Baked Tomatoes With Mozzarella and Basil
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If you like Caprese salad, you’re going to love this quick, easy, and refreshingly delicious baked tomatoes with mozzarella and basil recipe.
Today’s post is quick and easy and one I go to at least a few times a week when tomatoes start coming in. It’s the perfect fresh summer treat. I like to call them tomato mozzarella melts, but it doesn’t matter what you call them. The only thing you need to know is how good fresh, juicy, baked tomatoes taste when layered with a slice of fresh mozzarella cheese and a sprinkle of fresh basil. It’s refreshing, delicious, and the perfect appetizer to enjoy this summer.
I make these baked tomatoes with mozzarella as a side dish with supper sometimes, but I also like them as an evening snack or a quick lunch when it’s just me here. They’re super easy, fuss-free, and done in no time at all. Best yet, if you have a garden, chances are most of the ingredients are right outside your door.
One bite and you’ll be transported straight to Italy. If you like Caprese salad, make this recipe for lunch today! You won’t regret it.
Recipe Ingredients
- Tomatoes (I’m using Roma tomatoes but you can use garden tomatoes if you like).
- Fresh mozzarella cheese (You can also just use shredded mozzarella if that is what you have on hand).
- Dried or fresh basil
- Kosher salt (or table salt if that’s all you have).
How to Make Easy Baked Tomatoes with Mozzarella and Basil
Slice tomatoes in half and place them on a baking sheet or cookie sheet. Sprinkle the tops with kosher salt.
Be sure you use a metal pan for this because we are going to be cooking it pretty rapidly under very high heat and glass just isn’t designed to be cooked in that way.
Place under the broiler on high and cook for anywhere from 3-5 minutes, watching carefully. I cook mine until the skin lightly wrinkles.
You can just cook it just long enough to heat it through if you like though.
Remove tomatoes from the oven and top with slices of fresh mozzarella and bits of torn basil. If you like, return them to the oven for 2-4 more minutes, or until the cheese is fully melted. Serve warm.
That’s it! Told you this baked tomatoes recipe was ridiculously easy. Enjoy!
Storage
This is one of those recipes in which you can just adjust the quantities based on how many you want to make, so storage isn’t necessary. It makes a perfect lunch for one or I tend to make two slices per person when entertaining or serving as a side dish.
Recipe Notes
- If using Roma tomatoes, slice them in half lengthwise. If using garden tomatoes, slice them 1/2-3/4-inch thick.
- Here are some variations to make this your own:
- Add a combination of shredded mozzarella cheese and grated parmesan cheese.
- Other types of cheese that will perfectly melt onto the roasted tomatoes are gruyere and fontina cheese.
- Instead of fresh basil, spread a layer of basil pesto onto the baked tomatoes before adding the fresh mozzarella slices.
- Drizzle with balsamic vinegar for an appetizer that’s to die for!
- Do as the Italians do and drizzle with olive oil before melting the mozzarella in the oven.
- Sprinkle with oregano or Italian seasoning and then add the torn fresh basil for extra flavor.
- Season with salt and ground black pepper to taste.
Recipe FAQs
What other kind of seasoning could I use?
I have basil growing in my sunroom right now but I wouldn’t think twice about using dried basil or dried Italian seasoning on these. Personally, I think I could just about get by with Italian seasoning as the only herb in my kitchen. I even get the stuff that is 50 cents to a dollar a bottle.
Can I make my baked tomatoes with mozzarella in the oven?
If you’d rather not cook them under the broiler as I do, you can just put them in a 500-degree oven for 5-7 minutes.
What do you serve with this tomato, basil, and mozzarella appetizer?
If you want to serve your baked tomatoes as a side dish, they go very well with an Italian-inspired main dish like skillet lasagna, crockpot spaghetti, Italian sausage soup, and pizza rolls.
Check out these other Italian-inspired recipes:
Italian Cream Cake with Pecan Cream Cheese Icing
Slow Cooker Italian Sausage and Peppers in Crockpot
Hot and Cheesy Italian Turkey Subs
Ingredients
- tomatoes
- fresh mozzarella sliced
- fresh basil torn (or dried basil)
- kosher salt or table salt
Instructions
- Slice tomatoes into thick slices (if using smaller tomatoes, just slice in half). Place on a metal baking sheet or cookie sheet and sprinkle with kosher salt. Place under broiler for 3-5 minutes or in a 500-degree oven for 5-7 minutes.tomatoes, kosher salt
- Remove from oven and top with slices of mozzarella and basil. Return to the oven for 2-4 more minutes, or until the cheese is fully melted. Serve warm.fresh mozzarella, fresh basil
- Serving size: This will serve as many as you allow tomatoes for. I usually allow two slices per person. This is one of those recipes that you can just adjust the quantities based on how many you want to make, which is why it makes a perfect lunch for one!
Notes
Nutrition
Your attitude is the aroma of your heart. If your attitude stinks, it means your heart isn’t right.
~Facing The Giants film
So glad y’all had such a wonderful time! Can’t beat those kinds of vacations no matter where else you may ever go! Nothing or no one will ever be able to take the precious memories from your children, or you. You and Ricky are to be commended for taking the time to enjoy your young’uns, because all too quickly they’ll be big and grown. Mine are all to well on their way…..Big Sigh….and I have never once regretted taking time away from everything and everyone and just enjoying time for just the four of us.
Love y’all!!
I wished I had known you were coming to KY. I would have invited you to stay at my house & cook for me…………..I mean I would have cooked for you all! Happy you had a great trip – sometimes road trips to nowhere turn out to be the best. I live in Lexington & it’s a beautiful city. Come back anytime & visit with us – we’ll have an incy cold glass of sweet tea!!!
Christy, you don’t eat a BLT?
Oh wow Christy, I’m so glad to hear you had just a great time on a ” nowhere particular road trip”. I’m going to go on my first “nowhere particular road trip” for 2 weeks in September. We’re just gonna ramble through the Blue Ridge Mountain Parkway, Virginia, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts until we get to Portland Maine. I’m so excited!!! I’ve never just wandered wherever we want to and to stop whenever we get ready to sleep!!
Place this on a garlic-buttered, toasted English muffin or hamburger bun and you’ve got yourself a feast! When my daughter was young and we were broke, we would visit a local state tourist info center and gather discount coupons and tips on free things to do in a day’s journey. Of course, gas wasn’t $4 a gallon, but we had some mighty good times on those trips for next to nothing.
One of my favorite summer salads is served at a fancy bagel shop. It is not going to be enjoyed by someone who doesn’t like fresh tomatoes (Christy!) but for the rest of us it is terrific. Plate sliced fresh tomatoes, chunks of fresh mozzarella, slices if raw red onions, and fresh basil leaves. Top with evo and some balsamic vinegar. A couple bread sticks or a little bread makes it a perfect meal.
Beth, that salad has an actual name! It’s called caprese salad and it is one of my absolute favorites for summer tomatoes. DH and I will have this salad for lunch and supper when the fresh garden tomatoes are in abundance. Can’t get enough of it! Since we’ve gone low carb, the bread is no longer on the table but the salad most certainly is!
Nevermind……I was following along with the pictures and forgot to actually read the recipe ;-).
Don’t fret, Angie. I did the same thing. =-)
Do you put them back under the broiler after you put the cheese on or do you just let the heat from the tomatoes melt the cheese?