I’m not sure if this recipe truly counts as homemade, because I don’t make the bread from scratch.  However, I find that you save a lot of sodium and preservatives by making your own garlic bread at home (not that my version is healthy...).  Plus, it tastes just as good!  This makes a great side to pasta (for us carbaholics) and soup dishes.

 

-          1 loaf of French or Italian bread

-          Spreadable butter or margarine

-          6 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

-          Salt

-          Dried parsley flakes

-          Oregano

Cut bread loaf into 10-12 inch segments.  Take one segment and cut in half, lengthwise, with a bread knife.  Smother each half with butter or margarine (just remember, more butter makes it taste better!).  Spread garlic evenly over the bread halves.  Sprinkle with salt, dried parsley and oregano.  Bake in oven at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes.  You can either leave open-faced while baking for a crispier top or you can put the two halves back together and slice before baking, for a softer inside. 

You can also prepare the bread ahead of time and freeze for baking later – this is a good option if you like the convenience of frozen garlic bread from the store.  If you don’t have fresh garlic on hand, you can also just use garlic powder.  I do this frequently, but I don’t think it tastes quite as good.  Another option is to add cheese for cheesy garlic bread.   Mmmm…who doesn’t like that?!