Baked Tomatoes with Mozzarella and Basil
If you like Caprese salad, you’re going to love these Baked Tomatoes with Mozzarella and Basil! Ready in 15 minutes, this recipe is so easy. I layer juicy, tender baked tomatoes with creamy melted mozzarella and fresh basil, so you get a refreshing taste of summer sunshine in every bite. Enjoy for lunch, as an appetizer, or as a side with your favorite protein.
A Quick Look At The Recipe
- Recipe Name: Baked Tomatoes with Mozzarella and Basil
- Serves: 4
- Main Ingredients: tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, fresh basil, kosher salt
- Why You'll Love It: If you like Caprese salad, you're going to love this quick, easy, and refreshingly delicious baked tomatoes with mozzarella and basil recipe.
Summer’s Best Bite in Just 15 Minutes
These baked tomatoes with mozzarella and basil are just about the easiest things you’ll ever make. The minute those tomatoes start coming in for the season, this is the first recipe I reach for!
I like to call them tomato mozzarella melts, but heck, it doesn’t matter what you call them. All you need to know is how good fresh, juicy baked tomatoes taste when topped with a slice of fresh mozzarella and a sprinkle of basil. It’s refreshing, delicious, and the perfect dish 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!
Reader Review
“Thank you so much for this recipe, it was delicious! I had a bunch of Roma tomatoes that needed to be used up soon, so I used them in this recipe and was not at all disappointed. It was so simple, too!” – Whitney
Recipe Ingredients
- Tomatoes (I’m using Roma tomatoes, but you can use garden tomatoes if you like)
- Fresh mozzarella cheese (or shredded mozzarella if that is what you have)
- Dried or fresh basil
- Kosher salt (table salt works too!)
Customize Your Baked Tomatoes
Don’t feel like you need to stick to exactly what I use – this recipe is super flexible! Try mixing shredded mozzarella with grated parmesan, or swap it out for gruyere or fontina. Both melt nicely over roasted tomatoes. Instead of fresh basil, you could always spread a layer of basil pesto before adding the cheese. And for extra flavor, sprinkle on some oregano or Italian seasoning. A drizzle of balsamic vinegar or olive oil before baking would also be fantastic!
How to Make Easy Baked Tomatoes with Mozzarella and Basil
1. Prep the Tomatoes
To start, slice your tomatoes in half and place them on a metal baking sheet or cookie sheet. Sprinkle the tops with kosher salt.
Pro tip: If using Roma tomatoes, slice them in half lengthwise. If using garden tomatoes, slice them ½ to ¾-inch thick.
2. Broil Tomatoes
Place your tomatoes under the broiler on high and cook for anywhere from 3-5 minutes, watching carefully. I like to cook mine until the skin lightly wrinkles, but you can cook them just long enough to heat through if you like.
3. Assemble & Serve
Remove tomatoes from the oven and immediately top with slices of fresh mozzarella, then the 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!
Top Tips for Success
- I always pat my tomatoes dry with a paper towel before seasoning them, as it helps the salt and toppings stick better and prevents things from getting too watery.
- Keep a close eye on your tomatoes under the broiler! Every oven is different, and they can go from perfectly blistered to burnt real quick.
- I like to tear the mozzarella by hand rather than slicing it. It melts more evenly and gives it that rustic look.
- If your tomatoes are extra juicy, tilt the baking sheet slightly when removing it from the oven to drain off any excess liquid before serving.
- Room-temperature mozzarella melts much faster and more evenly than cold mozzarella straight from the fridge, so it’s worth the extra few minutes!
Storage
This is one of those recipes where you can 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.
Baked Tomatoes with Mozzarella and Basil FAQs
If you’d rather not cook them under the broiler as I do, you can just put them in a 500°F oven for 5-7 minutes.
Watch for the skin to lightly wrinkle and the cheese to turn golden and bubbly. I always keep a close eye on them under the broiler since things can go from perfectly golden to burnt pretty quickly!
