armadillo cheesy garlic bread
I’m having trouble even writing about this because it’s the most obvious sell in the world. I mean look at it!! Every single time I make it, there are five hands reaching for a piece and this is before it even hits the table. Watching people ooh and aah over each cheese stretch makes my icy heart melt. It is excessive in the best way possible—a lot of cheese, a lot of garlic. Crispy and yet perfectly pillow-like inside. I would tell you to serve it hot, but it won’t last long enough to even cool down. Me wanty now.
ingredients
3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1½ sticks (6 ounces) butter, at room temperature
½ cup mayonnaise
1½ cups finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
2 tablespoons finely minced garlic (about 4 cloves)
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1-pound round loaf French bread
steps
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
In a bowl, combine the mozzarella, butter, mayo, Parm, garlic, red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper.
Using a serrated knife, cut the bread in a crosshatch pattern, making cuts 2 inches apart and taking care not to cut through the bottom of the bread.
Place the bread on a large sheet of foil on a baking sheet.
Stuff most of the cheese mixture into all of the cracks in the bread. Slather the remainder over the top of the bread.
Coat another sheet of foil with cooking spray and lay spray-side down on the top of the loaf.
Crimp the two pieces together to seal the bread in foil.
Bake for 20 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 375°F.
Remove the top sheet of foil and bake until the top gets golden and the cheese is super melty, 15 to 20 minutes longer.
