Heidi Swansons Dads Garlic Bread Food

THE BEST GARLIC BREAD

Steps:

• Arrange a rack in the center of oven and preheat to 450 degrees F.
• Melt the butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the butter is golden and the garlic is very fragrant, about 3 minutes.
• Slice the bread in half lengthwise. Liberally brush the crust with the garlic butter. Turn the bread cut-side up. Slice each loaf crosswise at 2-inch intervals without cutting all the way through, making "pull-apart" garlic bread. Liberally brush the cut sides of the bread with more garlic butter, spreading any remaining garlic evenly over top. You should use all the garlic butter. Carefully transfer the bread to a rimmed baking sheet.
• Sprinkle the loaves with the Parmesan and a pinch of salt and bake until the edges of the bread are a deep golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Top with the parsley. Serve warm.

FRENCH ONION BREAKFAST STRATA

Steps:

• Rub a small splash of olive oil across an 8-inch baking dish, or equivalent.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the oil, onion dip mix, and milk. Add the eggs and whisk well again. Arrange the bread cubes in the prepared baking dish in an even layer. Very slowly, drizzle the liquid mixture over the bread and sprinkle with the cheese. Cover the dish and refrigerate overnight.
• When you are ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F and place a rack in the center. Bake the strata, uncovered, for 45 to 55 minutes, until the egg is set and puffy and the edges are golden brown. (Cut into it to be sure it is well cooked.)
• Serve the strata warm, drizzled with a bit of olive oil and sprinkled with chives.

HEIDI SWANSON'S DAD'S GARLIC BREAD

Steps:

• As told to Heidi by her father: Slice that loaf of bread right up the middle so you have two halves (He uses his serrated knife for this).
• Set them on their backs, cut side up.
• Mince the garlic or push it through one of those crushers - either way is fine. Now add it to the butter you should be melting in a small saucepan.
• Take a basting brush (or any brush for that matter - pastry, etc) and start slathering the garlic butter all across that bread. Really go for it, let it soak inches. Make sure you get all those garlic chunks evenly distributed.
• If you are going to freeze the bread for later, this is when you do it - you don't want to bake, then freeze.
• He recommends the 'double-bake' as he calls it. This is when you bake at a standard temperature (350 degrees) for 10 to 15 minutes to heat the bread (particularly if it is coming out of the freezer), and then brown it off for color under the broiler for a minute or two.
• When the bread is finished broiling let it cool for a minute or two. This is when I sprinkle with the lemon zest and chives (and to be honest, I sprinkle a bit of zest on the bread before it goes in the oven too because I like that roasted lemon flavor alongside the garlic.)
• Slice and serve.
• The short version of this recipe: Cut, slather, bake, brown, slice.

FRENCH ONION SALT

Steps:

• In a jar with a lid, combine the minced onion, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and chives. Store the salt at room temperature for up to 6 months.