Garlic Cheese Rolls

My Venture into Garlic Cheese Rolls
There is something heavenly about the combination of bread, butter, garlic, and cheese. It's simple but delicious nonetheless. Simple foods often have the biggest appeal. Pizza, one of the world's most popular foods, is, after all, nothing but bread topped with a tomato sauce and cheese.

I adore garlic bread and soft breadsticks. Anything doused in butter and garlic is right up my alley. I love the way garlic bread gets all butter-soaked when it bakes in the oven. When I began experimenting with this recipe, I knew that I wanted the rolls to have a strong garlic flavor – something that is often lacking in garlic bread or breadsticks. Sometimes, people bake breadsticks that have been rolled in garlic butter and they're OK but the garlic has a tendency to burn when exposed in the oven. I hate that. I also hate it when people are skimpy on the butter. I don't want to get all "Paula Deen" on y'all but a copious amount of butter is needed with any bread.

I came up with two different methods of preparation for these rolls but couldn't decide which one to post. My mother and sister preferred one method and I preferred the other. So, because I was not in the mood to labor over a decision, I decided to post both methods and let you choose which one is better for you. The ingredients are virtually the same but the difference in preparation produces vastly different end results.

METHOD 1 – My preferred method
In this method, you bake the rolls in a pan and, after they're out of the oven, you drizzle on some melted butter infused with garlic and a little parmesan cheese. Here is what you can expect with this method:
1) The bottoms of the rolls will brown nicely but will not get butter-soaked like in Method #2.
2) This method is better for those who do not like an intense garlic flavor. Not only is the garlic less pungent, you can control how much garlic goes on each roll.
3) Your guests or family members can control how much butter to add to each roll. This is especially nice for those who are watching their calories or fat intake.
4) I think this method has a better presentation for formal occasions.

METHOD 2 – My mother and sister's preferred method
With this method, you add the garlic, butter, and parmesan cheese to the bottom of the pan and the rolls bake on top of it. When you pull the pan out of the oven, you flip the rolls out and they will have soaked up all of the flavors of the garlic, butter, and parmesan cheese. Here is what you can expect:
1) This method is for true garlic lovers only. The garlic flavor is more intense than in Method #1. 2) After baking, the bottoms of the rolls will have absorbed all of that butter. The bottoms will be thoroughly baked but soaked in butter. Very butterlicious.
3) The parmesan cheese will brown some – especially around the sides of the pan.
4) This method seems less pretentious and is perfectly suited for dinner with family and close friends.

Both methods are delicious so it's hard to choose which one is better. That's why I'm posting instructions for both. The end result is different for each preparation – but they're both really good. These make a PERFECT appetizer or a sinful side at any meal. You can fix them for the guys who come over to watch football or make them for Bridge Night with the ladies. Whatever you do, just fix 'em!

If you make them, be sure to leave a comment and let me know how they turned out – and which preparation you opted for. If you made some using both methods, let me know which method you preferred. Enjoy – and happy snarfing!

Printable Recipe for Both Methods of Preparation

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Click on an image to see a larger version

Unbaked rolls that have risen and are ready to put in the oven.








Freshly baked rolls hot out of the oven.









Here is what Method #1 looks like. Garlic and melted butter are drizzled over the top. The rolls are then sprinkled with freshly grated parmesan.







Here is what Method #2 looks like. The rolls bake on top of a mixture of butter, garlic, and parmesan. After baking, the rolls are inverted onto a serving plate.