Nutrition
All nutrition information is automatically generated and should be only used as a rough estimate. This recipe card may contain affiliate links.
