Goat Cheese and Tomato Mozzarella Bruschetta
Makes 8 pieces · Prep: 15 minutes · Cook: 10 minutes · Total: about 25 minutes
I like making these as a pair: the goat cheese one is rich, tangy, and a little sweet, while the tomato mozzarella one keeps the plate fresh and simple.
Ingredients
Bread
- 1 small ciabatta loaf or wide baguette
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 garlic clove, halved
Goat cheese topping
- 4 ounces goat cheese
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped chives
- Freshly ground black pepper
Pepper sauce, homemade
- ½ cup jarred roasted red peppers, well drained and finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
- ½ teaspoon Calabrian chile paste, or ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Pinch of salt
Pepper sauce, shortcut
- ⅓ cup red pepper jelly
- ½ teaspoon Calabrian chile paste or a pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
Tomato mozzarella topping
- 6 ounces fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
- 2 ripe Roma or vine tomatoes, thinly sliced
- 8 fresh basil leaves
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Flaky salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- 1
Toast the bread
Heat the oven to 425°F. Cut the bread into eight broad slices, about ½ inch thick, and brush both sides lightly with olive oil.
- 2
Bake and rub with garlic
Arrange the bread on a sheet pan. Bake for 5 minutes, flip, and bake for another 3 to 4 minutes, until crisp around the edges but still slightly chewy in the center. Rub the warm toast lightly with the cut garlic.
- 3
Make the pepper sauce
For the homemade version, combine the roasted peppers, honey, vinegar, chile paste, and salt in a small saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring often, until thick and jammy, then let cool for a few minutes. For the shortcut, stir the red pepper jelly with the chile paste or red pepper flakes.
- 4
Top with pepper sauce and goat cheese
Spread the pepper topping over four pieces of toast. Break the goat cheese into small pieces and scatter it over the pepper layer, pressing and smearing it lightly with a knife so some of the pepper stays visible.
- 5
Bake the goat cheese toasts
Bake for 4 minutes, then broil for 30 to 60 seconds, until the goat cheese softens and develops a few browned spots.
- 6
Finish the goat cheese toasts
Top with chives and black pepper. Serve warm.
- 7
Assemble the tomato mozzarella toasts
Pat the mozzarella and tomato slices dry with paper towels. Layer basil leaves over the remaining pieces of toast, then add overlapping slices of mozzarella and tomato.
- 8
Finish the tomato mozzarella toasts
Drizzle lightly with extra-virgin olive oil and season with flaky salt and black pepper. Assemble just before eating.
Recipe notes
Equipment & shortcuts
- The pepper topping is a choice, not a combination — make the quick homemade sauce, or stir together the shortcut with red pepper jelly. Either makes enough for all four goat cheese toasts.
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