8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon water
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 (18- to 20-inch) French bread baguette, sliced in half
horizontally
1-1/2 cups shredded Italian cheese blend
Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to
400 degrees. Cook garlic, 1 tablespoon butter, and water in small nonstick
skillet over low heat, stirring occasionally, until straw colored, 7 to 10
minutes.
Mix hot garlic, remaining butter, salt, and pepper in bowl
and spread on cut sides of bread. Sandwich bead back together and wrap loaf in
foil. Place on baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes.
Carefully unwrap bread and place halves, buttered sides up,
on baking sheet. Bake until just beginning to color, about 10 minutes. Remove
from oven and set oven to broil.
Sprinkle bread with cheese. Broil until cheese has melted
and bread is crisp, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer bread to cutting board with cheese
side facing down (so that serrated knife edge doesn’t tear cheese off of
bread). Cut into pieces and serve.
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