Our girls have a funny little post-dentist visit tradition…
I always try to grab the first appointment slots of the day for Hatti and Tessa, but it still requires them missing the first hour or two of school each time. One such morning, almost two years ago, we were racing out the door, late for their appointments, and I realized we didn’t have their lunches packed. There just wasn’t time to go back into the kitchen, so I told the girls I’d grab them something after their appointments. The lunch they chose that day was Bruegger’s Bagels, just down the road from their dentist office.
And the tradition goes like this…
Hatti orders an Herby Turkey bagel sandwich with sun dried tomato spread and Tessa orders a blueberry bagel with strawberry cream cheese. Then they ask to have them both split in two and bagged separately, with one half of each bagel in each bag. They each get one savory, one sweet. It’s been a winning combination they continue to agree upon, and a lunch that I continue to treat them to after each dentist visit.
Which leads us to the recipe for this awesome Sun Dried Tomato Spread, a copycat version of the one from Bruegger’s. I found myself craving it so often, I just had to have my own jar of it at home, ready for lunch whenever I wanted it. No dentist appointment needed!
I love everything about this homemade sun dried tomato spread. Its vibrant color and smooth-yet-chunky texture, plus its irresistible sweet and intense tomato flavor are the perfect answers to most any sandwich or wrap. Pasta and roasted veggies also love to be enveloped in its yumminess. And stirred into cream cheese…a super delish dip, excellent on wheat crackers.
If you’re also a fan of sun dried tomatoes, be sure to check out this Sun Dried Tomato Pasta!
This sun dried tomato spread takes about 5 minutes to make. What are you waiting for?!
Sun-Dried Tomato Spread
Ingredients
- 1 6- oz. can tomato paste
- 1 8.5- oz. jar sun-dried tomatoes with Italian herbs packed in oil drained
- 1 T. brown sugar
- 1 tsp. dried basil
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- ½ tsp. kosher salt
Instructions
- Whir all ingredients together with an immersion blender, food processor, or blender until it’s a "smoothly chunky" texture. That’s it! Store in refrigerator for up to one week. Spread on sandwiches and wraps, fold into pastas and roasted veggies, or stir into cream cheese for an awesome dip with wheat crackers.
I’m sitting at my desk after just finishing an Herby Turkey (no lie) and thinking, “I really need to get online and find a recipe for this spread.” I did not think I would be able to track down a legit Bruegger’s copycat. You are my favorite person in the whole world right now. Thank you!!!
Thank you so much for posting this recipe! I’ve searched a lot at various grocery stores to find a sundried spread that was as good as what Bruegger’s has. When I couldn’t find any that compared, I searched online for a recipe to try myself and this has been amazing! I make it all the time now and use it as spread on sandwiches and bagels. Just this morning I made an egg white sandwich on a bagel with the spread! Thank you!
Isn’t it awesome?! I’m so glad you found this recipe. It takes any sandwich from boring to amazing. Thanks, Sarah!
Have you tried freezing this spread? I’m in a freezer meal group and am looking for a sundried tomato spread that I can freeze!!
No, I have not. I do think it would work, though. Please let me know if you try it!
Wow I love sundried tomatoes this looks great. Perfect for appetizers or snacks.
I can think of about twenty things to slather that on right now!
I love the post dentist tradition but I love this spread even more! I can see using this in so many places!
I’d like to spread this on anything and everything right now! Yum!
Do it! ;) Looking forward to seeing you later this week, Christine!
5 minutes?? I love it!
Right. What’s not to love?!
It took me a long time to warm up to sun dried tomatoes but now I really enjoy them (when mixed with other ingredients). I imagine this would also be lovely in a lunch wrap or a toasted panini.
Their sweetness is so delicious. I just made a wrap for lunch tomorrow at work…some of my husband’s grilled chicken, leftover from supper, plus a healthy shmear of this spread. Yum!
On a soft french bread this would be so good!
Yes!!
Haha, maybe I should treat MYSELF to that sort of tradition every time I go to the dentist… it might make me feel slightly more positive about it! You write so well, I loved hearing the history behind this recipe. The spread itself looks gorgeous. Love sundried tomatoes! This is my first visit to your blog by the way, it’s lovely x
I think doctor and dentist visits deserve a treat. Definitely! Thanks for your comment, nice to meet you!
I am seeing this spread across a big burger – very soon.
That sounds completely delicious!!!
This sounds yummy and I look forward to making it. Your girls are very smart indeed! How wonderful!
Thanks!
Smart girls — that sun-dried tomato spread is what I live for at Bruegger’s! :) Love this homemade version!
I always ask for an extra little tub of it at Bruegger’s. So good! ;)
Greta and Tessa are two peas in a pod. Horses, and blueberry bagels with strawberry cream cheese. That is her beakfast every morning.
The spread looks amazing!
I love that, Dana! :)
Love this spread, and I do the same with appointment times. The earlier, the better. 7a? Wonderful!
The color is absolutely stunning! I’m totally with you on stirring this into cream cheese… Holy-Yum!
Looks so beautiful…and I love sundried tomatoes!!
Oh yum!! This spread has to be robust in flavor with tomato paste and the spices added. What a tasty condiment to add to sandwiches. Thank you for posting Brenda!
You’re so welcome, Wendy!
I love sun-dried tomatoes. They are so flavor and delicious. This spread mist be amazing! Love the idea of adding it to bagels!