Easy Oven-Roasted Tomato Dip

Have you ever planned a get-together with friends and focused so much on the dinner that you forgot about a little nibble beforehand? Or you’ve offered to bring an appetizer to a gathering that’s a few weeks out? There's plenty of time, until it’s the morning of the party and you haven’t even thought about what to bring! I’ve personally been there on both counts and if you have as well, I’m thinking that my go-to Oven-Roasted Tomato Dip may be just what you’re looking for!

Roasted tomatoes over a blend of cream cheese and goat cheese, along with some herbs – how can you go wrong? May I just say that when my husband heard I was preparing this dip for a blog post, he was very excited he wouldn’t have to share with guests!

But wait! Are you thinking, “Oven-roasted tomatoes? They’ll take so long!”? I ask you to please note two things: First, know that you can always substitute a jar of sun-dried tomatoes in oil off your grocery shelf if you wish (you may need to cut them up a bit). It’s certainly a time-saver, especially when you’re pinched for time. Secondly, you can roast the tomatoes way ahead of time – and you can even make a larger batch since they store well in the fridge (be sure to keep them completely covered in olive oil). Once the tomatoes are roasted, the rest of this dip comes together in about 15 minutes!

I love using oven-roasted tomatoes in so many things from pasta to focaccia, so I nearly always have a container in the fridge that I’ve made myself. All that said, if you do choose to make them yourself, I’m including my method here. Note that in roasting a larger batch than what the recipe calls for, nothing will change but the volume of tomatoes.

First, I preheated the oven to 250⁰F. Then I simply sliced cherry tomatoes in half and placed them cut-side up on a parchment-lined sheet pan, as you can see in the photo above. I was making only enough for this dip recipe, so I used one 10-oz container of cherry tomatoes. I drizzled a bit of olive oil over the tomatoes, sprinkled lightly with salt and a few grinds of black pepper, and tossed a few sprigs of thyme on top. Feel free to use whatever fresh herb you have handy – rosemary works beautifully! I then popped them in the oven to roast and set my timer for 1.5 hours.

Since everyone’s oven is different (as are all tomatoes), look in on them at about 1 hour, 15 minutes. You’re ultimately looking for the tomatoes to have shriveled a bit and for some of the edges to begin to blacken, as you can see in the photo above – so leave them in longer, if necessary. This process really condenses the flavor of the tomatoes and brings out their natural sweetness. When they’re done, just set them aside to cool and remove the herbs.

For the “dippy part,” you’ll need one 8-oz package of cream cheese and about 4 ounces of goat cheese. You’ll also want to use more of whatever fresh herb you roasted with the tomatoes. I used thyme in roasting, so I’m also using thyme here. Place both cheeses in the bowl of a stand mixer. Since both are soft cheeses, they don’t really need to come to room temperature – as they whip, they will soften up perfectly. Using your whisk attachment, start your mixer on a lower speed just to start the cheeses blending, and then whip at medium-high for 3-5 minutes. You will want the mixture to be light and spreadable. You may need to whip just a bit longer if the cheeses were straight out of the fridge. If you don’t have a stand mixer you can certainly use a hand mixer. It will take a little longer, but it will be a good workout for your arm! I also see no reason why you couldn’t use a food processer, although this is not something I’ve done myself. (If you try it, let me know how it goes in the comments!) Once the cheese mixture is smooth, add a teaspoon of whipping cream and blend it in well (start your mixture slowly so it doesn’t splatter). This will make the mixture even silkier. If you’re out of cream, you can always use half and half or even milk.

While the cheeses are mixing, if you haven’t already chopped your herbs, now is the perfect time. I used about 1 Tablespoon of fresh thyme – but it’s really all about your taste and what you like.

Once your cheese mixture is smooth and spreadable, add the chopped herbs to the mixture and blend well. Once blended, scrape the cheese-herb mixture into your serving dish or platter. I like to let it land in the middle of my dish and spread it out using an offset spatula. Here’s what that looks like:

And here is the cheese-herb mixture in my serving dish. For your reference, my dish is about 8” in diameter and the cheese-herb mixture ended up being a little less than half an inch deep.

Now drizzle about a teaspoon of olive oil over the tomatoes, right on the sheet pan and toss them together, just to lightly coat them. This will give them a bit of a shine (and flavor!). Transfer the tomatoes to your serving dish or platter and spread them out on top of the cheese-herb mixture. I like to leave a little border of just cheese on the outside edges. Give a quick drizzle of olive oil, grind some pepper (being sure to hit those outer edges) & lightly crumble some large flake sea salt (such as Maldon) over the top. Garnish with a sprig of fresh thyme or whatever fresh herb you’ve been using.

Add your favorite crackers or crostini and your dip is ready to dive into. Enjoy!

Oven -Roasted Tomato Dip

Scroll down for a printable version of this recipe 

Yields: approx. 1 lb of dip

Prep time: 20 minutes 

Cook time: 1.5 hours 

10 oz package of cherry tomatoes

8 oz cream cheese

4 oz goat cheese

1 teaspoon cream

1 Tablespoon chopped, fresh thyme (or other fresh herb such as rosemary), plus sprigs for roasting and garnish

Extra virgin olive oil, as needed

Salt & freshly ground pepper, as needed

Large flake sea salt (such as Maldon) - optional

2. Slice the tomatoes in half and place cut-side up on a parchment-lined sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil, lightly sprinkle with salt & a few grinds of pepper. Toss on a few springs of thyme.

3. Roast for 1.5 hours. Check in at 1 hour, 15 minutes. Look for the tomatoes to have shriveled a bit and for some of the edges to begin to blacken. Remove from oven & let cool. Remove the herbs.

4. Place cheeses in the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment. Start a low speed, then increase to medium-high, whipping for 3-5 minutes, until smooth.

5. Add cream and whip until smooth and spreadable.

6. Add chopped thyme and whip to mix well.

7. Spread cheese-herb mixture onto a serving dish or platter.

8. Drizzle about 1 tsp olive oil onto cooled tomatoes directly on sheet pan & toss to lightly coat.

9. Transfer tomatoes to top the cheese-herb mixture.

10. Drizzle with olive oil, grind fresh pepper on top, lightly crumble some large flake sea salt on top and garnish with a sprig of thyme.

11. Serve with crackers or crostini.

Nothing goes better with appetizers than a glass of wine or a cocktail. Be sure to check out our Raise a Glass wine classes with Advanced Sommelier Mary Ross on April 12 and April 26 at 5pm. Spirits Expert Christopher Bakunas also hosts a Cocktail Happy Hour on April 19 at 5pm. All of these one-hour classes are followed by delightful wine or cocktail classes that will let you dig even deeper into the flavors and history of wine and spirits. Take a look at our class calendar for all the details.