Caprese Garlic Bread
Updated April 09, 2020
A simple recipe for Caprese Garlic Bread, the best garlic bread you will ever eat!
Garlic bread has always been a staple in our home. Growing up, my dad would make garlic bread to go with every Italian meal. My dad’s lasagna, spaghetti, and ravioli always had garlic bread on the side. Carb overload? Maybe, but I never complained. Now, every time I am make an Italian meal, I ask Josh if he wants garlic bread to go with. He says yes 100% of the time. I am glad he enjoys garlic bread as much as I do. And since we both eat it, it doesn’t matter if we have garlic breath:)
I love plain old garlic bread, but we recently gave the traditional garlic bread a makeover. We made Caprese Garlic Bread and let me tell you, this is the BEST garlic bread I have ever eaten. I am putting it in the top 10 recipes we have ever made…ok, maybe 20. I love a lot of our recipes:) This Caprese Garlic Bread is a winner. It deserves a gold medal for sure!
This garlic bread recipe has all of my favorite ingredients-bread, cheese, tomatoes, basil, and of course garlic and butter! We used Land O Lakes Butter in Half Sticks for this recipe. It is perfect because the recipe calls for four tablespoons, which is exactly one half stick! Perfect! No need to cut a stick of butter in half and have the other half get lost in the fridge.
We mixed together softened butter and minced garlic. Oh, what a glorious combination!
We spread the bread-hey, that rhymes, with the garlic butter.
We added slices of fresh mozzarella cheese and popped the bread into the oven. We baked the bread for about 15 minutes, until the cheese was melted and starting to brown on the edges.
We topped the bread with tomato slices, seasoned them with salt and pepper, and sprinkled fresh basil over the tomatoes.
Next, we added a drizzle of balsamic. We reduced the balsamic vinegar to give it a thicker texture and sweeter flavor.
And voila-Caprese Garlic Bread! The best garlic bread ever!!
We cut the bread into thick slices and devoured the loaf. It’s crusty, cheesy, garlicky, buttery, tomatoey, basily, and a tad bit vinegary. I think I just made up a bunch of words, but you’re with me, right? It’s super duper delicious!
If you are looking for an updated version of the classic garlic bread, make this Caprese Garlic Bread. It will change your life for the better. And it is perfect for summer! So fresh and tasty! We are going to be making this garlic bread all summer long. And don’t be worried about garlic breath, just make sure the person you are smoochin’ eats some too. I am sure you won’t have to twist their arm:)
Caprese Garlic Bread
Ingredients
- 1 loaf ciabatta bread horizontally cut in half
- 4 tablespoons salted butter
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 12 oz. fresh mozzarella cheese sliced
- 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
- 2 medium tomatoes sliced
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1/3 cup chopped fresh basil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place both sides of the baguette on a large baking sheet with the cut side up.
- In a small bowl, combine butter and garlic and spread evenly on bread halves. Place the mozzarella cheese slices on top of the bread, making sure the cheese covers the bread completely. Bake the bread for 12-15 minutes or until the cheese is melted.
- While the bread is in the oven, make the balsamic reduction. Place the balsamic vinegar in a small saucepan. Bring the vinegar to a boil, decrease the heat to low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is reduced by about half. This should only take about 5-7 minutes. Set aside.
- Remove the bread from oven. Top the bread with tomato slices. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Add the fresh basil and drizzle with balsamic reduction. Cut into slices and serve.
Have you tried this recipe?
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Disclosure: this post is in partnership with Land O’ Lakes.
Your instructions don’t explain how to reduce the balsamic to make it thicker. Can you please explain this? It looks fabulous and I would like to give it a try.
you simply simmer the balsamic until it’s thick and syrupy, put in 1/2 cup and reduce by 1/2. when it sticks to the back of the spoon. cool and drizzle on whatever! it’s even good on vanilla icecream.
Story: Several years ago, someone I loved very much (now deceased from cancer) and I were stuck in a freeway traffic jam on our way from Seattle to Bellingham, WA. So we pulled off the freeway, and went into the first restaurant we could find. Don’t remember the town. They had a bread appetizer that looked good, so we ordered it. I think it was very much like this recipe. It was one of the most delicious foods I have ever tasted, and I have always wanted to find it again — because of the heavenly flavor and the wonderful memory of discovering it and enjoying it with this person I very much miss. THANK YOU for giving me a chance to rediscover this culinary delight and joyous memory!
I think it would be delicious for lunch with a bowl of minestrone soup. Can’t wait to make it!
Love this bread! Perfect with a salad and a
Bottle of wine for a summer #MeatlessMonday
I just made this tonight and still have half a slice on my plate. It is SO yummy! It’s definitely a new household favorite. I did double the garlic and butter, because YUM.
This looks amazing! Do you think we can do this on the barbecue or stovetop grill pan? So hot here in Los Angeles-I don’t want to light the oven! Thank you
Yes, I think that would work just fine!
OMG….SO DELICIOUS!!!! 🙂 I used shredded mozzarella and dried basil leaves because that’s what I had on hand and it worked great. Thanks for this recipe!!
Glad you liked it!
This is an amazing recipe. I have made it twice already to rave reviews! So, so fresh and tasty.
Glad you liked the bread!
Looks wonderful. I’m going to a party and bringing this as an appetizer.
I’ve been doing this for the last thirteen years or so, before I even knew there was such a thing as “caprice salad”. My three favorite foods in life are homegrown heirloom tomatoes (I grow “Purple Cherokees” & “Black Krims”), homegrown garlic and fresh baked bread. I make my own sourdough French, battard, then I slice & toast two slices. Then I basically do just what you do!!! I do confess, I use a *lot* more basil, however, I have tons growing! Summers are Heavenly!!! I’m in my mid to latish 70’s now, & my neighbors & I are slowing down, so I worry that this summer we’re gonna gain too much weight! Blessings!!!
How do you get the balsamic vinegar to thicken? I’ve made this twice so far and it’s always thin and runny. This probably sounds crazy……but should I add cornstarch to thicken it. Your’s looks like chocolate syrup consistency. Other than the drizzle being to runny, we love this recipe.( P.S. I did bring it to a boil and reduced it by half) Thanks.
Put it in a saucepan and simmer it until it thickens.
Regarding the “how to make the vinegar thicken? You can also go the easy route and buy a balsamic glaze at the store. 🙂
Bought your cookbook and the first thing I made was this bread!! It is amazing right out of the oven of course but I am still snacking on it straight cold from the fridge! 20/10, thank you Maria!!
You are welcome! I am so glad you loved it!
Delicious, but thick! Lol
Made this this weekend.I have a friend who is on a low sodium diet so I used low sodium ezekiel bread hoping that it would work. It was fabulous! I am sure the taste was different but what a delight! A definite redo! Thanks so much for once again giving us a true gem!
Delicious! I prepared this as an appetizer to serve my friends with cocktails one evening. I received so many compliments and it was devoured down to the last crumb!
I add chicken to make it a meal and it is so good!
Glad you enjoyed it!
I love this recipe–it’s so simple, quick, but gives an amazing burst of flavor.
Does it work to make this a few hours before it has to be served?
I have made this many times and everyone loves it. My summer standard!
Yahoo!
OMG!! This bread is AMAZING! My mom was making fish for dinner tonight, and I don’t like fish. So I searched for something quick and easy a hungry teenager could whip up for herself. Then I found THIS. It was so simple, and we had all the ingredients at our house! And. It. Was. Delicious. Everyone in my family tried it- and we all loved it!! Thank you for saving me from fish nights!
I am glad everyone loved it.