As with many of the recipes I make, the image of the finished dish catches my eye. This Creamy Tomato Cheese Skillet Dip was no different. I thought it would make a nice and different small bite before dinner with guests and it looked so appetizing. Ingredients seemed simple enough, and preparing was also easy.
I say ‘twice’ in my title because I made this recipe twice before serving.
The first time I made the recipe per the instructions, the second time I made it was after I made some changes to the ingredients. Mostly, I omitted the parmesan cheese called for as I found the cheese to clump and stick to the bottom of the pan, and I almost eliminated any additional salt. I found that the cheese and the recommended seasoning just made an otherwise delicate and creamy dish just too salty.
So, I saved the tomatoes and started the recipe from scratch. Happy I did as the result was perfect, and as pronounced by one of our guests, delicious!
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 clove grated garlic
- 1 small finely diced shallot
- 1 tsp fresh or 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Garnish
- 2-3 sprigs fresh basil
- 1/2 demi-baguette thinly sliced
Instructions
Gather all ingredients before starting recipe.
- Pre heat broiler.
- Heat 1 tbsp unsalted butter in a small skillet. Add 1 small finely diced shallot and sauté until soft, 3-4 minutes. Add 1 tsp fresh or 1/2 tsp dried thyme and 1 clove grated garlic and cook for another minute or until the herb and garlic become fragrant.
- Add 1 pint cherry tomatoes and toss to combine.
- Add 1/2 cup heavy cream and cook until the cream has reduced by half, about 5 minutes.
- Turn off heat, top with 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese. Transfer pan to a pre heated broiler and broil until the cheese is golden and the tomatoes are beginning to char, 2-3 minutes.
- Garnish with fresh basil and serve with fresh slices of toasted baguette.
Otherwise, the menu was quite simple, just a couple more small bites, lasagna, garlic bread, a side salad and seasonal fruit clafoutis. Perfect for a casual meal.
