Easy Caprese Garlic Bread

We both love a hearty garlic bread so when we found a recipe that would allow us to have it as the main part of our meal, we were intrigued.  Continue reading for a super simple and quick recipe that combines garlic bread and a caprese salad.  So yummy!

The recipe calls for a loaf of ciabatta bread, tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, garlic, balsamic vinegar, butter, basil, and salt and pepper.  It is best to use the freshest bread that you can find. We could not find a fresh loaf of ciabatta so we used an oblong loaf of Italian bread and it worked very well.

We first mixed together minced garlic and salted butter.  The original recipes called for a garlic clove but we decided to used minced garlic in the end.  Let me tell you, even this tiny bowl started to produce such a yummy aroma.

Next, we sliced the loaf of bread in half.

We then slathered…and I do mean slathered…the garlic and butter spread onto each half of the bread.

We placed moderate-sized pieces of freshly cut mozzarella so that they covered both halves of the bread.  The tray was then placed in the oven for approximately 15 minutes.

While we waited for the bread to bake, we sliced three tomatoes.

Once the cheese began to melt over the side of the loaf, we pulled it out of the oven, and added salt and pepper.

Next and final step was to sprinkle thinly-sliced basil and drizzle balsamic vinegar on top.  (The original recipe recommended using a balsamic reduction but we opted to use the balsamic straight out of the bottle and it worked perfectly for us.)

Caprese Garlic Bread

Ingredients

– 1 loaf of ciabatta bread

– 3 cloves of garlic (minced) or 3 tbsp. minced garlic

– 4 tbsp. salted butter, softened

–  12 oz. fresh mozzarella cheese

– 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

–  2 medium-sized tomatoes

– 1/3 cup basil, thinly sliced

–  Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degress F

2. Slice baguette in half and place both halves on baking sheet (with cut-side facing upwards)

3. In a small bowl, mix together minced garlic and softened butter and then spread evenly and liberally onto bread.  Next, place cut pieces of mozzarella on top of the spread.  Bake for 12-15 minutes.

4. Remove the bread from the oven and place tomatoes evenly on top.  Add salt and pepper.  Drizzle the balsamic vinegar on top and sprinkle bread with sliced basil.  Cut into individual slices and serve.

We completed the entire recipe (prep to finish) within 25 and it turned out delicious.  We paired it with a side salad for dinner and it was just the right amount of food.  We absolutely recommend this quick recipe!

(Recipe credit goes to Two Peas and Their Pod.  Check out their blog for other fantastic entertaining ideas!)

xoxo

Tiffany & Lindsey