Breakfast Buffet Tomato Topper

You can substitute Teleme goat cheese for the mozzarella. Zinfandel is a good choice for the wine.

Serves 12

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 large shallots, peeled and diced
• 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes with basil, undrained
• ¾ cup robust red wine
• 1 tablespoon orange zest, finely grated
• 1 tablespoon fresh Italian parsley, minced
• 1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 8 ounces fresh whole-milk mozzarella cheese

1. Add the oil and shallots to a microwave-safe bowl; cover and microwave on high for 1 minute; stir and repeat in 30-second increments until the shallots are soft and transparent. (You do not want them to brown.) Add to the slow cooker along with the tomatoes and wine. Cover and cook on high for 1 hour or until the mixture begins to bubble around the edges. If your slow cooker has a simmer setting, use that at this point. Otherwise, continue to cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thickened.
2. Stir in the orange zest, parsley, basil, salt, and pepper. Reduce heat to low. Cut the cheese into small cubes and add it to the slow cooker, making sure it’s completely covered with the tomato mixture. Cover and cook on low for 1 hour or until the cheese is melted. Stir well.
3. If serving as a sauce, have a ladle available alongside the slow cooker. If serving as a fondue, provide fondue forks and appropriately sized pieces of crusty baguettes.

Serving Breakfast Buffet Tomato Topper

For open-face brunch BLTs, top toast slices with grated lettuce and bacon; ladle the tomato topper over the top. Or you can ladle the sauce over toasted English muffin halves topped with scrambled, fried, or poached eggs. Serve crisp bacon slices, ham, Canadian bacon, or sausage links on the side or under the egg on top of the muffin.