National Garlic Month

Here at ChopChop, we celebrate healthy and delicious food everyday.  We love when there’s even more reason to celebrate, with a wacky, fun food holiday.  April has many food holidays and ChopChop will be celebrating all month long.  We’ll be giving you ideas on ways to celebrate with us and of course, some recipes to try with your family! 

April is National Garlic Month.  We love cooking with garlic.  A lot of our recipes start off with cooking garlic and onions in a pot or pan.  This Garlic Bread is super garlicky-in the best way.  We love this method: you mix up a batch of the garlic mixture, and then spread it on toasted bread. The bread stays toasty and crispy (instead of getting steamed and soggy the way it does if you wrap it in foil), and you can keep leftover garlic topping in the refrigerator to use next time. You might even find yourself spreading a little on a single piece of toast!

GARLIC BREAD

HANDS-ON TIME: 30 MINUTES

TOTAL TIME: 30 MINUTES

MAKES: 8 SERVINGS

KITCHEN GEAR: 

Measuring cup

Sharp knife (adult needed)

Cutting board

Measuring spoons

Box grater (adult needed)

Small skillet

Heatproof spatula

Baking sheet

Pot holders

Small spoon or food-safe brush

INGREDIENTS

1⁄4 cup olive oil

1⁄4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced or put through garlic press

1 teaspoon chopped fresh basil leaves (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)

1⁄4 teaspoon dried oregano

1⁄4 cup grated parmesan cheese

1 loaf whole grain bread

INSTRUCTIONS

1.  Put the skillet on the stove and turn the heat to very low. Add the oil, half the butter (How much is that?), the garlic, and the herbs and cook, stirring from time to time, until the garlic is softened and golden but not brown, 5–10 minutes.
2. Set the skillet aside to cool for 15 minutes. Add the remaining butter and Parmesan cheese and mix well.
3. Turn the oven on and set it to broil. Carefully cut the bread in half lengthwise (this is a job for an adult), and set the halves on the baking sheet, cut side up. Put the baking sheet on the top rack of the oven (this is a job for an adult) and broil until the bread is golden brown. Keep a close eye on it, since this will happen quickly. With the help of your adult, carefully remove the bread from the oven.
4. Use the spoon or brush to coat each half with the garlic butter. Slice each half into 4 pieces and serve hot. Store leftover garlic butter, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks