Bruschetta Bakes

Such a flavorful and healthy appetizer/meal! This is a great way to use up those tomatoes that are almost-too-ripe on the counter and that day old bread. Bruschetta is usually served at room temperature. Lightly toasted Italian bread (called crostini) is brushed with olive oil, salt and pepper, then topped with chopped tomatoes and basil. This makes them ideal go-to appetizers all year round. But their hidden talent is in their versatility and nutritional value as a meal component

I take bruschetta a couple of steps further than the tradition and smear the crunchy crostini style bread with my pesto of the day. This adds more intense flavor and interest to every bite. Top the pesto smear with chopped tomatoes and a good portion of mozzarella cheese. Broil them to golden perfection and you have a hot treat on tap that’s a welcome change from everyday pizza. It’s a family fave at my house.

Here are some tips for my Bruschetta Bakes:

1. You can toast any kind of bread for these Bruschetta Bakes, but make sure you get sturdy slices. I prefer at least ¾” thick so it can hold the toppings without leaking.
2. Any pesto will work just fine for these! I am a pesto lover for its versatility. Pesto freezes well so you can store it until needed. Or you can make your own using kale, spinach, parsley, any green leafy vegetable. (See my blog post on Pesto.)
3. Be sure to line your baking tray with non-stick aluminum foil. The mozzarella cheese is bound to melt off of some of the pieces, and the resulting crunchy cheese bits that pool underneath are this chef’s reward for maybe overloading the topping!
4. Mozzarella slices are the best way to deliver a generous amount of cheese to each piece of Bruschetta. You can use shredded mozzarella but a greater portion of it will naturally fall off of the tomato topping (more crusty cheese for you? Hmm.)