You’ll be surprised at how simple it is to bake these Easy Garlic Breadsticks yourself! You may want to make a double batch and freeze the extra.
My husband and eldest son are big football fans. Not so big that we kept extra cable channels, but big enough that we’ve cleared the schedule for the day so that they can watch the Big Game this weekend. Part and parcel with the Super Bowl come the snacks. When I asked them what was good Super Bowl food, one said, “Tri-tip,” while the other said, “Chips.”
They are so boring!
Thankfully, tri-tip was on sale this week; I’ve got one all ready to throw on the grill. And I bought a big bag of tortilla chips at Costco last weekend, so they’re covered on that front, too. It gave me pause to reconsider our menu for Sunday night. Time to switch the game plan.
Our Super Bowl Menu
Not only is this menu seasonal, making use of items on sale or in my produce box, but it’s also pretty make ahead — and tasty to boot. Be on the lookout in this week’s grocery ads for deals on chips, avocados, grilling cuts of meat, broccoli, and potatoes. Those have all been offered at great prices in my local stores and also showing up in my produce delivery.
Here’s our revised Sunday menu:
Appetizers: Chips, Homemade Salsa, Guacamole
Dinner: Grilled Tri-tip, Broccoli Slaw, Crockpot Baked Potatoes, Easy Garlic Breadsticks (recipe follows)
Dessert: Snickerdoodle Bars
These Easy Garlic Breadsticks are so fun to make! You can whip the dough up by hand, in a bread machine, or in a stand mixer. Form the dough into sticks and bake. You can do this in advance if you want. Just warm them in the oven prior to serving. I love to brush them with melted garlic butter at the end for a little pizazz.
How to make this good and cheap:
Here are some of the strategies you can use to make this recipe more economical:
- Stock up on ingredients when they are on sale. When I find regular kitchen staples on sale, I buy a lot. I’m currently using a price book to track prices and that’s saving me money. For this recipe, keeping an eye on the price of flour and butter can help keep the price down.
- Buying in bulk – It’s rare that I would buy just one bag of flour. I stock up when they are on sale or buy whole cases of flour from Bob’s Red Mill.
How I make this recipe easy:
This recipe really couldn’t be easier than it is, but having the right kitchen tools can really make your time in the kitchen more enjoyable. Over time, I’ve honed my collection so that they are perfect for my needs.
Here are the tools that I use for this recipe:
- bread machine or stand mixer – These machines make dough mixing SO much easier!
- bench knife – I love this tool for easily cutting dough into pieces.
- parchment paper – I hate washing pans. Parchment paper makes clean up a breeze.
- sheet pans – I LOVE my set of steel sheet pans. They make such a difference in baking.
Easy Garlic Bread Sticks
You’ll be surprised at how simple it is to bake these Easy Garlic Breadsticks yourself! You may want to make a double batch and freeze the extra.
Preparation Time:1 hour 20 minutes
Cook time:10 minutes
Total time:1 hour 30 minutes
16 servings
Ingredients:
- 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon warm water
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 1/4 cup bread flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 1/2 teaspoon yeast
- melted garlic butter, optional
Instructions:
- For the bread machine: Assemble the ingredients in your bread pan in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Set the machine to the dough cycle and turn it on. Check to make sure all the ingredients have been incorporated. Scrape them down into the pan if necessary. Allow the machine to do its work.
- For mixing by hand: In a large mixing bowl, combine the water and yeast. Stir to combine and allow to proof for five minutes. Stir in the olive oil, flour, salt, garlic powder, and basil.. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until a smooth dough forms, about 3 minutes. Place the dough in a greased bowl and allow to rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
- For a stand mixer: combine the warm water and yeast in the mixer bowl and allow to sit for five minutes. The mixture will get foamy. Add the olive oil, flour, salt, garlic powder, and basil. Using the dough hook, knead until a smooth dough ball forms. Place the dough in a greased bowl and allow to rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 450 °.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment or a silpat baking mat.
- Remove the dough from the bowl and place on a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into 16 portions. Roll each portion into a long snake and place on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for 10 – 15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven.
- Brush with melted garlic butter, if desired. Serve immediately.
- To freeze: freeze unbuttered bread sticks, tightly wrapped, for up to a month in the freezer. Warm in a hot oven and brush with melted garlic butter.
Are you looking for more good cheap eats?
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Updated March 18, 2017.
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This looks store-bought! Amazing. Thanks for sharing.
I’m in the midst of planning my super bowl menu so this helps!
Your menu looks delicious! So far I only know that we are taking some yummy sugar cookies to a friends house. I think I will try your broccoli slaw, also. I love broccoli! Thanks for the ideas.
I am planning a Three Bean Mexican Chili and a 7 layer dip. Wish it were today!
I’m taking pulled bbq pork, some pork carnitas, a death by chocolate concoction, and the snickerdoodle bars. My friend is making nachos (half beef, half with my carnitas), chicken nuggets, and… I forget what her other thing was, and we just discussed it last night! We might add a veggie tray, since we both feel a little guilty that the tomatoes in the salsa for nachos is the only remotely healthy item. We never have a lack of food problem when we get together, that’s for sure. Ooh, maybe I’ll add some deviled eggs. It depends on if I have enough time to make them.
Ok…I love sweet and savory, I need to try the broccoli slaw 🙂
Yum! Just made these cutting the garlic and salt each in half and subbing whole white wheat for 1 cup of flour. My kids wanted them to be softer (they were a little firmer on the outside, softer on the inside) but we all liked the flavor. Thanks for an easy recipe to make pasta night a little more exciting tonight.
Glad to hear you enjoyed them!