Gahlic Bread

We went over to a friends house for dinner last night and she asked me to bring garlic bread. This recipe, I think, is better than anything you can buy frozen at the grocery store. Plus you probably already have everything you need, except maybe the 99cent baguette!

Ingredients

• 1 baguette (I like french, but Italian, sourdough, and wheat are also good)
• 3 Tbsp. butter at room temperature (if you use I can't believe it's not butter light, like I do, it's already pretty soft)
• 3 large garlic cloves, minced (Tip: the garlic press is my favorite tool ever, it gets the garlic super tiny, you don't have to chop anything, and your hands don't smell like garlic for 5 days)
• 1 Tbsp. Extra Virgin olive oil
• 1 Tbsp. chopped parsley (Tip: After I buy fresh parsley, I know I'm not going to use it before it all goes bad. Instead, I chop it all up and seal it in a ziplock bag--making sure it's airtight. I freeze it and can use it whenever I want. Note: this doesn't work if you want to use something as a garnish, just if you're actually cooking with it)
• 1 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese (Don't ever even THINK about buying that crap in the green cans; get it near the deli section or, better yet, grate it yourself)
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

[Step 4]

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a bowl, mix the softened butter, parsley, and garlic until everything is well dispersed. Season with salt and pepper. I usually use about a 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper
3. Cut the ends off the baguette and slice the baguette in the middle, lengthwise; kind of like a sub sandwich.Lay the baguette on a baking sheet with the cut side up.
4. Spread the butter mixture over the baguette until you've used it all.
5. Drizzle the olive oil and sprinkle the Parmesan cheese over the baguette.
6. Bake for 10 minutes, then cut and serve

Finished product; some is missing because we wanted to eat it right away!

You can add any kind of herbs you want to the mixture. Basil tastes great. You can also add a little kick by adding some crushed red pepper.