This Caprese Garlic Bread recipe is loaded with gooey mozzarella, fresh tomatoes and basil, and a tangy balsamic glaze. If you love Italian food, then this combination of rich cheese, bright herbs and veggies, and an acidic sauce is perfect for you.
Why You’ll Love This Caprese Garlic Bread Recipe
This Caprese Garlic Bread recipe is the ultimate appetizer or side dish. It’s simple, yet so addictive with the combination of fresh flavors, vibrant tomatoes, crispy garlic bread, and lots of gooey mozzarella cheese. Here’s why you’ll love it.
- Quick and Easy: The last thing anyone wants when they make a side dish is something that’s difficult to make. Thankfully this recipe is anything but that. It’s a super straightforward recipe that you can practically make in your sleep. You also won’t make a big mess as you only need a cutting board and a baking sheet!
- Versatile: This sandwich is substantive enough that you can eat it all on its own. It’s a perfect light lunch all by itself! But it’s also a great side dish alongside your favorite Italian entree. It is also a great party appetizer and is always one of the first to disappear when we make it for guests!
- New Take on a Classic: One of my favorite things to do in the kitchen is cook up new spins for classic dishes. That’s exactly what this homemade Caprese Garlic Bread is. Everyone knows and loves Caprese Salad, but it’s exciting to try making it in a new way. This recipe is bound to impress.
Ingredients Needed
Here are all the ingredients that you’ll need to make this garlicky Italian sandwich from scratch. Scroll to the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page for full ingredient amounts and directions.
- Bread: French bread is best for this recipe, but any similar bread will work. We have used Cuban bread and it was delicious as well!
- Butter: You’ll need to use softened butter so it is easy to mix and spread.
- Olive Oil
- Garlic: Fresh garlic will give you the most flavor.
- Italian Seasoning
- Mozzarella Cheese: We like to use fresh mozzarella for the best flavor and texture, but you can use shredded mozzarella in a pinch.
- Tomatoes: Make sure to use high-quality, ripe tomatoes.
- Fresh Basil
- Balsamic Glaze
Can You Make Balsamic Glaze?
Most grocery stores carry balsamic glaze these days, but you can also make your own if you prefer. It’s really easy to make balsamic glaze. All you have to do is add balsamic vinegar to a saucepan, bring it to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer. Cook the vinegar for about 20 minutes, or until it’s reached the desired thickness.
How to Make Caprese Garlic Bread
With a buttery and garlicky spread, fresh veggies and herbs, melted cheese, and a blast of sweet and rich balsamic glaze, this is the ultimate sandwich. And it only takes half an hour to make! Head to the recipe card at the end of the article for full detailed instructions.
- Toast the bread. Cut the bread in half, place it cut-side up on a baking sheet, and lightly toast in the oven.
- Add the spread. Combine the butter, olive oil, minced garlic, and Italian seasoning to a bowl, then evenly spread over the toasted bread.
- Add the toppings. Layer slices of mozzarella cheese over the butter mixture, then add the tomatoes on top.
- Finish. Put the bread back in the oven and bake until the cheese is melted, then add the basil and balsamic glaze.
Tips And Variations
This Caprese sandwich is so easy to make, but it’s always good to have a few tips in your back pocket.
- Salt the tomatoes. Tomatoes are delicious, but they’re so much more delicious when they’re salted. A little salt brings out a ton of extra flavor from tomatoes. To get the strongest tomato flavor, add a pinch of salt over the tomatoes before you add the basil and balsamic glaze. It’s important to only do this right before serving these sandwiches because salt will make the tomatoes seep water, which will make the sandwiches soggy after a while.
- High-quality bread. The quality of the bread really matters for this recipe. It’s important to have bread that is crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside and packed with that authentic Italian bread flavor. It’s also important that you use bread that’s very fresh for this recipe.
- Add Spice: We have found this bread to be delicious with a sprinkling of crushed red pepper flakes. While not super hot, they add a good flavorful bite to your bread.
- Pesto: Want to punch up the basil flavor? You can drizzle Fresh Basil Pesto over the bread or you can brush the bread with the pesto before adding the cheese and tomatoes.
- Roast The Tomatoes: Another fun twist is to make a batch of these Roasted Tomatoes before adding them on top of your bread. This will deepen the tomato flavor, as well as adding a lot more of a garlicky punch to each bite.
Serving Suggestions
The best way to eat this gooey, tangy, and cheesy Caprese Garlic Bread is to serve it alongside some other classic Italian recipes. This would go wonderfully with some Baked Meatballs, Air Fryer Eggplant Parmesan, or this One-Pot Italian Sausage Pasta. It would also be delicious with a bowl of Crockpot Pasta Fagioli Soup or dunked into a bowl of Tomato Basil Soup. You could also serve it along side pasta tossed in our favorite Alfredo Sauce or Homemade Marinara Sauce for an easy vegetarian lunch or dinner.
How to Store Leftovers
We don’t recommend storing this garlic bread, it will get soggy very quickly. Only plan on making as much bread as you’ll eat. This really is one of those dishes that is only best served fresh.
It’s also not a good idea to freeze. The bread will get extremely soggy, and the texture of the cheese and tomatoes will be pretty unappetizing after being frozen and thawed.
More Easy Side Dish Recipes
Quick and easy is the name of the game! Here are a few of our favorites:
- Skillet Fried Corn
- Roasted Asparagus and Tomatoes
- Fried Potatoes and Onions
- Crockpot Baked Beans
- Parmesan Garlic Rice
- Creamy Cucumber Salad
Caprese Sandwich
Ingredients
- 1 loaf French bread
- 8 tablespoons butter, softened
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 16 ounces mozzarella cheese, sliced
- 2-3 large ripe tomatoes
- ½ cup fresh basil
- 1 tablespoon balsamic glaze, for topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Prepare baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Cut the bread in half and place on the baking sheet cut side up. Place in the oven to lightly toast the bread, about 5 minutes.
- While the bread is toasting, add the butter to a small bowl and mix in the olive oil, garlic and Italian seasoning.
- Spread the butter mixture evenly over the top of toasted bread. Lay the mozzarella slices over the butter, then top with the tomato slices and return to the oven. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until the cheese is melted.
- Top with fresh basil and drizzle the balsamic glaze over the top. Slice and serve immediately.
