Easy cheese and tomato sandwich recipe that works as an appetizer or main dish. A simple and delicious gourmet sandwich that showcases garden fresh tomatoes.
These Scandinavian-style sandwiches known as Smørrebrød are easy to prepare. Totally impressive in appearance and certainly delivers on taste. Less bread and more toppings are a win for me.
Not your old fashioned cheese and tomato sandwich, this is kicked up a few notches. Ripe tomatoes and ricotta cheese make this a gourmet delight.
I am sure you have enjoyed lots of open sandwiches like:
- Smashed Avocado Toast – perfect for any meal of the day.
- Smoked Salmon and Cream Cheese Bagel – this classic is so easy to make at home.
- Fresh Tomato Bruschetta – perfect with pasta or as a starter.
- Strawberry Bruschetta – great for an appetizer or dessert.
- Cucumber Sandwich Bagel – you can serve this as an open sandwich.
Let’s not forget all the tuna melts and hot open-faced sandwiches with gravy too. The best part about great sandwiches is that to make it a full meal add a tasty side. This simple pea salad is perfect. Crisp, refreshing, and bursting with flavour.
Sandwiches with tomatoes fresh from the garden are the absolute best ever. With some simple toppings this sandwich goes from ordinary to extraordinary, pure delight in every bite.
Gourmet Cheese And Tomato Sandwich Ingredients
Super easy to find ingredients. Keep reading for some awesome substitutions and recipe tips.
- Sourdough bread
- Fresh tomatoes
- Ricotta cheese
- Olive tapenade
- Black pepper
- Balsamic glaze
- Fresh basil
Open-Faced Sandwiches With Tomatoes And Cheese
All you need to do is slice and layer. This is the perfect sandwich for brunch, lunch or dinner. Bonus points, you can ever serve it as an appetizer.
- Layer the ricotta cheese on the slice of bread.
- Top with the olive spread.
- Layer on fresh tomato slices.
- Add a sprinkle of pepper.
- Drizzle with the balsamic glaze.
- Garnish with fresh basil.
This tasty open-faced sandwich so simple to make and so delicious to eat. We happen to think it is the best tomato sandwich we have ever eaten.
Suggestions/Recipe Tips
Bread – I love sourdough bread. Any dense bread will work in this sandwich recipe. This is a topping heavy sandwich, so thin bread will not hold up. I did not toast my bread, but by all means, toast away it you like.
Cheese – I love the taste of ricotta cheese. It spreads nicely and tastes delicious. You can easily swap it for cream cheese, goat cheese or any kind of cheese slices you like.
Tomatoes – The freshest, best-tasting tomatoes work best. If you cannot find heirloom, beefsteak or Kumato are great options. Of course, if you grow your own tomatoes in the garden, those would be perfect.
Olive tapenade – This adds a delicious layer of flavour to this tasty sandwich. You can just use olives if you like, or replace the tapenade with an antipasto spread.
Balsamic glaze – Always a great choice. You could also just use a few drops of regular balsamic. It will be much thinner and the flavour will not be as intense or as sweet. Another delicious option would be a drizzle hot honey.
Garnish – Fresh herbs of any kind will work. I choose basil, but chives, dill, thyme, parsley or oregano are great alternatives. Skip the dry herbs on this.
Serving – I like to serve these as soon as they are made. You can store them in the fridge until ready to eat. Just be aware the longer they are stored, the chances of the bread getting soggy increases.
Be sure to check out the other delicious sandwiches, wraps and burgers on this site.
For more sandwich ideas, here are a few to try:
- Brie Grilled Cheese
- Curried Tofu
- Smoked Salmon Sandwich
- Egg Salad Wrap
- Harvest Turkey Wrap
- Sliced Corned Beef Sandwich
Open Faced Tomato and Cheese Sandwich
Ingredients
- 1 slice sourdough bread
- 2 ounces ricotta cheese
- 1 tablespoon olive tapenade
- 2 ounces tomato slices
- 1 teaspoon balsamic glaze
- pepper (to taste)
- sliced fresh basil (optional garnish)
Instructions
- Slice the fresh tomatoes and set aside.
- Spread the ricotta cheese on the slice of bread.
- Layer the olive tapenade on top of the cheese.
- Top with the tomato slices.
- Sprinkle on some fresh ground black pepper on the tomatoes.
- Drizzle on the balsamic glaze.
- Garnish with sliced basil.
Erin
I made as a quick lunch yesterday and am so happy I did! Easy and so quick to put together. Way better than our usual meat + cheese sandwiches. Thanks! Love the balsamic on there.
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
Balsamic is the perfect topping for these open-faced tomato sandwiches.
Jenny
Count me in on the antipasto spread! When you add tomato and goat cheese it’s hard to beat. Cheers!
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
I know right…it is so good on these open-faced sandwiches.
Nancy
What a simple yet flavorful sandwich. This is going to be my quick go to during these warmer days.
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
I agree, on a hot summer day this open-faced sandwich is so good.
Savita
Perfect for this summer season, so fresh and delicious sandwich. Loved how easy it is to prepare.
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
This is the best tomato sandwich in our house.
jan
thanks for the recipe for a new type of sandwich filling. was getting tired of eating them the same way.
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
You are welcome. Enjoy the open-faced sandwich experience.
Bernice
This is one of those classic Summer recipes that I wait all year to make. It’s simple but if you have the freshest ingredients (tomato) it makes the wait worthwhile. Summer on a plate!
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
I agree, tomato sandwiches in the summer are the best ever.
Jean
This sandwich makes a perfect snack on the go. They are easy to prepare and simply delicious.
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
I agree, this open-faced tomato and cheese sandwich is super easy to make and perfect any time of the day.
Andrea
loveee this idea! tomatoes and cheese are the ultimate combo!
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
You can never to wrong with a tomato and cheese sandwich for any meal of the day.
Anjali
This is such an easy and tasty sandwich!! Made it for lunch today and it turned out great!
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
So glad you enjoyed this gourmet open-faced cheese and tomato sandwich.
Jamie
This was the perfect sandwich for our picnic! The heirloom tomatoes went great with the goat cheese!
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
I agree this tomato and cheese sandwich is so delicious. Heirloom tomatoes are wonderful in this.
Glenda
One of my summertime favorites! Fresh garden tomatoes are so delicious!
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
I have to agree, fresh tomatoes from the garden are perfect in this open-faced tomato sandwich.
Carrie Robinson
Ooooooo…. yes, please! So perfect for all of these fresh summer tomatoes available right now! 🙂
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
YES you are correct. Fresh tomatoes are just what you need for this delicious open sandwich recipe.
Tara
Oooh, I fell in love with Smørrebrød while in Denmark. These look absolutely amazing and I love the summer flavors.
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
Thanks so much. These open-faced sandwiches are a hit for sure.
Janessa
This sandwich was absolutely delicious. I’ll be making this with my fresh garden tomatoes all summer long!
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
This cheese and tomato sandwich is just what you need for your garden fresh tomatoes. ENJOY!
Greta
I loved this sandwich. I made it for breakfast and everybody loved it. I’ll do it again.
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
I agree, this open-faced sandwich recipe is perfect for any meal of the day.