CAPRESE GARLIC BREAD

 This Caprese Garlic Bread is the perfect summer appetizer! It uses only a handful of simple ingredients and takes just 10 minutes to throw together. It's a great way to use up all those ripe, juicy tomatoes from the garden or farmer's market!

YOU'LL LOVE THIS

• I've never had much of a green thumb, but tomatoes and basil are the two things I can count on coming out of my garden every year. Right now we've got ripe tomatoes every day AND our CSA is giving us even more juicy maters. This means we are enjoying tomatoes at every meal and this Caprese garlic cheese bread is one of my favorite ways to use them up!
• As someone who is not a huge raw tomato lover - let me tell you this Caprese garlic bread is the best way to enjoy fresh tomatoes without getting that raw tomato flavor. Baking them really brings out their natural sweetness and makes them super tender and juicy as well. If you're not a huge tomato, I urge you to give this recipe a try - you will be pleasantly surprised!
• This Caprese garlic bread can be an appetizer, side dish, or the main event - it's just THAT versatile. I like to serve this as the main dish alongside a Kale Caesar Pasta Salad, Greek Chickpea Salad, or Roasted Bacon & Potato Salad. Especially in the summer, we like to keep our meals simple, quick, and filled with fresh ingredients!

INSTRUCTIONS

Spread 2-3 tablespoons olive oil in a thin layer across the cut side of each piece of bread. Add thinly sliced garlic.

Add shredded cheese.

Place sliced tomatoes on top of the cheese. Sprinkle with dried oregano and bake for 10-12 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

Then broil for 1-2 minutes until the cheese starts to turn golden brown.

Drizzle with 1-2 tablespoons olive oil and sprinkle with a few large pinches of Kosher salt. Garnish with basil and balsamic glaze and enjoy!

TIPS

• You can use literally any tomato for this recipe. I like to use Roma tomatoes because I like their flavor and they're the perfect size to fit on the bread. But this garlic cheese bread does not discriminate!
  • Grape or cherry tomatoes would work well on this bread - just slice them in half.
  • Heirloom tomatoes are often a bit wider than traditional tomatoes, so I'd recommend slicing them and then cutting each slice in half so that it fits on the toast.
  • Beefsteak tomatoes would be great on this Caprese bread also. As with the heirlooms, just cut the slices in half so they fit a little better.
  • You can use any kind of bread that you have on hand - just make sure it's a sturdy bread so that it can stand up to all the toppings. Regular white or wheat bread will not work as well for this bread. A good rule of thumb is to find a bread that has a thick, crispy crust on the outside. Breads that would work well include:
    • French baguette
    • Boule
    • Italian loaf or country loaf
    • Ciabatta
    • Rye

  

  DESCRIPTION

  This Caprese Garlic Bread is the perfect summer appetizer! It uses only a handful of simple ingredients and takes just 10 minutes to throw together. It's a great way to use up all those ripe, juicy tomatoes from the garden or farmer's market!

  INGREDIENTS

  • 12 oz. loaf crusty French baguette
  • 2-4 tablespoons olive oil
  • 6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
  • 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 2-3 roma tomatoes, sliced ¼" thick
  • ½ teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon Kosher salt

  Garnish with:

  • Kosher salt
  • fresh basil leaves
  • homemade basil pesto
  • balsamic glaze

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  INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Cut french bread in half width-wise, then cut each of those halves in half lengthwise.
  3. Spread 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil in a thin layer across the cut side of each piece of bread.
  4. Divide garlic evenly between the pieces of bread. 
  5. Divide cheese evenly between the four pieces of bread.
  6. Place sliced tomatoes on top of the cheese.
  7. Sprinkle with dried oregano and bake for 10-12 minutes or until the cheese is melted.
  8. Then broil for 1-2 minutes until the cheese starts to turn golden brown.
  9. Drizzle with 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil and sprinkle with a few large pinches of Kosher salt.
  10. Garnish with basil and balsamic glaze and enjoy!