I’m lucky enough to have a thriving basil plant on my front porch, and we also grow tomatoes. Those things combined with the fact that one of the members of our household is a croissant enthusiast and we all love pretty much any kind of cheese makes this is an easy dish for me to have ready. But with so few ingredients, this is a really simple thing to shop for a few days in advance!
It starts to smell incredible while it’s baking and when you take it out of the oven, it’s a little bubbly around the edges and the tomatoes are so bright and enticing. It lifts my spirits just to see it, and then it tastes as good as it looks. I couldn’t wait to share this recipe with all of you! I hope it makes your weekend feel as luxurious as mine do when I take that first, warm, cheesy bite.
Ingredients:
2 14.5-ounce cans of stewed tomatoes
1 McCormick bay leaf
1/4 cup brown (light or dark) brown sugar, packed
Freshly ground pepper to taste
Salt to taste
1/2 stick butter
8 slices of firm bread cut into 1-inch cubes
2 Tbsp minced fresh parsley
Instructions:
1. In a large saucepan, combine the tomatoes, bay leaf, brown sugar, pepper and salt. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook for five minutes. Remove the bay leaf.
2. Preheat the oven to 350. Place the butter into a 2-quart rectangular baking dish and put into the heating oven to melt. Add the bread and parsley and toss with the butter to evenly coat. Pour the tomato mixture evenly over the bread but do not stir.
3. Bake the dish for 30 minutes or until the top is puffed and golden brown. Serve hot.
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Quick Tip: If you don’t have Fontina cheese on hand, use another good melting cheese instead. My favorites are Gouda or Provolone. These cheeses are great for melting on top of the pudding.