Baked Tomatoes, Peppers, and Goat Cheese with Crisped Toasts

From the kitchen of Carly

Soft goat cheese melts over warm tomatoes and piquillo peppers, charred under the broiler until the edges turn golden. Shallot and garlic perfume the whole thing. Scoop it onto toasted bread and eat it warm, when the cheese is still creamy.

Baked Tomatoes, Peppers, and Goat Cheese with Crisped Toasts

Broiled goat cheese melts into warm, jammy tomatoes and sweet peppers in the time it takes to get toast ready. The trick is cooking the tomatoes down first so they release their juice and concentrate, then the cheese softens into that bright sauce instead of sitting on top untouched. Serve in bowls, spoon and all.

Prep
n/a
Cook
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Total
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Servings
4
Difficulty
medium

Ingredients

4 servings

  • 3 tbspfinely chopped shallot
  • 2garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 4 tbspextra virgin olive oil, divided
  • 1 1/2 pintgrape or cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1/3 cupchopped piquillo peppers
  • 8rounds soft mild goat cheese
  • 1toasted baguette slices or crackers

Instructions

  1. Position a rack under the broiler and heat it up.

  2. Warm 3 tablespoons of oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat, then add the shallot and garlic and stir until softened, about 2 minutes. Tip in the tomatoes, piquillo peppers, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Keep stirring and let everything cook until the tomatoes slump and turn juicy, about 5 minutes.

  3. Pour the mixture into a 1 1/2 to 2-quart shallow baking dish and lay the goat cheese rounds across the top. Drizzle over the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil, then slide the dish under the broiler until the cheese softens and picks up a light char, 3 to 5 minutes.

Tips from the kitchen

  • Cook the tomatoes and peppers long enough that the tomatoes actually collapse and release their liquid, this is what creates the sauce. Don't rush past that 5-minute mark.
  • Slice your goat cheese into thick rounds and let them sit at room temperature for 10 minutes before broiling so they soften evenly without the outside getting too brown.
  • Watch the broiler like a hawk once it goes in, the window between softened and charred is about 2 minutes. Every broiler runs hot and different.

Variations

  • Swap piquillo peppers for roasted red bell peppers you've drained well, or use fresh basil and a splash of balsamic instead.
  • Use crumbled feta or ricotta salata for different kinds of tang and texture, though the cheese will brown faster.
  • Turn it into a crostini bar by dolloping the mixture onto toasts instead of serving it in a bowl, useful for a party where people need to eat standing up.

Make ahead and storage

Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat gently in a 325°F oven until warmed through, about 10 minutes, so the cheese doesn't separate.