This bruschetta with mozzarella recipe is the perfect appetizer. Easy to make, super fresh, and tastes fantastic. Everyone will fall in love with this combination of tomato, basil, and mozzarella. And the aromatics of this dish are incredible.
Pair this with any one of my Italian recipes or try my favorite stuffed shells recipe made with cheese, ground beef, and Italian herbs.
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⭐ Bruschetta with Mozzarella Appetizer
I love recipes made with fresh ingredients, and this appetizer recipe is a perfect example. Learn how to make some crispy, savory appetizer snacks for your family and guests to enjoy. Low effort and high reward are excellent on short notice or when you have more strenuous dishes on the go. With a prep time of 10 minutes, you'll have a smile on your guest's faces in no time.
🍽 What you need
- cherry tomatoes - 1 lb, perfectly ripe
- mozzarella - ½ lb ball, fresh
- fresh basil leaves- 8 leaves, large
- olive oil - 1 tablespoon
- salt - to taste
- black pepper - to taste
- garlic cloves (chopped up garlic)
- baguette - 1
- butter - ¼ cup, melted
- balsamic vinegar or reduction - to drizzle
Fresh ingredients
I suggest that you get garden-fresh veggies for this delicious bruschetta appetizer.
For the tomatoes, you'll want the freshest possible ones that have ripened on the vine. These garden tomatoes are usually plentiful in the summer and give the recipe the best possible base.
The same for the garlic, fresh is always the best. Dried or pre-crushed garlic won't give you the results fresh garlic will. The same goes for the basil and any other veggies or herbs you decide to add.
Unlike the rest of the recipe, the bread gets a free pass on freshness. You can use day-old french loaf and get good results. This is an excellent way to use leftover bread you may have lying around.
All in all, this recipe is fantastic and will taste great regardless, but fresh ingredients will take it to the next level!
Equipment
- Knife
- Spoon
- Large bowl
- Skillet (optional)
- Baking Pan
🔪 How to Make
- First off, preheat the oven to 375 F. We'll need this to prepare the baguette that serves as the base of our appetizer.
- Next, place your tomatoes on a chopping board. Using a knife, slice the tops off of the tomatoes.
- Carefully remove the seeds from the tomatoes. Try to get as many as you can out. When this is done, chop up the tomatoes into small pieces and place them in a large bowl.
- Next, gather up all your fresh basil. You're going to cut it into thin strips. Put it into the bowl with the tomatoes, and then add in the fresh mozzarella cheese.
- Now drizzle the mixture with olive oil and with some salt and teaspoon pepper. Put this bowl aside in the fridge for later.
- Now, cut the baguette at an angle into pieces. You should have about ¾ inch slices and coat these with butter evenly. Place the baguette slices on a baking sheet.
- Next, you're going to toast the baguette slices in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes or until the bread is golden brown. Alternatively, you can do this by searing the bread pieces on a hot skillet till you get the desired effect.
- Now remove the baking sheet from the oven, or take the baguette bread slices from the skillet. It's time to bring it all together. Use a large spoon to scoop your tomato mixture onto the slices. Season with a little more salt and pepper, and then top it off with your balsamic vinegar or reduction to glaze the dish and serve your appetizer snack! This recipe gives between 4 to 6 servings.
💭 Top Tips
- When prepping the tomatoes, you can get rid of the seeds by scooping the contents of the tomato out with a spoon. This is easier to do if you cut the tomato in half.
- Plum tomatoes are preferable in the offseason, as they generally keep better, and you'll get better quality ones, while cherry tomatoes are much more seasonal. Since fresh ingredients are so crucial to the recipe, ensure you note this and adjust accordingly.
- Drain as much liquid out of your tomatoes as possible before putting them in the bowl. This helps to reduce the overall moisture of the dish, so it doesn't end up runny.
- Keep your tomato mix in the fridge for at least an hour if you can spare the time. This lets it marinate and mellows out any excessive flavors from the garlic clove and other ingredients.
📖 Variations
- When searing or broiling your bread, add some extra mozzarella cheese along with the oil coat can be a great idea. It enhances the bread, so if you have some extra mozzarella, go right ahead.
- Infusing the olive oil with garlic will also give your finished dish a boost. Cut up some chopped-up cloves of garlic and fry them up in olive oil. When they're ready, take the garlic out, add it with the tomato mixture, and then use the olive oil to top the baguette pieces.
- The tomato sauce itself is vegetarian safe, and with the removal of the cheese included, it's also vegan safe. You can replace the great with your favorite alternative and complete the bruschetta recipe.
👪 Happy eating
So there you go! This Bruschetta with mozzarella is the perfect crispy bread-based appetizer recipe that you can whip up at the last minute dinner or as an easy-to-pick-up snack when you don't have time to cook dinner. I'm not one for recipe rating, but you'll agree that this is heads and shoulders above other appetizer recipes. So go ahead, try them out on your friends and family or at the next office mixer, and stand by for the applause!
📋 Recipe
Bruschetta with Mozzarella
Ingredients
- 1 lb tomatoes - perfectly ripe
- ½ lb mozzarella - fresh
- 8 leaves basil - large
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- to taste salt
- 1 baguette
- ¼ cup butter - melted
- to drizzle balsamic reduction
Instructions
- Slice the top off of the tomatoes, then cut in half. Remove as many seeds as you can, then cut the tomatoes into small pieces and put in a large bowl.
- Gather all the basil leaves together, then slice thinly into small ribbons and add to the tomatoes and mozzarella. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with some salt and toss together well. Put the bowl in the fridge while you toast the baguette.
- Slice the baguette at an angle into ¾" pieces. Brush on both sides with some butter and either broil in the oven (be sure to turn them over once during cooking) or you can sear them in a hot skillet until golden brown.
- Scoop a heaping amount of the tomato mixture onto each piece of baguette, sprinkle with a little more salt, drizzle with balsamic glaze and serve.
Notes
- When prepping the tomatoes, you can get rid of the seeds by scooping the contents of the tomato out with a spoon. This is easier to do if you cut the tomato in half.
- Plum tomatoes are preferable in the offseason, as they generally keep better, and you'll get better quality ones, while cherry tomatoes are much more seasonal. Since fresh ingredients are so important to the recipe, ensure you note this and adjust accordingly.
- Drain as much liquid out of your tomatoes as possible before putting them in the bowl. This helps to reduce the overall moisture of the dish, so it doesn't end up runny.
- Keep your tomato mix in the fridge for at least an hour if you can spare the time. This lets it marinate and mellows out any excessive flavors from the garlic clove and other ingredients.
Brennan
I have to make this recipe at least once a week for my boyfriend because it is his favorite thing EVER. I have it memorized by now. I have made it for many parties and always have literally nearly everyone come up to me and ask if I made it and tell me how much they love it. 5 stars!!!!