Crusty Garlic Bread

There is a plethera of garlic bread recipes out there in the world, but this is my personal take on the delicious dippable side. The garlic butter spread can be made ahead of time and refrigerated, and it keeps for a decent amount of time in an airtight container. I like mine nice and garlicky, but feel free modify the proportions to your taste. Oh, and remember that two garlic breaths cancel each other out :o)

2 small cloves garlic (or 1 large clove), minced fine

1 tsp. dried italian seasoning

1 tbsp. olive oil

2 tbsp. butter, softened

1 tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese

crusty bread, such as Ciabatta, Italian, or French bread

additional freshly grated Parmesan for topping

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix together first five ingredients in a small bowl. Cut bread into 3/4 in. slices and lay flat on a baking sheet. Distribute garlic butter evenly among the bread slices, and spread to an even layer. Sprinkle over additional cheese (the more the merrier, in my opinion!). Bake at 375 for 8 minutes, then turn the broiler on high and broil 2-3 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and lightly browned. Enjoy!