This isn’t your average cheesy garlic bread recipe! It’s made with a surprising ingredient that makes it the creamiest loaf to ever hit your lips. It’s perfect for snacking or serving alongside your favorite pasta. Serve it as a side dish to my go-to one-pot pasta for the ultimate family-friendly dinner.
Table of Contents
If you’ve been with me here since Day 1 (way back in 2008!), you’ll know that my mom, Noni, is the inspiration behind everything I do, both as a chef and as a mom.
This recipe is just another one of her creations that transforms an ordinary dish into something so spectacular you wonder why you ever made garlic bread any other way to begin with.
This cheesy garlic bread is made with a secret ingredient that’s the key to the creaminess… mayonnaise! And it’s no secret how I feel about secret ingredients in recipes–I dedicated an entire cookbook to them, The Secret Ingredient Cookbook.
Why You’ll Love It
Trust me, once you try cheesy garlic made with mayonnaise, you’ll never go back. What’s to love:
- It’s made with just 7 ingredients.
- Less than 10 minutes bake time.
- Creamy and velvety, thanks to the addition of mayo.
- Achieve the perfect cheese pull with the ideal combination of cheeses.
- The perfect balance of crispy edges and pillowy softness.
What Readers Are Saying
It may seem strange, but this cheesy garlic bread with mayo has been a reader favorite since I originally shared it back in 2011. Here’s what readers love about this recipe:
“So good. So so good!!!! Just made lasagna and this bread. My husband and son never eat the bread and they devoured this. I had to buy mayo as I don’t eat it nor do I keep it in the house but it has just become a staple. Yummmmmo. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ” – Laura
“This is the best garlic bread! The mayonnaise adds an additional creaminess to every bite that can’t be beat. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ” – Jane
- Unsalted butter: The foundation of our garlic butter spread. Make sure it’s softened for easy mixing.
- Shredded Asiago and Monterey Jack cheeses: Opt for freshly shredded cheese when possible. It melts more smoothly and avoids the anti-caking agents present in pre-shredded varieties.
- Mayonnaise: The secret ingredient! Mayo brings a velvety texture and a hint of tanginess to the garlic butter mix.
- Scallions: These vibrant green onions provide a mild, fresh bite. Include the green tops for a pop of color.
- Garlic: For an intense garlic flavor, finely mince the garlic cloves. If you’re a garlic enthusiast, feel free to add more!
- French bread: Crispy on the outside, pillowy on the inside – it’s the ultimate garlic bread vessel.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Say goodbye to ordinary garlic bread – this one’s a game-changer and it’s incredibly easy to whip up. Simply make the cheesy garlic butter, slather it on your bread and bake. Here’s a closer look at each step, plus tips for success:
- Make the cheesy garlic butter. For easier mixing, ensure the butter is softened but not melted. It helps in achieving a smooth and well-incorporated cheese spread.
- Slice the French loaf. Use a serrated knife for a clean cut through the bread. If the loaf is very soft, placing it in the freezer for a few minutes can make slicing easier.
- Spread the garlic butter on each half. Spread it all the way to the edges for maximum flavor in every bite.
- Bake, then broil. Keep a close eye on the broiling process; it happens quickly. Aim for a beautiful golden brown color to achieve the perfect balance of crispiness and gooeyness.
- Cut it into slices and serve. Use a sharp knife and a gentle sawing motion to ensure clean slices without squishing the soft interior.
Pro Tip: Serve your mayo garlic bread with a side of marinara sauce, garlic-infused olive oil or buttermilk ranch dressing for the ultimate dipping experience.
- I like to use a fresh 1lb. loaf of French bread from the bakery section of my grocery store. It’s sturdy enough to hold up to the cheesy garlic butter spread yet still has that pillowy soft interior.
- Lightly grease the baking sheet or use parchment paper to prevent the cheesy mixture from sticking to the pan, making cleanup a breeze.
- Adjust the amount of minced garlic based on your preference. For a milder flavor, use less; for a stronger kick, feel free to increase the quantity.
- If you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To reheat, use the oven or toaster oven for a better texture than the microwave.
I love pairing this cheesy garlic bread with any of my go-to pasta dishes or serving it next to a big kale Caesar salad. Or, serve it alongside other crowd-pleasing appetizers and watch it disappear faster than you can say “cheese.”
