Description
Okay, so you know how bruschetta is amazing but kinda messy and you can never get enough on one piece of bread? Well, I solved that problem. This is basically all the best parts of bruschetta – those gorgeous tomatoes, fresh basil, garlic – but turned into a hot, melty, cheesy dip that you can absolutely demolish with crusty bread or crackers. It’s like bruschetta had a baby with spinach artichoke dip, and honestly, it’s better than both parents.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Tomato Base:
- 2 lbs Roma tomatoes (or whatever good tomatoes you can find – just not those sad grocery store ones)
- 1/4 cup good olive oil (don’t cheap out here, you’ll taste the difference)
- 4–5 garlic cloves, minced (or more if you’re like me and believe garlic is a food group)
- 1 medium red onion, diced small
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar (the real stuff, not the fake syrupy kind)
- 1 teaspoon salt (start with this, taste, add more if needed)
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano (or 1 tablespoon fresh if you’re fancy)
For the Cheese Situation:
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened (leave it out for an hour or microwave for 15 seconds)
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise (I know, I know, but trust me)
- 1/2 cup sour cream (full fat, because we’re not here to diet)
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded (get the good stuff, not the pre-shredded sawdust)
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated (fresh grated is SO much better)
- 1/4 cup Romano cheese, grated (optional but adds a nice sharp bite)
For the Fresh Stuff:
- 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped (save some pretty whole leaves for the top)
- 2–3 green onions, sliced thin (just the green parts)
- Extra fresh basil for garnish
- More Parmesan for sprinkling on top
For Serving:
- Crusty Italian bread, sliced and toasted
- Good crackers (water crackers or baguette crisps work great)
- Maybe some veggies if you want to pretend this is healthy