Garlic Butter Tomato Cheese Bread
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For years while in high school this garlic butter tomato cheese bread was my go-to for a summertime snack. It was easy to toss together when my friends and I were lounging poolside. The juicy fresh New Jersey tomatoes were the perfect addition to fresh Italian bread, garlic butter and cheese. It’s like a summertime pizza/ bread hybrid – but way better than a frozen French bread pizza. Was I the only person who would make those all the time after school as kid?
I first make a compound butter with garlic and mixed herbs before spreading it over the bread and topping it with slices of tomato and cheese. Think of it as a pizza and garlic bread hybrid that can serve as an appetizer or a side to simple grilled chicken. If you’re looking for a more classic bread side give this cheesy garlic flatbread or cheesy garlic bread a try.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Perfect for entertaining – Serve it as an appetizer, side dish, or alongside pasta, soup, or salad.
- Great way to use summer tomatoes – Fresh, ripe tomatoes shine against the rich garlic butter and cheese.
Key Ingredients in This Recipe
- Heirloom tomatoes – With their superior flavor, heirloom tomatoes come from seeds passed down and are typically at least 50 years old. Look for a variety of colors. If you like heirloom tomatoes I’ve rounded up 21 recipes using juicy summer tomatoes. In fact, I always recommend salting tomatoes or marinating them in a bit of olive oil before using them.
- Herbs – I add a mix of parsley, chives and basil to the garlic butter in this recipe though a combination of other herbs can be used.
- Butter – Unless noted otherwise, I use unsalted butter in my recipes. I find the amount and type of salt can be controlled and added as needed.
- Mozzarella – I use part-skim, also called low-moisture mozzarella in this recipe. Fresh mozzarella has a higher water content and it becomes runny rather than gooey as it melts.
A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
pro tip
I like to use a food processor to make the garlic butter. Add the butter and garlic, pulsing to combine then add the herbs and pulse until incorporated. You should still be able to see the herbs in the butter mixture.
Swaps and Substitutions
- Bread: Swap the rustic Italian loaf for another rustic country loaf or even a baguette. A baguette is great for entertaining since it can easily be cut into smaller pieces.
- To make it gluten-free: Swap the bread for any gluten-free loaf. Just reduce bake time slightly to avoid over-drying.
- Cheese: In place of the mozzarella try another melty cheese like Provolone or fontina. The Parmesan can be swapped for another salty, hard cheese like Pecorino Romano.
- Tomatoes: While I love the flavor of heirlooms, you can use any tomato. Use Roma tomatoes or beefsteak tomatoes in their place. Just slice thin to prevent excess moisture.
How to Make Garlic Butter Tomato Cheese Bread (Step-by-Step Photos)
Preheat oven to 375ºF (180ºC). Add the softened butter to a food processor or medium mixing bowl and blend or stir together the butter, garlic, 1 teaspoon of parsley, chives and basil until thoroughly combined.
Evenly spread over both halves of the bread loaf.
Arrange tomatoes in an even single layer over each half of the bread and season with salt and pepper.
Top with the mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.
Other Recipes to Try
If you enjoy this garlic butter tomato cheese bread recipe, I recommend checking out some of these:
- Cheesy Garlic Flatbread Recipe
- Tomato Irish Soda Bread Dinner Rolls
- Heirloom Tomato and Mozzarella Caprese Sandwich
Made this dish? Be sure to rate the recipe and drop a comment below! Your feedback means everything (and helps others find it too)!
Garlic Butter Tomato Cheese Bread
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Ingredients:
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley, divided
- 2 teaspoons chopped chives
- 2 teaspoons chopped basil
- 1 loaf rustic Italian bread, halved lengthwise
- 3 medium heirloom tomatoes, thinly sliced
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup shredded low-moisture mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 375ºF (190ºC).
- Add the softened butter to a food processor or medium mixing bowl and blend or stir together the butter, garlic, 1 teaspoon of parsley, chives and basil until thoroughly combined.
- Evenly spread over both halves of the bread loaf.
- Arrange tomatoes in an even single layer over each half of the bread and season with salt and pepper.
- Top with the mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.
- Bake until the cheese has melted and the edges are golden brown, about 20 minutes.
- Cut into slices and serve immediately.
Notes:
Nutrition:
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Fan-freaking-tastic! So simple. So fresh-tasting. Perfectly balanced in herby, cheesy, buttery, garlic deliciousness!
Our Italian loaf was rather large, so I doubled the ingredients otherwise!
At the end of 20 minutes of baking, we broiled it for 1 minute to brown up the cheese! 😋
So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe Jennifer!! Happy new year!
Omg it was sooo good, I loved it. I added in some salami slices, and when out of the oven, I topped it with some feta cheese, absolute immaculate
so happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe! Those are some great additions, I will have to give it a try! Thanks for sharing Saul!