The best meals that go with garlic bread:
- Baked Boursin Cheese Pasta
- Pepperoni Pizza Pasta – the garlicky goodness of this cheesy bread is the perfect companion to the zesty pepperoni and melted cheese in this pasta
- The Best Homemade Lasagna
- Caprese Pasta Salad with Chicken
- Baked Feta Pasta
- Creamy Homemade Tomato Soup – dipping and dunking into this creamy soup elevates the classic pairing of tomato and cheese to a new level of comfort
- Cheesy Baked Penne with Sausage
- Quick Bruschetta Chicken – the garlic-infused bread provides a crunchy contrast to the juicy chicken
- Creamy Tuscan Chicken Pasta
- Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad
Common Questions
Absolutely! I recommend choosing cheeses that melt easily, such as Parmesan, mozzarella or cheddar. Experiment with your favorite combinations to create a personalized cheesy experience.
Yes, you can substitute garlic powder. However, using fresh garlic provides a more robust flavor.
You can replace mayonnaise with Greek yogurt or sour cream for a similar creamy texture.
Absolutely! Prepare the bread ahead, cover it, and store it in the refrigerator. Bake it just before serving for the best results.
Sure! Feel free to customize the recipe with your favorite herbs or spices to enhance the flavor.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 2/3 cup shredded Asiago cheese
- 2/3 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- 2/3 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup sliced scallions
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 loaf French bread
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
- In a bowl, combine the softened butter, Asiago cheese, Monterey Jack cheese, mayonnaise, sliced scallions and minced garlic. Stir until combined.
- Slice the loaf of bread in half lengthwise then spread both sides with the cheese mixture.
- Bake the bread for 7 minutes then place it under the broiler just until golden brown, about 3 minutes.
- Cut it into slices and serve.
Kelly’s Notes
- I like to use a fresh 1lb. loaf of French bread from the bakery section of my grocery store. It’s sturdy enough to hold up to the cheesy garlic butter spread yet still has that pillowy soft interior.
- Lightly grease the baking sheet or use parchment paper to prevent the cheesy mixture from sticking to the pan, making cleanup a breeze.
- Adjust the amount of minced garlic based on your preference. For a milder flavor, use less; for a stronger kick, feel free to increase the quantity.
- If you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To reheat, use the oven or toaster oven for a better texture than the microwave.
- ★ Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
Nutrition
Shoutout
Did you try this recipe?
Share it with the world! Mention @justataste or tag #justatasterecipes!
This post may contain affiliate links.
Recipe adapted from The Los Angeles Times.
Don’t know why my star rating didn’t show.
My husband and picky youngest son went nuts over this recipe! My son came begging me the next day for leftovers (fortunately there were some!) This is something special! I have literally never tasted anything so good, and I have tried a lot of these kind of recipes! And you can make the cheese spread earlier in the day and just whisk the bread into the oven at dinner time! So non-stress! Thanks Just A Taste!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe, Elizabeth!
Best garlic bread everrrr.
I’m thrilled you enjoyed the recipe, Jennifer!
Delicious both stuffed and not
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe, Dana!
Love this recipe! How long could I keep the mayo cheese mixture as I didn’t use all of it on the bread. Thank you!
I’m so glad to hear that you enjoyed the recipe, Kris! The mayo cheese mixture should last 3 to 5 days in the fridge!
Best garlic bread I’ve ever tasted, does not need any tweaking
Woohoo! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe, Ric!
So the secret ingredient is Garlic. Am I right LOL.
Mayo! :)
Delicious
We made this recipe; Secret Ingredient Cheesy Garlic Bread to go along with a meal we made. I would like to say this was very, very good! I do have one comment to ask though. In the INSTRUCTIONS portion of the recipe it says; Slice the loaf of bread in half lengthwise then spread both SIDES with the cheese mixture…to which we did probably because we sliced the loaf into a couple of individual slices. Perhaps it would be more appropriate to say BOTH HALVES. Just a suggestion…non-the-less as I commented ‘We enjoyed the recipe as it was very good’.
Thank you for your recipes because we find them good, tasty and delicious!
Thanks for your note, David! So glad you loved the recipe!
