Elevate The Flavor Of Garlic Bread And Throw It On The Grill

When you host an Italian American-inspired meal with dishes like spaghetti and caprese salad, another food that usually makes its way to the table is garlic bread. Typically, garlic bread requires some time in the oven to get crispy and warm, but that's not the only technique for cooking the bread. Instead of the oven, throw your next batch on the grill outside so it obtains a nice char — and an elevated flavor as well.

This is an even better idea if you already have the grill fired up for the rest of the dinner (flavorful grilled sausage anyone?), but it's worth turning it on just for the garlic bread. Time on the grill will give the bread those nice blackened char marks and a crispy crust. It will also provide smokiness for more flavor in each bite. Grilling can be done with frozen garlic bread if that's your thing, and it's a surefire move with your own signature recipe. Consider the grill when you make Tasting Table's homemade garlic bread from recipe developer Ting Dalton. This recipe calls for broiling ciabatta first then putting it back into the oven later, but you can use this other method to delicious effect — assemble the bread, then put it on the grill instead of the oven until crispy.

To make homemade garlic bread this way, follow Dalton's recipe for the assembly. For the frozen kind, defrost it for a few hours before it goes onto the grill. Either way, preheat the grill to a high heat if it's not already being used for the rest of the meal. You can place garlic bread without cheese directly on the rack, flip or turn occasionally, and cook for two to three minutes until it's charred and golden brown. If you like cheese on your garlic bread, keep it to the side at first. Place the bread cut-side down for a couple of minutes, then flip, add the cheese, and cook right-side-up until the cheese melts.

Don't have an outdoor gas or charcoal grill? All hope is not lost for you to try grilled garlic bread. Another option for a similar technique is to use a cast-iron grill pan directly on the stovetop over high heat. It will still obtain a nice charred exterior, but it won't have quite the same smoky flavor. One more way to achieve a similar effect is to broil the garlic bread in the oven directly on the oven rack. It will still be ready in just a few minutes and have a slight char, but again, don't expect quite the same texture or smoky flavor that an outdoor grill provides. Excited to get started? First, check out even more ways to upgrade garlic bread.