It’s pretty hard to resist this cheesy, bruschetta cheese bread with sweet ripened Roma tomatoes. I learned how to make this recipe when working at a very popular Italian fine dining restaurant. It was EASILY our most popular appetizer on the menu and was made with very simple, wholesome ingredients. This appetizer is almost like a pizza alternative, and the key is to use a really good Italian bread that will crisp up nicely in the oven or broiler if you choose. My go-to choice is a crispy Ciabatta baguette. Evil white bread…I know. But it’s perfect for this recipe.
When tomatoes are in season – and even when they are not – I like to use very ripe tomatoes, preferably Roma, but any very ripe tomato will do. This tomato topping is a mixture of ripe tomatoes, fresh parsley, freshly chopped garlic, olive oil, balsamic, and a splash of salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste. I top this with a really good quality grated Italian pizza mozzeralla. This can be served as an appetizer but also goes great with oven-baked wings or a crispy green salad. This bruschetta has a great explosion of flavours and if you’re lucky to have leftovers – they are wonderful for lunch the next day!
Bruschetta Cheese Bread
Ingredients
- 1 loaf baguette of ciabatta or italian bread
- 4 ripe Roma or very ripe tomatoes
- 2 cloves finely chopped garlic
- 1 tbsp finely chopped parsley
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
- salt and pepper to taste
- 3 tbsp butter softened
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 cups mozerrella cheese grated
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- Start by preparing the tomato mixture by dicing tomatoes into very small cubes.
- Transfer tomatoes to a bowl and add chopped garlic, olive oil, parsley, vinegar, salt and pepper. Blend ingredients together well and set aside.
- Combine butter and garlic powder in a small dish and blend well to make garlic butter.
- Slice the baguette half lengthwise and place the two slices on a cookie sheet lined with foil or parchment paper. Spread garlic mixture evenly on bread and then place in oven to allow the bread to get slightly brown and get lightly toasted. Remove from oven.
- Spoon bruschetta mixture evenly across the toasted bread slices careful not to soak the bread with too much of the liquid marinade from the tomato mixture as it will make the bread a little soggy.
- Top slices generously with grated mozzarella cheese. Place back in the oven and let cheese melt thoroughly until it is slightly browned. Remove from oven and let sit for a couple of minutes to cool down. Slice into individual serving sizes and serve. YUM!
Leave a Reply