How To Make Delicious Bruschetta

Bruschetta is a classic Italian side dish, which can be served before a meal as an appetizer or with a meal such as how garlic bread is typically served.  Prepare using fresh French bread from the local grocery store.  Or, to lessen the preparation load at home, purchase premade garlic bread from the frozen section of the grocery store and follow baking instructions.  The trick to Bruschetta using premade garlic bread is to remove the bread from the oven halfway through instructed baking time as directed on box.  This extra step will avoid burnt bruschettas and a disappointed chef.

Before anything, prepare the following recipe which will later be used on top of the bread:

Ingredients (makes 10 bruschettas):

• 5 ripe Roma tomatoes
• 2 fresh garlic cloves
• 1/2 cup kalamata olive (chopped)
• 1/2 cup fresh Basil (chopped fine)
• 1/4 red onion (small diced or chopped fine)
• splash, or 1 ounce Balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons Olive Oil (just to coat mixture)
• Salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste.
• Fresh grated Parmesan or mozzarella

1. Dice olives, onion and tomatoes. 
2. Mince garlic and fresh basil leaves. 
3. Place in a bowl and toss together.  Add vinegar, oil, salt, and pepper. 
4. Mix well together and let marinate for one hour in the refrigerator.  
5. If working with fresh French bread, slice on a "bias" or angled cut roughly 1/2 inch wide.  Bias cuts elongate the slice and adds an extra detailed flair to food.  Line the biased cut slices of bread up on a baking pan, lining the slices up all facing one direction will help fit more pieces on a sheet. 
6. Drizzle lightly with olive oil and toast in the oven at 350 degrees until the surface of the bread is just hard to the touch but still soft inside. 
7. Remove from the oven and reserve.
8. Next, remove the tomato mixture and toss lightly.  Using a large serving spoon, top each slice of bread with tomato mix. 
9. Place in oven at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes.  Check after five minutes and see if bread has begun to brown or not.
10. Once bread has browned nicely, sprinkle cheese on top of bruschettas.  The more cheese is used the better the tomato mix will hold together when eaten.
11. Toast for another 4-5 minutes, or until cheese has melted. 
12. Serve and enjoy!