GOOEY GARLIC CHEESE BREAD
This was a tough one. Everyone loves cheesy garlic bread, but between the white bread, the butter, and the cheese, it’s a tough sell to the health-conscious. The task was to figure out how to get whole-wheat bread to respond like white bread. Toasting the bread first, then dipping it in chicken broth before topping it with a generous amount of low-fat cheese, and finally broiling it did the trick. Serves 4
8 ounces whole-wheat baguette
2 garlic cloves
2 cups low-fat, low-sodium chicken broth
Salt
Crushed red pepper
¼ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
¾ cup shredded reduced-fat mozzarella, such as Weight Watchers
3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1. Preheat the oven to 450°F. Line a baking sheet with foil.
2. Split the baguette in half crosswise, then lengthwise, to make 4 pieces. Rub the entire surface of each piece of bread with the garlic. Place the bread, cut side up, on the prepared baking sheet and bake until the bread begins to brown, about 8 minutes.
3. Remove the bread from the oven. Turn the broiler on high.
4. Pour the chicken broth into a small bowl, and dunk each piece of bread in the broth, allowing it to absorb a good amount of liquid. Place the soaked pieces of baguette back on the baking sheet, cut side up. Season them with salt and crushed red pepper to taste. Sprinkle with the Parmigiano-Reggiano and mozzarella. Broil the bread until the cheese is bubbly and beginning to brown, about 3 minutes.
5. Sprinkle the parsley over the bread, cut each piece in half, and serve.
Healthy Tips
Parsley is the world’s most popular herb, and for good reason. It adds a mild, fresh flavor and an eye-catching green color. A sprig of parsley provides much more than a decoration on your plate, though. It’s a good source of folic acid–one of the most important B vitamins, which help prevent heart disease.
