Bacon Cheddar Tomato Melt On Toasted Garlic Bread Recipes

MAKE-AHEAD CHEDDAR, BACON, AND TOMATO STRATA

Steps:

• Cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp, about 10 minutes. Remove bacon from pan, reserving drippings in the skillet. Crumble when cool enough to handle.
• Add onion to drippings in the skillet; saute for 4 minutes. Add garlic and saute for 1 minute. Remove from heat; combine onion mixture and bacon.
• Whisk milk, eggs, basil, thyme, salt, and pepper together in a bowl until well combined.
• Spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray and arrange 1/2 of the bread cubes in the bottom.
• Top bread cubes with 2/3 cup Cheddar cheese, 1/2 of the onion mixture, and 6 tomato slices. Pour 1/2 of the milk mixture over tomatoes. Top with remaining bread cubes and 2/3 cup Cheddar. Top with remaining onion mixture, tomato slices, and milk mixture. Cover and place in the refrigerator to chill at least 8 hours or up to 24 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Bake strata in the preheated oven, uncovered, for 55 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining Cheddar cheese and bake until cheese melts, an additional 5 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

BACON, CHEDDAR & GRILLED TOMATO PANINI

Steps:

• Preheat the panini grill to high heat. Ensure the grill is on a slight tilt (not completely flat) and be sure to attach your drip tray.
• Brush the cut side of the tomatoes with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Place the tomatoes, cut side down, onto the panini grill. Lower the top grate to just above the tomatoes without touching them. Grill tomatoes for 10-12 minutes until the outer skins are wrinkly and the tomatoes are soft. Check the tomatoes often, as some may cook faster than others. Remove the tomatoes from the grill and sprinkle with basil.
• Brush melted butter onto the outer sides of each slice of bread. For each sandwich, layer two slices of bacon, two grilled tomatoes and 1/4 of the cheese in between two slices of bread (buttered side out). Grill the panini for 5-7 minutes until the cheese is melted and the bread is toasted. Serve immediately and enjoy!