Baked Goat Cheese Caprese Salad
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
3 tablespoons basil chiffonade (thinly sliced fresh basil leaves), divided
1 (4 ounce) log of fresh goat cheese, halved
16 eache cherry tomatoes, cut in half on the diagonal
1 pinch freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
Drizzle about 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil into the bottom of each 6-ounce ramekin and sprinkle about 1 tablespoon basil per ramekin over the oil. Place 1 goat cheese piece over the basil in each ramekin; surround with sliced cherry tomatoes. Top with cracked black pepper and cayenne. Spread 1 1/2 teaspoon of the remaining basil on top of each portion, place ramekins on a baking sheet, and drizzle each serving with 1 1/2 teaspoons more olive oil.
Bake in the preheated oven until bubbling, about 15 minutes. Serve warm.
Notes
To make thinly sliced basil (chiffonade), roll 3 or 4 basil leaves together into a tight cylinder and slice into thin ribbons. Delicious and easy. I had three tomatoes from one plant and wanted to eat them fresh, since they were very sweet. I baked the cheese mixture and then added the fresh tomatoes afterwards. I served on sourdough crostini I had brushed with olive oil and then rubbed with raw garlic.
Bonus, this is easy and pretty as well!