Cheesy Texas Toast is thick-cut bread brushed with garlic butter, toasted under the broiler until crisp at the edges, then topped with bubbly, golden mozzarella and a sprinkle of Italian seasoning. Make it in minutes to go with spaghetti, soup or a weeknight salad.
How to make cheesy Texas toast: Brush 1-inch slices of bread on both sides with garlic butter, broil 1 minute per side until light golden, top with mozzarella and Italian seasoning and broil 1 to 2 minutes more until the cheese bubbles.
Why You’ll Love It
- Ready in minutes: about 5 minutes of prep and 4 minutes under the broiler.
- Crisp and soft at once: buttery, crunchy edges with a soft, fluffy middle.
- Made from scratch: no frozen box needed, just bread, butter, garlic powder and cheese.
- Feeds a table: 8 thick slices for a family pasta night.
Ingredient Notes
Thick white bread: Texas toast is simply bread cut about 1 inch thick. Buy a pre-sliced Texas toast loaf, or slice an unsliced white loaf yourself. Thin sandwich bread burns before the cheese melts.
Butter: One stick, softened, so it mixes easily with the garlic powder and spreads without tearing the bread. Unsalted lets you control the salt.
Garlic powder: It spreads evenly through the butter and does not burn under the broiler the way minced fresh garlic can. I stick with powder for broiled bread for that reason.
Mozzarella: One cup of shredded mozzarella gives that stretchy, melty top. Shredded melts faster and more evenly than sliced.
Italian seasoning: A pinch on each slice adds an herby, pizza-like finish.
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Ingredients
- 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 8 slices white bread, cut 1-inch thick
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- Italian seasoning, to taste
How to Make Cheesy Texas Toast
1. Heat the broiler. Preheat the broiler setting on your oven.
2. Make the garlic butter. Mix the softened butter, garlic powder, salt and pepper in a small bowl.
3. Butter the bread. Brush both sides of each slice with the butter mixture and place them on an ungreased baking sheet.
4. Toast. Broil the bread for 1 minute on each side, or until light golden brown.
5. Add the cheese. Sprinkle one side of each slice with mozzarella and Italian seasoning, then broil again for 1–2 minutes, until the cheese is melted, bubbly and lightly browned at the edges. Watch it the whole time so it does not burn.
How to Keep It From Burning Under the Broiler
A broiler works like an upside-down grill: very hot and very fast. The bread goes from golden to black in seconds, so this is a recipe where you stay by the oven with the door in view.
Toasting both sides before the cheese goes on is the secret to good Texas toast. It crisps the bread first, so the bottom is not soggy under the melted mozzarella. Then the cheese only needs a minute or two to bubble.
Rack position matters too. I set the rack in the upper third of the oven, not the very top slot, which gives a little more room between the bread and the heat and a few more seconds to react.
Tips for Success
Why is the middle soggy?
The bread was not toasted before the cheese went on, or it had too much butter. Brush on a thin, even layer and toast both sides first.
Why did the edges burn before the cheese melted?
The rack was too close to the broiler, or the slices were thin. Move the rack down one level and use bread that is a full inch thick.
Why won’t the butter spread?
It was still cold. Let it soften on the counter first, or warm it for a few seconds, so it brushes on smoothly.
Variations
- Change the cheese: use cheddar, provolone or a mix of mozzarella and Parmesan.
- Add heat: sprinkle a few red pepper flakes on top with the Italian seasoning.
- Fresh herbs: finish with chopped parsley after broiling.
Oven-Baked Texas Toast (No Broiler)
If you would rather not use the broiler, bake the buttered slices on the baking sheet in a hot oven, turning once, until both sides are golden. Then add the cheese and bake until it melts. It takes longer than broiling, but it is harder to burn, which makes it handy when you are also finishing pasta on the stove.
Texas toast also makes Garlic Bread Sloppy Joes, ready in 20 minutes.
Storage & Reheating
Cheesy Texas toast is best fresh. USDA FSIS says to refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in covered containers and use them within 3 to 4 days. Reheat slices in the oven or a toaster oven, not the microwave, so the bread crisps again instead of turning chewy.
What to Serve With It
Texas toast belongs next to spaghetti and meatballs, lasagna or a creamy pasta like steak Gorgonzola Alfredo, and it is great for dunking into soup. Serve it with old-fashioned goulash or ricotta meatballs. For more cheesy bread, try homemade cheesy garlic breadsticks or Philly cheesesteak garlic bread, and for a party snack, fried cheese bites.
Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of cheese do you put on Texas toast?
Mozzarella is the classic because it melts smoothly and stretches. Cheddar, provolone or a Parmesan blend work well too.
Can you make cheesy garlic bread with Texas toast?
Yes, that is exactly what this is: thick Texas toast slices brushed with garlic butter and topped with melted mozzarella.
How do you cook frozen cheesy Texas toast?
Follow the directions on the package, since brands differ. This recipe is for making it fresh from a loaf of bread, which takes about the same time as heating a frozen box.
Can I make it ahead for a party?
Brush the slices with garlic butter up to a few hours ahead and keep them covered on the baking sheet. Toast, add the cheese and broil just before serving, so every slice comes to the table hot and crisp.
Cheesy Texas Toast at a Glance
This Texas cheese toast is garlic butter bread topped with melted mozzarella, made under the broiler in about 10 minutes. It makes eight slices.
- Garlic butter: softened butter mixed with garlic powder, salt and pepper, brushed on both sides of each slice.
- First broil: about 1 minute per side until light golden.
- Cheese: shredded mozzarella and Italian seasoning on top, broiled 1 to 2 minutes until bubbly.
Final Notes
Toast both sides before the cheese goes on, and stay by the broiler. If you have a question or make it, tell me how it turned out in the comments.
Cheesy Texas Toast
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Ingredients
- 1 stick unsalted butter softened
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- salt and pepper to taste
- 8 slices white bread cut 1-inch thick
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- Italian seasoning to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the broiler setting on the oven.
- Mix the softened butter, garlic powder, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.
- Brush both sides of each slice of bread with the butter mixture and place on an ungreased baking sheet.
- Broil the bread for 1 minute on each side, or until light golden brown.
- Sprinkle one side of each slice with shredded mozzarella cheese and Italian seasoning, then broil again for 1–2 minutes, until the cheese is melted, bubbly, and lightly browned at the edges. Watch continuously to avoid burning.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition values are estimates based on the listed ingredients and serving count. Actual values vary with brands, cuts and portion sizes.
