Baked Brie Cheese with Sundried Tomatoes and Pesto

Baked brie cheese is topped with pesto, sundried tomatoes and pine nuts for a delicious twist on this traditional cheesy, gooey appetizer.

Everyone loves baked brie cheese, and this recipe gives it a deliciously different twist from the usual sweet fruity ones. Don’t get us wrong – we love those too and you’ll find the proof when you check out our other brie recipe – Baked Brie with Apples & Bacon. 

But, this time we wanted to put a more savory spin on our brie cheese. The toppings we’ve used add a depth of flavor that everyone will love. It starts out with a spread of pesto.

Add to that a mixture that includes sundried tomatoes and pine nuts. A sprinkle of fresh herbs on top gives it a beautiful punch of color, and the crowning optional finish is a drizzle of reduced balsamic vinegar.

Should you remove the rind for baked brie?

The answer to this is easy – it’s entirely up to you. A real cheese aficionado will tell you that the rind is an integral part of the cheese and should be enjoyed along with it. It is true that the rind is completely edible, but our take on it is this:

When baking brie cheese we like to scrape the top rind off. That way you’re leaving as much of the cheese intact as possible. The rind around the edge actually holds the cheese together as it gets all melty in the oven.

Another method is to score the top of the rind with a knife in lines about ½ inch apart. We’ve highlighted this idea in our Brie vs. Camembert post. Do you know the difference? Check it out as well as the recipe for Baked Camembert with Honey, Pears & Pecans.

If it hasn’t started to run out of the side by the time you take the brie out of the oven you can just push one spot down with a spoon or knife. Then watch that gooey deliciousness coming your way.

One option for serving baked brie is a small iron skillet like the one you see above. Ours is slightly larger than the wheel of brie, which gave us room to tuck in some toasted baguette slices. The real advantage to using the iron skillet is that it holds the heat, keeping your brie cheese warm longer.

If you want to move the cheese to a different dish like this cute little stand, just bake it on a square of parchment paper. Then you can easily slide it off the baking pan onto whatever serving piece you like.

Or, for a more rustic look, use a slightly bigger piece of parchment paper and crumple it. That works great for serving your brie from a board and the clean up is a breeze.

Baked Brie with Pesto & Sundried Tomatoes

A savory twist on baked brie has it topped with pesto, sundried tomatoes and pine nuts. Included are several tips for serving.

5 from 10 votes

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Ingredients

  

• 8 ounce wheel of brie cheese
• 1 Tablespoon pesto
• ⅓ cup oil packed sundried tomatoes chopped
• ½ teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
• 2 Tablespoons pine nuts
• 1-2 teaspoons fresh herbs chopped
• 4 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar reduced by half

Instructions

 

• Scrape top rind off brie with knife.
• Spread pesto on top of brie cheese.
• Mix tomatoes, olive oil, salt, Italian seasoning and pine nuts together and spread on top of brie.
• Baked at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until brie in center is melted.
• Remove from oven and sprinkle with additional herbs and drizzle with balsamic vinegar, if desired.

Notes

Fresh herbs and balsamic vinegar are optional.

To reduce balsamic vinegar heat over medium-low to medium heat, stirring, until reduced by half.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Items you may need for baked brie cheese:

• We love these shears for chopping herbs
• small two handled cast iron pan
• small cake stand for serving
• parchment paper
• a good quality aged balsamic vinegar

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