Tomatoes and basil are absolutely one of my favorite combinations of summer. A sweet, juicy tomato ripened on the vine combined with the flavor of basil is perfection. Cheese and balsamic vinegar are obvious additions as well, but I could eat just tomatoes and basil all day long. There’s no such thing as too much basil in my garden, and I’m already planning to plant more next year. This creamy tomato basil dip is the perfect way to showcase summer produce in a crowd-pleasing appetizer.
To showcase the tomatoes and basil in this dip, I kept the rest of the ingredients simple. This is almost like a caprese salad in dip form. You could even drizzle some balsamic glaze over the top if you wanted! Cheese combined with tomatoes and basil, what could possibly be better? This dip does spent 15 minutes in the oven to let the cheeses melt together, but you can certainly serve this dip warm or cold. You can serve it with cut vegetables, tortilla chips, pita chips, or crackers. I’m going to make a strong argument for pita chips because that’s what I did and it was amazing; they had the perfect crunch to pair with this creamy, savory dip.
Just a few minutes of prep and 15 minutes in the oven, and this creamy appetizer is ready to be served to guests. What’s not to love?
- 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- ½ tsp. salt
- ¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tsp. dried basil
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved, divided
- ½ cup fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- In a medium bowl, mix together cream cheese, sour cream, mozzarella cheese, salt, pepper, and dried basil. Mix until well combined.
- Add half of the tomatoes and mix until just combined.
- Spready cheese mixture into a baking dish and top with the remaining tomatoes.
- Bake for 15 minutes until bubbling.
- Top with fresh basil and serve, enjoy!
Leave a Reply