Toasted

As you must know by now, by Thursday I'm pantry cooking unless I've really planned ahead. Well I didn't plan ahead this week, so how does one make a last-minute pantry meal memorable? With Lidia Bastianich's garlic toast! Super easy and so delish.

I made a potato chowdah tonight that needed a bit of a boost and I had half an Italian bread waiting for me in the freezer. So after defrosting, I sliced it into six 3/4 inch servings and toasted them in a 400 degree oven for 15 minutes. I turned them over and the bottom sides were toasted to perfection. I took 2 cloves of fresh garlic and rubbed the aromatic herb all over the toasted side of each of the bread slices. Sometimes Lidia stops at just the garlic rub, but I also discovered I had some shredded parmesan cheese in the fridge. I topped the garlic bread slices with a teaspoon or two of parm and put them back in the oven for about 2 more minutes. What follows is a toasty, melty, aromatic and cheesy addition to a pantry meal. Give this simple recipe a try. You'll probably like it better than your actual dinner. I know I did. Thanks Lidia for your help in the kitchen!