This clever recipe makes use of leftover sandwich rolls to create easy Cheater Garlic Bread. It takes just minutes to prepare and is surprisingly delicious!

This easy garlic bread is absolutely perfect with a big bowl of Pasta Bolognese or cooked pasta tossed with Easy Homemade Spaghetti Sauce.

A top down shot of garlic bread made with sandwich rolls on a baking sheet.

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Many times in my long and illustrious career as a home cook, I’ve been in the position of having extra sandwich rolls on my hands. You know … when you buy two packages because there’s only six rolls per pack and you need eight? I hate seeing anything go to waste, so recipe hacks like this are a must in my kitchen.

This sandwich roll garlic bread isn’t just pretending to be garlic bread, it’s so delicious that I often buy a bag of hoagie rolls specifically for this recipe. The soft texture of these store-bought rolls works better for garlic bread than in does for hoagies, in my opionion. And the crispy, charred edges are divine.

Ingredient Notes

Hoagie rolls, butter, garlic, and other ingredients with text.

The five ingredient smear consists of softened butter, a little mayonnaise, fresh parsley, granulated garlic (or garlic powder), and minced garlic. Parmesan cheese adds irresistible salty flavor.

It may seem a bit odd to use mayonnaise. I realize we are completely departing from traditional Italian garlic bread here, but you’re going to have to trust me on this one. It’s amazing.

Buttery, garlic-y, with a slight tang from the mayo and a salty bite from the Parmesan. Perfect every time!

A top down shot of garlic bread made with hoagie rolls on a baking sheet.

How to Make Cheater Garlic Bread

A pastry brush spreading garlic butter on a hoagie roll on a baking sheet.
  1. Coat the rolls: Combine the ingredients in a small dish. Separate the hoagie rolls and place them cut side up on a foil lined baking sheet. Spread each roll with the garlic-butter mixture.
Two images of hoagie rolls smeared with a butter garlic mixture and toasted.
  1. Add the cheese: Sprinkle the Parmesan over each garlic-butter coated roll.
  2. Bake: Transfer to a preheated 400 degree F oven and bake for 5 minutes. Switch the oven to broil and cook briefly, just until the rolls are toasted and lightly golden brown,
A close up of sandwich roll garlic bread on a foil lined baking sheet.

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Cheater Garlic Bread

5 from 11 votes
Servings: 6
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 7 minutes
Total Time: 12 minutes
This clever recipe makes use of leftover sandwich rolls to create easy Cheater Garlic Bread. It takes just minutes to prepare and is surprisingly delicious!
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Ingredients 

  • ¼ cup butter, softened
  • 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
  • ½ teaspoon minced fresh garlic
  • ½ teaspoon granulated garlic or garlic powder
  • 1 tablespoon minced fresh Italian parsley
  • ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 3 hoagie style rolls, split in half

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
  • In a small bowl combine softened butter, mayonnaise, minced garlic, granulated garlic (or garlic powder), and parsley.
  • Separate the hoagie rolls and spread equal amounts of the garlic butter mixture on each roll half. Place the rolls buttered side up on the prepared baking sheet and sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese.
  • Bake for 5 minutes then switch the oven to BROIL for an additional minute or two, just until toasted and lightly golden brown. Watch closely so it doesn't burn.

Nutrition

Serving: 1piece | Calories: 187kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 25mg | Sodium: 302mg | Potassium: 31mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 329IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 76mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated using generic ingredients, and is an estimate not a guarantee. For more accurate results, please refer to the labels on your ingredients at home.

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This post was originally published on March 20, 2017. It has been updated with new text and images.

Adapted from Allrecipes

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About Valerie Brunmeier

Hello and welcome to my online kitchen! My focus here is to provide simple, seasonal meal solutions for busy households. I hope you find some inspiration while you’re here and visit again soon!

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5 from 11 votes (4 ratings without comment)

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Questions & Reviews

  1. Gail says:

    5 stars
    We loved this recipe for garlic. After my son took his first bite he said “this is pretty good” better than anything I got in a restaurant.

  2. Janet says:

    5 stars
    Best ever garlic bread. I used olive oil mayo and did a combination of Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses. So easy and better than any garlic bread you can buy.

    1. Valerie Brunmeier says:

      I completely agree! It is almost strange how well it turns out on sandwich rolls. Thanks so much for your comment, Janet.

  3. LindaH says:

    5 stars
    Absolutely delicious and what a money saver!! Super quick and easy!!

  4. Brenda Goodfellow says:

    5 stars
    This was easy, fast and tasted great. This is now our go to for garlic bread. I did add a little bit of mozzarella cheese on top that I had in the refrigerator ( just a little bit left in the bag). So we had with cheese and without cheese. Both were great.

  5. Tim says:

    5 stars
    So easy and so delicious! Everyone raved about it. I’ll be making this many times in the future. Thanks for the lovely recipe!

  6. Liv says:

    5 stars
    Thank you for this recipe, I made up the butter spread and put it on some sheets of basic white bread, just to whip up a side for lasagna, and my boyfriend was convinced I got it from the store, he enjoyed it that much!

  7. Cathy says:

    5 stars
    Wonderful and easy recipe. I was skeptical about using mayo at first, but the mayonnaise makes all the difference! Thank you. My husband loved this. Will definitely make again!

  8. Kayle (The Cooking Actress) says:

    sometimes we need to have an easy cheater’s recipe for when life is crazy and this garlic bread looks AMAZING!

    1. Valerie says:

      I’m all about shortcuts and using what I have on hand! Thanks, Kayle 🙂

  9. Stephanie Manley says:

    I will have to give this recipe a try soon. This looks beautiful! Garlic bread goes fast at my house!