Can you make it, slice it, then freeze it?
Hi Paula – I haven’t tried that so I’m not sure what the resulting taste/texture would be like. Would love to hear your results if you give it a shot!
Made it again but this time I only had a Mexican cheese blend on hand. It was soooo good with a little Mexican oregano and peperoncinis!
YUM! I’m so glad you’ve been enjoying the cheesy garlic bread, Casey!
Our go to recipe for garlic bread. We make it now without really measuring, add dried Italian Herbs, more garlic and use more traditional Italian cheeses to include Pecorino Romano. Best part is you can make a large batch and refrigerate spread for quick assembly of small portions baked in a toaster oven (son’s motivation for making it).
Yay! I’m so thrilled your family has been enjoying the recipe, Nicole!
The most AMAZING garlic bread ever! We all went bonkers and 36 hours left there’s not a crumb leftover. Just pre-ordered! Can’t wait – Kelly, you rock!
Woohoo! Love reading this, Laurie! And thanks so much for your support, I can’t wait to hear which recipe from the book is your favorite! :)
What can use to substitute the cheese you use? As I couldn’t find those cheese. Thank you.
Hi there! You could substitute Parmesan and shredded mozzarella cheese if you can’t find Asiago and Monterey Jack.
One word. NOM!!!
I’ve tried this once. My family went NUTS over it. I made the mistake of telling my husband what was in it lol I wanted to make it again and he wanted to do it his way. Long story short I should just make it behind his back, not tell him whats in it and watch him gorge. Thanks Hun, love the recipe
I’m so glad your family enjoyed the recipe, Krystal!
This was excellent!! Would not change a thing!!!
I’m thrilled you enjoyed the recipe, Natasha!
Yum! I’ve been making a bread very similar for years, only difference, canned diced green chiles instead of scallions. Delicious!
YUM!
What is Asiago cheese? I live in Australia
Hi Margaret – Aged Asiago is similar in color and texture to Parmesan cheese but has a nutty and yeasty aroma with a strong flavor. You can substitute Parmesan if you can’t find Asiago. :)
That sounds delicious! I normally eat Miracle Whip, so what brand of Mayo would you recommend for this?
Any brand works great for this recipe but I prefer Hellman’s :)
How thick is the spread roughly once smeared on? Mine seems so thick and I wonder if my loaf is small and I should have used less?
It depends on how wide of a loaf you are using!
Just made this bread, absolutely amazing! Has no mayo flavor whatsoever, and it gets perfectly crispy. Only thing I would add personally is maybe 1 or 2 extra cloves of garlic, but that’s just because I’m a garlic fiend!
I’m thrilled to hear you enjoyed the recipe, Courtney!
It looks so tasty! Will give it a try.
Enjoy!
This sounds like a great recipe, Kelly. However, whenever I go to make it, I think that I am going to leave off the scallions, because neither me or my husband particularly like scallions
Hi Valerie! It will still be delicious even without the scallions :) Looking forward to hearing your results!
So good. So so good!!!! Just made lasagna and this bread. My husband and son never eat the bread and they devoured this. I had to buy mayo as I don’t eat it nor do I keep it in the house but it has just become a staple. Yummmmmo.
I am SO thrilled to hear you and your family enjoyed the recipe, Laura!
This is the best garlic bread! The mayonnaise adds an additional creaminess to every bite that can’t be beat.
I can’t wait to try it out.
I’ve been making garlic bread like this ever since I got the recipe after trying it at a pot luck barbecue picnic the first summer I lived in Anchorage, AK. At the picnic it was served with barbecued ribs, and I thought it was so good, that I set my shyness aside and requested the recipe.Only the very shy will understand how monumental that is. After a time, I became aware that this is a very heavy dish, and when I served it with a heavy entree, I felt very logy after dinner, and everyone else seemed like they could barely move either. So since that epiphany, I now serve this when we are having a relatively light main course. I serve it mostly when we have homemade soup: potato, chicken noodle, vegetable beef, split pea, and cabbage with sausage are pretty much all the different soups I make, and it is delicious with them all.
