This Easy Martha Stewart Appetizer Is Actually the Perfect Dinner

I have this thing about making a meal of appetizers. For instance, I assemble what is essentially a hot, seven-layer dip that I pack full of extra bell peppers and spinach (in addition to all the gooey stuff), and I scoop it up with tortilla chips as a main dish. I call it dinner dip.

To a certain extent, the dip-turned-dinner move feels like an indulgence while still being somewhat of a balanced meal. Also checking these boxes: Martha Stewart’s Roasted Tomatoes and Cheese with Thyme. The appetizer is one of my go-tos when I’m looking for an easy comfort meal that is veggie-forward.

Martha Stewart’s Roasted Tomatoes and Cheese With Thyme

This recipe—which smells as incredible in the oven as it tastes—is meant to be spread onto slices of a crusty baguette. My delicious hack: I spoon it onto a bowl of pasta for a filling, incredibly simple main dish.

Martha’s Roasted Tomatoes With Cheese and Thyme is exactly as described. A handful of ingredients, with the bonus of melty cheese, and behold: a meal in under 30 minutes with virtually zero prep. I’m exhaling just thinking about it.

A little thyme, salt, and pepper really go a long way here. And again, there’s the cheese. The recipe calls for a cow’s-and-goat’s milk blend, but I typically just grab what’s available, which is often a goat cheese (my favorites are Woolwich Dairy, Cowgirl Creamery, and Marin French Cheese Company, all available at Kroger).

When I’m making this recipe as a meal, I usually adjust the proportions a bit. If you’re aiming for just two servings, you can halve the amount of cheese (you really just need a few dollops); if serving four is your goal, double the amount of tomatoes and thyme.

Martha’s recipe is incredibly adaptable—I’ve added chicken to the pasta for extra protein and a handful of spinach for some green veg. (Pro tip: If you toss the spinach into your pasta bowl before everything else, the heat from the pasta and tomatoes will wilt it just enough.) If you’re a fan of leftovers, I like to do a quick reheat of this dish, smother it on a couple ofpieces of toast, and top with a fried egg. The possibilities truly feel endless here.

Though, even with all my variations, I do want to state for the record that Martha’s recipe is a great appetizer as-is—period. I just couldn’t help myself, because my philosophy is, why stop there?