I wasn’t sure what to name this, but this is what Doug came up with. 🙂
Okay so it DOES taste amazing, but it’s also the best for other reasons. It’s amazing with garden tomatoes, calls for two types of cheese, two types of tomatoes, it’s super simple, and there are variations you could use when making it quickly.
THE BEST BRUSCHETTA
-diced, fresh tomatoes
-sun dried tomatoes, packed in oil
-shredded parmesan cheese
-fresh mozzarella cheese
-baguette, or a loaf of “Day Old Bread” from Jimmy John’s (ask for it – it’s usually under .50!)
-onion, finely chopped
-olive oil
-3-5 cloves of garlic (but in my opinion, the more the better)
-balsamic vinegar
-basil, chopped as fine as you prefer
-salt & pepper
-food processor
Having a food processor REALLY speeds up the process here. Chop/dice each of the following separately, and add to a bowl: basil, onions, mozzarella, tomatoes, and sun dried tomatoes.
Side Note: I suck am not good at dicing tomatoes in my Cuisinart without turning them into soup, so I chop them by hand with the greatest invention ever: a tomato knife.
Add a few splashes of balsamic vinegar and olive oil to the bowl, as well as the parmesan, minced garlic, salt, and pepper. Mix well with a spoon, let sit, and soak up the juices. Toast bread until it is just starting to turn golden brown, and remove from toaster oven or oven.
Spoon bruschetta mixture onto bread, and continue toasting until cheese is melted.
Slice and serve!
Now for the fast, I’ve-been-putting-off-going-to-the-grocery-store version:
-use any bread you have on hand, we used hot dog buns for these pictures 😉
-skip the sun-dried tomatoes, but this is what makes this recipe “the best”
(WARNING: after you try it with, you’re going to make sure you ALWAYS have them on hand)
-use garlic powder and dried basil instead of fresh cloves and basil
-use whatever Italian/white cheese you have on hand
My kids also love eating the bruschetta topping by itself in a bowl, makes a great lunch!
Not only is it good for an appetizer, it works for a side dish or for dinner (like tonight).
Thanks, Mom and Dad for the tomatoes from your garden!!!! (Ours are still growing and green)