Tips: garlic powder works as well if not better than minced garlic. Just sprinkle it to taste into the cheese/mayo mixture. Any kind of cheese can be used, except the very hard and the very soft cheeses, such as , ricotta, cream, brie, feta, parmesan, romano, unless you are mixing it with another kind of cheese like cheddar, or Montery jack. Rather than separate the parts of the green onion, I slice and then top the cheese with all of the green onion.Then I sprinkle the top with a generous amount of paprika before broiling or baking. No one who has ever tried it has not loved it. I can’t tell you how surprised I was to find my secret recipe here for all the world to appropriate as their own. Which is fine: that’s the attitude that is needed today, more helping and more sharing. :-) And more cheesy garlic bread!
I Love The Garlic Bread…But on To More important Things…..What are your fur kids name.?……………)
Thank you, Judith! Their names are Bacsi, Buckley and Becks, and they are all total sweethearts :)
Hi Kelly, hope all is well !! I just had to tell you how amazing this truly is. I made it along with a speghetti and salad dinner and it was so good my husband actually said “This is for sure the tastiest and creamiest garlic bread ever” !! Thank you so very much for sharing :)
Awesome! So glad you enjoyed it, Esther!
Can’t wait to try this with my Mexican Taco Lasagna. Should be a good pairing. Thanks for sharing.
Yum, my big splurge is to do bread but when I do…
I added green olives, blk olives and marinated artichoke hearts to this for a hearty appetizer before a soup lunch. To lighten, the second time made, I dropped the Parmesan and used half the mayo and just buttered the bread . Was still amazing!
How can it not be with those ingredients?
Going to try your spaghetti sauce this weekend.
Ohhhh myyy! Cheeeese. I would have no problem gobbling up the whole loaf poolside with an ice cold Diet Coke. I’m adding this recipe to my new favorite things!
Sounds amazing! I’m going to try this when I make Lasagna Roll Ups this weekend!
Hi Kelly, Great website “Just a Taste” that’s all it takes. Your garlic bread looks tasty and cheesy. Most of all it looks Delicious and Scrumptious” Awesome
Thanks, Yvonne!
Soooo good! I cut the mayo in half, doubled the garlic, used a mix of cheeses I had on hand (Mexican blend, pepper jack and cheddar!) and added a little basil and Italian seasoning. Rave reviews from my whole family! :) Went fantastic with my baked spaghetti. Definitely a keeper!
I love the photos of your dogs they are beautiful – I’m such a dog lover!! Now – on to the cheesy garlic bread! lol I never really cared for garlic bread, it just seemed “plain” to me – I always made it because everyone else loved it. Now with the cheese, this changes everything! I actually like it and I really could make a meal out of it alone! I wasn’t sure about the mayo and was reluctant to use it but I felt daring the night I made it! It’s a wonderful recipe and a keeper! :)
I never thought garlic bread could look so gooood! im inspired, this one is definitely going in the oven next time i host a dinner!
I promise you won’t be disappointed! I was seriously skeptical about the whole mayo thing, but when I tried it, I swore off ever making garlic bread without it again.
my mother was a notoriously bad cook. i remember the time she made tuna casserole and forgot to put the tuna in. the one thing she made that was great was garlic bread and her secret was mayo, haven’t thought about that in years. she just passed away a few months ago i will make this in her honor thanks for the reminder
Thank you so much for your comment, Janet. My mom shared this recipe with me, so I am so thrilled that you’ll be making it honor of your own mother. Enjoy!
Cute doggies!
This bread looks awesome! Can you believe I have never cooked with asiago cheese before? Your three furry friends are so cute!
My family and I will be on my aunt’s boat tomorrow, and I suspect that this will be a very popular snack on our mini-trip from the marina to the beach. Now, I’ve to remember to bring my microplane with me so I’m not stuck mincing garlic the difficult way- with a $3 ikea knife.
Haha you crack me up, Kamran! And now our email chain has me craving brownies… not a good thing on a Friday afternoon. Can’t wait to try out the recipe!
great poolside snack, especially after a few laps ;) Love the styling shot from above with that big kitchen knife
A few laps, indeed :)
I do my garlic bread similar to this, except I just mince the garlic finely and spread it over the bread, then drizzle olive oil over it and then top it off with cheese. Absolutely amazing. Yours looks so rich and delicious, I’ll have to try it your way one day!
That sounds fantastic… We’ll have to swap recipes!