Garlic Toast

Garlic Toast

A hearty soup can become a complete meal if it is accompanied by a substantive slice of garlic toast. The secret to a "substantive" slice of garlic toast is a tasty, large amount of cheese on a thick slice of bread. Thick slices of wheat bread or sourdough bread are excellent. A wimpy slice of standard white bread will not make a meal.

For two slices of bread, mix the following:

1 cup of grated Cheddar - I  prefer medium Cheddar. The Pepper Jack and Medium Cheddar is my favorite combination. You may  prefer another combination.

1 cup of grated Pepper Jack cheese.

4 tablespoons of Garlic Olive Oil  (olive oil with 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder will work)

a dash of salt and pepper to taste

Mix these ingredients well.

Toast the bread lightly, then add the cheese to the lightly toasted bread and return to the toaster. Continue to toast until the cheese starts to brown. Remove and serve.

Do not overdo the olive oil or it will pool up in the bottom of the toaster or oven and could catch fire. You could toast the bread then place the bread and cheese mixture on aluminium foil and place back in the toaster or oven.

The soup above is a ham and bean soup with chopped steamed potatoes, carrots and asparagus pieces. The beans are Great Northern Beans. See the posting for Senate Bean Soup (5/21/12) for an excellent basic ham and bean soup.

If you want serious garlic bread with an extensive history, take a loaf of french baguette bread, slice it down the middle and pile on the cheese mixture and toast. You do not need to lightly toast the bread first. With garlic bread made this way you can place the bread on some aluminum foil and place in the oven and bake for 15 minutes at 300 degrees.  Texas toast is another popular form of garlic bread that is often served with soup.