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.
Your turn! Rate this recipe and let me know how it went in the comments. I’m always here and love chatting with you all!
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. Broil for 3-5 minutes or bake in a 500℉ oven for 5-7 minutes.Tomatoes, Kosher salt
- Remove from the 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
Went this afternoon to pick up my “share” at Native Son Farms, and it includes heirloom tomatoes. Love those things. I’m planning to make some gazpacho. You might like gazpacho even if you don’t like raw tomatoes because it has cucumber, red wine vinegar, bell peppers, and other yummy good-for-you stuff that changes the basic taste of the tomato. Great cold summer soup for lunch or dinner or just a snack And so healthy! I never make it with bread as many recipes call for.
As it happens, we were in KY for 4 days, too. My husband, Gregg, was born in Frankfort and grew up from age 9 in Louisville. We went to visit with his mother and sisters and our daughter flew in from Dallas, all for First Families of Kentucky. (Gregg’s mother was the treasurer and is now the Deputy General so this was very important to her.) Over the almost 30 years we’ve been married, I’ve visited KY many times, and it is a beautiful state.
Gregg and I once went on a meandering trip across the U. S. to Arizona to visit his step-mother, making a detour to follow the original Route 66 for a while. Wonderful, wonderful trip. That was in 2002, and it still counts as one of our favorite trips.
Always enjoy your Southern Plate blogs and recipes. Went to your site when I couldn’t remember how to fix some of the foods my mother and grand mothers used to fix, like turnip greens. Thank you.
These are wonderful. I bake mine in halves in a greased pie plate w/ parmesan cheese and bake @ 350 for 30 min. Cleaning up is easy w/ a sprayed dish. Great addition to steak.
I want to commend you on your vacation….I don’t think the best ones have to be expensive ones. When my daughter was little, I was a single mom. As a teacher I was on a very tight budget, many times by the “end of the month” I was down to dried beans and rice, but that was o.k. My neighbor and I would combine our resources and have some feasts! When my daughter was grown she asked me if we were poor and I said what do you think? She said no because we had a special picnic every Friday night ( no matter what we had to eat, it was a picnic) we went on super vacations ( camping at our local state park, my car was so old I was afraid to drive too far) I knew all the specials from the local eateries so on payday we went out to eat, sometimes it might just be dessert! We need to take time and enjoy our families, that is the best kind of vacation there is. Bravo to you for realizing this!
This looks so simple, but such an awesome way to use of tomatoes and a brilliant idea for a lunch. I can’t wait to try this! (Also love the part about the fresh herbs!) 😀
I love the simple goodness of it all. Fresh tomatoes ( homegrown and if they were shared..they taste even better), cheese, seasoning…cook..enjoy! What could be easier and more delicious? ummm…nothing comes to mind.
So glad you all made wonderful, meaningful memories without even realizing you were doing so. I know this times will be embedded in your thoughts and hearts for years on end. Some of the best treasures are those we stumble upon…. ~hugs~
I’ve been to Kentucky many times. I’ve done the fabric shops in Paducah and the horse farms in Lexington (I got to pet Secretariat!). The Kentucky Horse Park is a destination in itself and a Crown Jewel for the state. The Bourbon Trail is outstanding. A stop in Churchill Downs is fabulous for a tour when they’re not racing. I can honestly say that I’ve traversed the state from top to bottom and side to side and I’ve never gotten tired of traveling Kentucky (and I don’t even live there!)
Glad you had a wonderful vacation, next time try visiting your neighbor state of Tn. My husband and I always had a great time visiting in Crossville and going to the Tennessee Playhouse. Well it was just right for us, retirees, but it might not be the thing for younger parents with children; however, bet you can find something to do. Thanks for the recipe, now if I can just find some good homegrown tomatoes!
We love Tennessee and go there often! It is my second home. We’ve covered most of what there is to do there already. Fun!
Can’t wait to try this. Thanks for the heartwarming story.