Garlic Cheesy Bread Recipe

Who likes Garlic Cheesy Bread? I'm pretty sure everyone but Dad. So I think it is in everyone's best interest to have this recipe in their bag of cooking tricks. Here's why:

1- It tastes DELICIOUS!  

2- You can make this in 1 hour from start to finish! and 

3- It will keep your man happy (Juli, I'm talking to you--unless of course Tom is not a garlic fan, in which case he can join Dad in the haters camp or you can make it with less or no garlic. Still yummy).

When I first got married, I really sucked at making anything with yeast. I tried several times to make bread or cinnamon rolls or ANYTHING with yeast and it never worked. I even messed up Rhodes bake and serve rolls. Not kidding. Then I moved to Minnesota...and I bought a candy thermometer and different yeast, and now I am a superstar. ;) So I feel obligated to pass on my bread making knowledge to you...so you don't have to suffer! 

So I thought it would be funny to do this in food blogger style...you know, with tons of mostly useless pictures...except I didn't take pictures of every step...and I am going to put the recipe at the top...I hate it when they make you scroll through 3000 pictures before you can see the actual recipe! So here you go! :) Enjoy!

Ok, so start with the yeast...this is what I use:

They sell small packets of yeast in the flour aisle, and I have used those with some success but only if I use a candy thermometer to get the water temperature perfect (at least 110 degrees).

So put the sugar and yeast in the pretty warm but not blazing hot water and mix it up a bit. Let it sit for 5 minutes or so...til you can see a few bubbles...then the yeast is likely dissolved and you know you didn't kill it.

Mix it in with the flour + salt as best you can...use your hands to mix it the rest of the way. Then knead it a bit (you know, stretch it and smash it...I usually just do it in my hands, not on the counter. Don't get too crazy...just do it til your hands get tired (no picture cause this step is a little messy...didn't want to get it all over the camera)! Also, you can do this in a mixer, but with this small a batch it doesn't work great with my Bosch mixer. Plus I hate to clean the dang thing, so I save that for bigger batches. Put the ball of dough in a bowl, cover with a towel and let it rest for at least 15-20 minutes. (Longer is ok).

Get some butter and garlic powder and Parmesan cheese. Put the butter in a small bowl and put it in the micro-zapper long enough to barely melt it. Don't forget about it or it will be too hot and you'll have to wait for it to cool. (DO NOT add the Parmesan if the butter is hot...it will melt the cheese and ruin it!)  Just watch it and wait...takes 10-15 seconds. Add the garlic powder and mix well. Then add the Parmesan. This is what it should look like:

Spray the pan with cooking spray and flatten the dough out in your hands into a circle about 8 inches in diameter. Then put it on the pan and press it out with the heel of your hands until it is big and about 1/4 inch thick. 

Spread the garlic/Parmesan mixture all over with the back of a spoon...

Now the cheese...this Frigo stuff from Costco is yum! Sprinkle it on ...

 ...let it rise for 20 minutes or more (if you want it thicker, let it rise longer) and throw it in the oven...Put it on the bottom rack so the bottom gets done well. Bake it at 425 for 10-15 minutes. Check it at 10 minutes...and cook it more if necessary...it should look about like this when it's done:

Cut it apart and enjoy!  It is delicious alone or dipped in some ranch...mmm

Public Service Announcement

I had to break away from my regular posting schedule (never) to bring you this important laundry announcement: ALWAYS CHECK POCKETS!!!

I know it is everyone's dream to open the dryer and find red crayon covering every piece of white clothing they own, but I feel it is my duty to try to help prevent this irritating occurrence! 

I'll admit, as my laundry piles have grown higher I have grown lazier and pretty much never check pockets anymore. I don't ever put things in my pockets. And my girls refuse to wear most clothes that have pockets (too scratchy!). So yesterday when I was doing laundry, it never occurred to me that someone may have left not one, but TWO crayons in the one pair of shorts that made it into the load of whites. 

It could have been worse. Luckily the crayons were the triangle shaped kind and they got stuck by the lint trap in front of the door (and dripped all down the lint screen).  Lots of the shirts were inside out. One of the crayons was yellow. And judging by the look of the aforementioned pocket, the crayons stayed in there a while before being tossed around with all the clothes. It could have been much worse. 

So 3 hours later and half a bottle of oxyclean stain remover, the clothes are being washed again. I hate wasting time on crap like this...so the really irritating part for me is that I could have checked those pockets about 3,000 times in the amount of time it has taken me to clean up the mess! So there you have it. Just check those pockets.

And for those who are wondering...the crayons were put in the pocket at a restaurant to prevent the baby from eating them.