Kinder’s Garlic Bread with Fresh Garlic and Parmesan
Kinder’s Garlic Bread with Fresh Garlic and Parmesan
Most garlic bread is an afterthought, softened butter, garlic powder from a shaker, into the oven. It gets the job done. This doesn’t settle for that.
Garlic bread treated as a dish rather than an afterthought, standard practice in our game day recipes.
Kinder’s Garlic Butter Dipping Sauce, blended with fresh-chopped garlic, Parmesan, and parsley, then spread thick over split ciabatta and finished under a hot broiler. The topping caramelizes. The edges crisp. The cheese melts and browns. That’s Kinder’s garlic bread, and it takes under 25 minutes.
The sauce is what makes it. Kinder’s Garlic Butter Dipping Sauce is already loaded with garlic and savory depth, fold in fresh garlic and Parmesan and you have a spreadable topping that actually tastes like something worth serving. Not generic. Not from a box. The kind people ask about after the meal.
Ciabatta is the right bread for this. The open, airy crumb soaks up the garlic butter while the crust holds structure under broiler heat. A baguette works too, slightly smaller slices, a little more crunch per bite. Either way, the result is the same: golden-brown, bubbling, deeply garlicky, with a Parmesan crust that delivers.
A few things to know. The broiler works fast. Stay close once that pan goes in, the difference between golden and burnt is one distracted minute. Rotate the pan halfway through; most broiler elements have hot spots, and that one step fixes uneven browning before it becomes a problem. Extra Parmesan goes on the second the bread comes out. The residual heat does the melting for you.
Serves four. Works as a side for pasta, a starter before steak, or the thing on the game-day spread that disappears first.
Flavor First.
Garlic Bread
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Position your oven rack 12 inches below the broiler element and preheat to the broil setting.
- In a small bowl, combine the Kinder’s Garlic Butter Dipping Sauce, grated Parmesan, finely chopped garlic, and half the parsley (1/8 cup). Mix until well combined.
- Slice the ciabatta loaf lengthwise through the center to create two flat halves.
- Spread the garlic butter mixture evenly and generously over the cut surface of both halves.
- Place the bread cut-side up on a foil-lined baking sheet.
- Broil for 2 minutes, then rotate the pan 180 degrees and broil for another 2 minutes.
- Continue broiling in 2-minute intervals, checking frequently, until the bread is golden brown and the topping is bubbling and beginning to caramelize. Total broil time is typically 6 to 8 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and immediately top with extra Parmesan while still hot.
- Transfer to a cutting board and slice into 2 to 3-inch strips. Garnish with the remaining fresh parsley and serve immediately.
Nutrition
Notes
- Stay at the broiler — once the bread goes under the element, don’t leave. Check every 2 minutes. The window between golden and burnt is narrow.
- Rotate at the halfway mark — most broiler elements have hot spots. A 180-degree pan rotation at 3–4 minutes ensures even browning across both halves.
- Add extra Parmesan immediately — put it on the second the bread comes out of the oven while the surface is still hot. Residual heat melts it into the crust better than any second pass under the broiler.
- Ciabatta vs. baguette — ciabatta’s open crumb soaks up more garlic butter and gives you a chewier interior. A baguette produces slightly smaller, crunchier slices. Both work depending on what you want from the texture.
- Prep ahead — spread the topping on the bread up to a few hours in advance and refrigerate uncovered. Broil just before serving. It tastes like you made it fresh.
- Add heat if you want it — a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of red pepper flakes right before serving adds a layer without overpowering the garlic.
- Garlic bread serves best alongside something it can play off. Pasta with marinara, creamy rigatoni, minestrone, Caesar salad — the richness of the garlic butter holds up next to bold, acidic sauces without getting lost.
- It also works as a standalone starter. A few slices and a glass of red wine before the main course is a simple setup that doesn’t need much else to back it up.
- Don’t overlook the pairing with grilled steak. The garlic butter in the bread mirrors the richness of a well-seared cut — they reinforce each other rather than compete. Set it on the side of the board when you slice.
- Best served straight from the broiler. If you have leftovers, wrap them in foil and store at room temperature for up to one day.
- To reheat: foil-wrapped in a 350°F oven for 8 to 10 minutes, then open the foil for the last 2 minutes to bring the crust back. Skip the microwave — it softens the bread and kills the texture.
- Make-ahead works well here. Spread the topping on the bread a few hours in advance, refrigerate uncovered, and broil just before serving.
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use a baguette instead of ciabatta for Kinder’s garlic bread?
Yes. A baguette produces slightly smaller, crunchier slices. Ciabatta’s open crumb absorbs more garlic butter and gives you a chewier interior. Both work, it comes down to what you want from the texture.
What if I don’t have Kinder’s Garlic Butter Dipping Sauce?
Combine 1/2 cup softened butter with 2 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning, and 1/4 tsp salt. It won’t have the same depth as the Kinder’s sauce, but it works as a substitute.
How do I keep the garlic bread from burning under the broiler?
Stay at the oven and check every 2 minutes. Most broilers run hotter toward the center, rotate the pan 180 degrees at the halfway mark. Total broil time is typically 6 to 8 minutes.
Can I make this garlic bread ahead of time?
Yes. Spread the topping on the bread a few hours ahead and refrigerate uncovered. Broil just before serving. Don’t bake it in advance and reheat, it loses the crust.
What do you serve with Kinder’s garlic bread?
Pasta with marinara, creamy pasta dishes, Caesar salad, minestrone, or grilled steak. It also holds its own as a starter with a glass of red wine.
Does this recipe work with other Kinder’s products?
This recipe is built around Kinder’s Garlic Butter Dipping Sauce specifically. Other Kinder’s butter-based sauces could work as a base, but the flavor profile will shift depending on which one you use.
More like this: Kinder’s Recipes
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