Tomato, Mozzarella, Basil = Heaven

Oh alright, not heaven, but considering the vague descriptions I'm going to hope for some TMB Bagels for the senses.  It was grocery night so it was a good night to do a recipe this simple but delicious! 
We stopped at Panera to pick up a few bagels for this recipe and a focaccia loaf for later this week. We chose an everything and asiago cheese bagels but you are more than welcome to figure out your own preference. If you're unsure, go plain, there are plenty of other flavors in this recipe.
Second, 2 Roma aka: Italian Plum tomatoes are essential for this simple recipe. I love the flavor and the size after slicing makes it an easy choice (this is also the tomato I use for my homemade bruschetta). 
Next up, fresh and large basil leaves. At Hannaford supermarkets I LOVE using Olivia's Garden Basil. Because it's a plant not just the leaves, I found it lasts quite a long time. Follow the directions and don't put it in the fridge - usually I place some ocean rocks in the bottom of one of my vases, fill with water and place the basil plant in just so it retains the moisture into the roots. Don't oversoak the basil, it'll mold!

Source: alice.RICHES.snow

Next, Mmmm, Balsamic glaze. This stuff is yummy in a bottle. My lovely mother-in-law bought this for us last summer and we're addicted. 


Next up, mozzarella. What can I say about this wonderful cheese. Milky, stringy, melty, ooey, gooey goodness. You can choose your perference here: whether it be shredded, deli sliced or in ball form. I prefer the large ball form packed in little brine. 


Preheat your toaster's oven broiler or the oven - if you can adjust the heat for this I chose around 425deg. I prefer to use the toaster oven here because it's more manageable for only 1 bagel. If you want a whole bagel per person, simply repeat this recipe per whole bagel.

We used the asiago cheese bagels because they don't have a hole in the middle aaaand they're delicious. Slice the bagels in half and lay cheese side down.
Slice the tomato thinly, break off 2-4 pieces of basil per slice of bagel and layer. 

Layer the basil down first, then the tomato, drizzle with balsamic glaze.

Top with the mozzarella and finish off with some salt, pepper and garlic powder (I don't use crushed garlic here because you don't want to overpower all the other flavors, but it's nice to have a little garlic in this Italian inspired dish).

Place on a rack second down from the broiler to allow for everything to get warm and the cheese to start melting. 
For the last 2-3 minutes place the bagels closer to the broiler to get the layer of cheese nice and crispy-brown for some extra flavor! 

Enjoy! 

These bagels were delicious. They were ready in a jiffy and wonderfully filling. We both only had one half of a bagel and didn't need anything else! Good thing, because grocery shopping kicks the stuffing out of me at the end of the day. 

Tomorrow: Parmesan crusted grilled cheese with Tomato-Basil Soup