Garlic Cheese Ciabatta Bread

I am a carbavore.

That’s a clinical term (maybe?) for someone who primarily ingests a lot of carbs.  I do not discriminate with said-carbs, either.  Pasta, rice, potatoes, bread… they’re all family to me.  I think my body has adapted to eating a lot of carbs over the years because my mom always made (and still makes) all of her meals with multiple carb options in them.  So using her rule of thumb, if you have a pasta dish, you need bread with it… You have a meal with potatoes, you need bread with it.  You have Thanksgiving dinner, you need a potato dish, a mac and cheese dish, and you guessed it!  Bread with it.  Therefore, my body finds it needs these carbs for survival.  (I once tried massively limiting my carb intake because I was getting a little excessive with it (cheese and crackers for breakfast is faux pas?), and I nearly passed out from a shock to my system).

So for purposes of indulging my inner carbavore, I find myself eating a lot of bread.  You know, it’s that one food that even if you think you’re full, you can find a little more room for that last bite of bread.

I’ve found that THIS recipe is one of my favorite ways to eat it.  With garlic and cheese…what more do you really need?!  This recipe is super simple, but delicious! And I guarantee you will be hooked.  It goes really well as a side dish to any italian dish, food from the grill, or even just by itself (eaten in copious amounts).

Recipe:

• Ciabatta rolls (can be found in specialty bread section of pretty much every store.. best price is Sam’s Club or Aldi)
• Butter (or butter spread)
• Garlic Salt (Can substitute with Garlic Powder if sensitive to salt)
• Oregano
• Pepper
• Italian or Mozzarella Cheese

Preheat Oven to 375 degrees.  Simply cut the bread in half and spread butter evenly all over. Make sure you get the corners of the bread too, or it’ll end up burning up in the oven. (See pics below).  Sprinkle with garlic salt and bake in the oven for 20 minutes.  Take the bread out and bump the oven up to broil.  Top with the cheese (more than you think you should) and sprinkle oregano and pepper on it.  Put the bread back in the oven for another couple of minutes – this will all depend on the calibration of your oven/broiler.  WATCH IT CAREFULLY while it’s on broil.  This bread can go from a masterpiece to BURNT in 10 seconds.  Take it out, let it sit for a minute to cool, and enjoy!! *Note, I enjoy everything on the “little crispy” side, so feel free to pull the bread out as soon as the cheese looks melted to your preference 😉

Bon appétit!

-Tess