The Best Cheeses To Use On Garlic Bread (And The Rule You Should Keep In Mind)

Garlic bread is an American invention, originating in the 1950s as Italian immigrants attempted to recreate bruschetta, a beloved appetizer from the motherland. Now, garlic bread is synonymous with the irresistible bread basket at your local Italian restaurant. For most garlic bread recipes, the classic Italian staple olive oil has been swapped for the once more widely accessible butter infused with minced garlic, herbs, and, if you're lucky, a sprinkle of cheese. Tasting Table consulted Jasper J. Mirabile Jr., Owner and Chef at Jasper's Restaurant and Host of Live! From Jasper's Kitchen Radio on the best cheeses to use on garlic bread.

"I'm a little obsessed with pecorino Romano because my family is from Sicily and this is what we've always used," Mirabile says. "I really don't care for any of the American produced Romano, they are just not as sharp and fragrant. Also if you're going to use a parmigiano, it must be from Parma, Italy and an authentic Parmigiano Reggiano."

Being an Italian-American invention, Mirabile's reference to his Italian roots and homage to the traditional cheeses of Italy is especially poignant. Pecorino Romano and Parmigiano Reggiano are often confused with each other, but they're completely different types of cheese. Pecorino Romano is a hard sheep's milk cheese with a gamey tang and salty taste while Parmigiano Reggiano is a hard cow's milk cheese that's salty, nutty, and more well-known stateside.

The rule that Jasper Mirabile Jr. wants you to keep in mind whether you're using pecorino Romano or Parmigiano Reggiano is that you should look for Italian imported products. Both cheeses should have an official seal that attests to their Italian production and origin. For Pecorino Romano, the DOP (Designation of Origin) is the stamp you look for on the cheese label; the DOP will indicate the origin to be either Lazio, Sardegna, or Grosseto. As chef Mirabile stated, Parmigiano Reggiano is from Parma, Italy and has a Parmigiano Reggiano Consortium with experts that personally test and mark each wheel of cheese with a DOP seal. The seal is denoted by a round yellow stamp with red borders and the words "Denominazione d'Origine Protetta." You can find DOP Parmigiano Reggiano online on Amazon as well as this DOP pecorino Romano from Deroma.

As for adding cheese to garlic bread, both types of cheese Mirabile recommends grate beautifully into shards or fine shreds to shower over the buttery bread before placing it back under the broiler. Parmiggiano melts better than pecorino, but they'll both melt under the high heat of a broiler. We have an easy garlic bread recipe with parmesan cheese that you can swap with pecorino Romano if you want an extra cheesy bite.