These 3 Cheese Avocado Tomato Melts are extra delicious because tomatoes are so amazing right now. Heirloom tomatoes are especially wonderful, whether you grow them or buy them! Grab a few next time you’re at Whole Foods, and if you follow some of the guidelines below (also thanks to Whole Foods), you’ll be enjoying a perfect late-summer treat!
- Only buy enough for a few days — heirlooms ripen faster than modern commercial varieties
- Pick heirlooms that are somewhat firm to the touch. This is more important with the larger varieties but if you buy a soft heirloom of any size, chances are it’s overripe.
- Avoid tomatoes with open splits and cracks. A tomato with a large surface area where the stem was attached will likely have a hard area inside that is unusable.
- Don’t refrigerate! One of the best characteristics of heirlooms is their texture and like all tomatoes, prolonged exposure to temperatures below 41 degrees will soften tomatoes and make them mushy.
- Keep recipes simple to allow the flavors to shine!
3 Cheese Avocado Tomato Melts
Ingredients:
- 1 baguette, homemade or store-bought
- 2 wedges creamy Swiss cheese (I used Laughing Cow brand)
- 1 large avocado
- juice of 1/2 lime
- sea salt to taste
- feta cheese
- balsamic reduction
- 1-2 heirloom tomatoes, sliced
- 8 slices mozzarella cheese
Directions:
- Cut 8 slices of bread and spread with the creamy Swiss cheese.
- Mash the avocados with the lime juice and sea salt, and spread over the creamy Swiss, dividing evenly among the 8 bread slices.
- Sprinkle with feta cheese, then drizzle with the balsamic reduction.
- Place one tomato slice on top of each cheesy bread slice.
- Top each tomato with a slice of mozzarella cheese.
- Place under a hot broiler until cheese is melted. It won’t take long, so watch carefully.
- Enjoy a creamy, delicious slice of heaven!
Notes:
- To make a balsamic reduction, simply add balsamic vinegar to a pan and simmer, stirring frequently, until it is reduced by about half. Mine usually takes around 10 minutes.
- I had some fresh basil when I made this batch of melts, so I threw some on. It’s delicious either way!
*I am a Whole Foods Blogging Ambassador. I received a gift card to purchase food for this recipe.
