Baked Bruschetta Dip
This creamy baked bruschetta dip is a delicious upscale appetizer that’s perfect for date nights and summer dinner parties.
Equipment
- Small baking dish 7.5x6 inches
Ingredients
Bruschetta Dip
- 8 leaves fresh basil divided
- 10 ounces sweet cherry tomatoes
- 3 cloves garlic sliced thin
- 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar optional
- 2 pinches sea salt
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened
- ⅔ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- Balsamic glaze optional
Crostini
- ½ loaf baguette sliced thin (quarter-inch)
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Sea salt
Instructions
Bruschetta Dip
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Separate out half of the fresh basil leaves and roughly chop them; leave the others whole for garnish.Add the cherry tomatoes, sliced garlic, extra virgin olive oil, 1 pinch of sea salt, and chopped basil to a small mixing bowl. Optionally add balsamic vinegar if you want a more balsamic-forward flavor in the dip. Stir well to combine.
- Spread the cream cheese into a thin layer in the bottom of a small baking dish. Top with an even layer of shredded mozzarella. Then add the tomato mixture on top, making sure the tomatoes are in a single layer. Make sure to scrape all the oil, garlic, and basil out of the bowl onto the dip so you don’t waste any flavor!
- Place the dip on the top rack of the oven, positioned about 8-12 inches under the broiler. Bake for 20 minutes, then switch to the broiler (low setting, or 425 degrees F). Broil until the tomatoes are lightly charred, about 5 to 8 minutes.
- Let the dip cool for at least 5 minutes before serving - it will be super hot straight from the oven. Finish with an optional drizzle of balsamic glaze, a pinch of sea salt, and fresh basil leaves before serving.
Crostini
- Place the baguette slices on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with a pinch of sea salt.
- Bake at 400 degrees F for 10 minutes, or until crisp. Serve warm or let cool to room temperature.
Notes
Cream cheese - You'll want to let the cream cheese soften before assembling the dip so it's easy to spread into a thin layer. We like to set it on the counter about 30 minutes before we start cooking. If you forget, you can quickly soften it in the microwave using 5-10 second bursts until it's spreadable.
Balsamic - We tested this recipe two ways: adding balsamic vinegar into the tomatoes before baking vs. drizzling the dip with balsamic glaze after baking. We found that drizzling the glaze on top allowed the tomato flavor to shine and had more of a “classic” bruschetta flavor. Mixing balsamic vinegar into the tomatoes yielded a sweeter, more balsamic-forward flavor throughout the dip. Both were delicious, so it’s up to you which you prefer!
Serving suggestions - This dip goes great with crostini, but you can also serve it with crackers, bread, or even focaccia! If you make the crostini, we recommend putting them in the oven around the same time as the dip so that they can bake and cool a bit before serving.
Scaling - You’ll get the best results with a thin layer of cream cheese on the bottom of your baking dish. One batch of this dip works perfectly in the small baking dish from our Staub set, which measures 7.5 by 6 inches. If you scale this dip up for a larger crowd, make sure to scale the baking dish accordingly to maintain a thin layer of cream cheese.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 531kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 87mg | Sodium: 1203mg | Potassium: 517mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 1813IU | Vitamin C: 34mg | Calcium: 337mg | Iron: 4mg
