Top toasted baguette slices with this easy tomato bruschetta for an appetizer full of tomato, basil, balsamic flavor that is perfect for holiday parties!

I know parties are all about good times and great conversation, but for me they're really all about the appetizers. Honestly, I could eat appetizers all day long and be totally happy.

When going out to dinner for date nights with my husband, I often order a couple dishes from the appetizer menu and call it good. Except for dessert. I always like to order dessert.

While chips and salsa are my go-to appetizer, especially when you're talking this copycat Chili's salsa or the always crowd-pleasing cowboy caviar, I'm not picky.

I can eat an entire batch of this easy tomato bruschetta recipe just as easily as I can eat an entire wheel of baked brie with pepper jelly, a full bowl of spicy sausage dip, or every single one of these cheesy pigs in a blanket.

But I have an especially weak spot for tomato bruschetta. All those diced tomatoes combined with garlic, basil, Parmesan cheese, and balsamic vinegar make for one heavenly bruschetta recipe.

If you're asking yourself what is bruschetta, let me enlighten you.

What is bruschetta?

• Bruschetta, pronounced bru-sketta, originated in Italy. It is a starter (antipasto) dish of grilled or toasted bread rubbed with garlic, brushed with olive oil, and sprinkled with salt.
• Most people are more familiar with the tomato variation of bruschetta that includes basil, fresh tomato, garlic, and onion. Some even throw in mozzarella. Other variations include vegetables, cured meat, or cheese.
• The tomato-based prepared topping you can find in jars in your local grocery store is definitely a U.S. thing. Italians are all about authentic bruschetta.

Not everyone loves balsamic vinegar, so if you're not a fan, feel free to leave it out when making this recipe for bruschetta. But if you do love balsamic vinegar, I highly recommend the addition of balsamic glaze.

A little drizzle of that syrupy balsamic goodness adds the right amount of sweetness and bite to this tomato appetizer!

What really makes a yummy tomato bruschetta recipe is garden-fresh tomatoes. But what do you do if you don't have a garden? You head to your local Walmart for locally grown and sourced tomatoes!

Many people are surprised to learn you can buy locally grown produce at Walmart. Heck, I was totally surprised, which is why I headed to my Walmart to see what locally grown produce it carried.

Good thing I found these gorgeous tomatoes on the vine because they gave me the perfect excuse to make, photograph, share, and eat this easy tomato bruschetta recipe!

Walmart backs its fresh produce promise with a 100 percent money-back guarantee. If customers are not completely satisfied with Walmart's produce, they can bring back their receipt for a full refund—no questions asked and no need to bring back the produce.

Walmart's fresh produce promise follows commitments by Walmart to make healthier food more affordable. As part of that commitment, Walmart has saved customers more than $2.3 billion over the last two years on fresh fruits and vegetables in produce sections across the country.

If your schedule allows little time for grocery shopping, you can order fresh groceries online with same-day pickup. Have you done the same-day pickup thing yet? It will change your life!

Start your next shopping trip at Walmart.com/grocery and make sure you add all the ingredients for tomato bruschetta to your shopping cart!

Easy Tomato Bruschetta

Yield: 6 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Additional Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Top toasted baguette slices with this easy tomato bruschetta for an appetizer full of tomato, basil, balsamic flavor that is perfect for holiday parties!

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Ingredients

• 1 baguette, cut in 1/2- to 1-inch slices on the diagonal
• 2 1/2 cups finely diced fresh roma tomatoes
• 1 to 2 tsp minced garlic
• 1/3 cup fresh basil, chiffonade (stack leaves, roll tightly, and thinly slice perpendicular to the roll)
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 3 T extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 to 2 T balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 to 1 tsp pepper
• Balsamic glaze (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Combine tomatoes, garlic, basil, Parmesan cheese, olive oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. Mix thoroughly and let sit for 15 minutes at room temperature so flavors can marinate.
3. While tomato bruschetta marinates, place baguette slices on a baking sheet. Bake on the top rack for 5 to 6 minutes or until lightly browned around the edges.
4. Serve tomato bruschetta in a bowl next to bread slices or spoon mixture on slices and serve.

Notes

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Nutrition Information:

Yield: 6 Serving Size: 3 slices
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 294Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 5mgSodium: 565mgCarbohydrates: 41gFiber: 2gSugar: 5gProtein: 9g

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Walmart. The opinions and text are all mine.