Cheesy Mustard-Garlic Bread

 Italian-American-French Toasties

Garlic – good. Butter – gooood. Cheese – gooooood. :D:D:D

And, just when you thought it was THAT good – add Mustard. Ummm…  Divine – that’s the word people!!

Garlic bread is just so global these days. I mean you can find them in Pizzerias, Restaurants, Bowling Parks,  Wineries and even in the ‘Frozen’ section of the supermarket –they are everywhere! There are probably thousands of innovations around this little toasty. Garlic bread is my all time snack on game nights or movie nights or even grill parties (think grilled garlic bread :D).

The best ones are crusty on the outside, juicy-soft on the inside and cheesy on top. That is why I always smear my garlic-spice-butter mix on the bread and then top it with a separate layer of grated cheese. Obviously, by doing this -

1. The ‘buttery-ness’ garlic-spice-butter mix absorbs deeper into the bread pores and

2. There is a thick layer of cheese on top, which after broiling is toooooottalllyyyyy yum.

Most times, a baguette (French bread) is used but I prefer using the classic Italian Ciabatta bread and fresh from the bakery, because believe me, the fresh ciabatta ups the taste without effort.
Now wait… you don’t have to immediately run to the bakery for the recipe. Any aerated crusty bread is super OK !

Oh…and by the way, did I mention that garlic bread is apparently ‘modified’ Italian Bruschetta? Although, the idea of rubbing garlic on bread and roasting it with olive oil comes from Italy, we all totally vouch for the Americanised version with butter and of course, cheese!

And guess what, with a little bit of Dijon Mustard on top, this Italian-American-French snack can’t get better: D!

THE RECIPE

Category: Main Course

Servings: 8 pieces

Ingredients:

• 1 loaf ciabatta bread or french baguette
• 2 teaspoon grained Dijon mustard
• 3 teaspoons garlic, grated
• 1 teaspoon chili flakes
• 1/3 cup butter, melted
• 8 tablespoons mozzarella cheese, grated
• Salt to taste
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Freshly ground black pepper, for garnish (optional)
• Fresh parsley, chopped for garnish (optional)

Instructions:

1. Cut the ciabatta or baguette into 1-inch thick slices.
2. In a bowl, mix mustard, garlic, butter, chili flakes and salt. Give it a good mix.
3. On an oven grill or plate, place the bread slices and smear generously with the above-prepared mixture.
4. Layer them further with mozzarella cheese. 
5. Drizzle olive oil on top.
6. Cook them for about 10 – 15 minutes on a pre-heated oven at 180° C. Keep them as close as possible to the heat source in the oven.
7. The time for cooking varies with each oven. The trick is to check until the cheese on top has melted and reached a very light brown color. That is the right time to take it out.
8. Garnish with freshly ground pepper if needed. Serve delicious mustard garlic bread with salad, soups or wine!