White Pizza Dip

White Pizza Dip

serves about 6-8

1 pint grape tomatoes, tomatoes cut in half

1 teaspoon olive oil

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 1/2 (12 ounces) blocks cream cheese, softened

8 ounces mozzarella cheese, freshly grated

8 ounces provolone cheese, freshly grated

1/4 cup finely grated parmesan cheese + more for garnish

4 garlic cloves, minced or pressed

1/4 cup freshly chopped basil leaves

2 tablespoons freshly chopped thyme leaves

1/2 tablespoon freshly chopped oregano leaves

crackers, bread or chips for serving

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil then place tomatoes on top. Sprinkle with olive oil and salt, then roast for 20-25 minutes, until bursting. Set aside.

While tomatoes are roasting, mix softened cream cheese with about 7 ounces each of provolone and mozzarella, then and parmesan. Stir in fresh herbs, garlic and roasted tomatoes, mixing well to combine. Transfer mixture to an oven-safe baking dish (mine was 6 x 4 round). Sprinkle with remaining provolone and mozzarella. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until top is golden and bubbly. Serve immediately with crackers, chip or toasted bread.

Apple, Brie and Honey Bruschetta

Apple, Brie and Honey Bruschetta

Toasting the baguette slices first yields an extra-crispy bruschetta. For something a bit less crunchy, skip the toasting step and go right to melting the brie on the baguette slices. Plain toasted pecans or walnuts are perfect, but for an extra spicy sweet kick try using cinnamon sugar pecans. Use whatever apples are your favorite eating apples. I used Honeycrisp apples, but I think a tart apple like Grannysmith would nicely contrast the sweet honey.

Ingredients

1 baguette, cut into thin slices
6 to 8 ounces brie
1 to 2 fresh apples, thinly sliced
1/4 to 1/2 cup toasted* or cinnamon sugared pecans, finely chopped
honey, for drizzling

Directions

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Lightly spray or brush baguette slices with olive oil and place in a single layer on a baking sheet. Toast for about 5 minutes or until light browned, flipping once about halfway through.

Remove baguette slices from oven. Top each with a generous slice of brie and continue baking until brie melts. (It just takes a few minutes, so keep a close eye on it!)

Top with thin apple slices and chopped pecans. Drizzle with honey. Devour immediately.

*Note: To toast pecans, preheat oven to 350°F. Toss nuts in melted butter (totally optional!). Lay pecans in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Keep an eye on them because they burn quickly!