Sunday is my “cheat day” in a weekly regimen of healthy eating. I snack on chips and sweets, or slurp down a Starbucks frappuccino. It’s a nice break before I dive back into the work week come Monday morning, and it gives me something to look forward to by, say, Thursday night when I don’t want to even glance at another fruit or vegetable ever again. Sunday’s snacking/sugar overload is like a reward to myself for making smart, beneficial nutrition choices all week- and it actually encourages me to stick to my long-term diet and fitness plan.

Sunday nights are especially fun, however, as it’s a bit of a tradition to whip up a snack to munch on during new episodes of “The Walking Dead” (bonus points if you don’t gag on your food during an especially gory scene.)  I’ve made tacos, onion rings, shrimp cocktail, etc., over the past couple of seasons, and last night- with a new episode getting closer and closer to airing, I wanted to make something really quick, REALLY easy, and relatively mess-free. These tomato and mozzarella sliders were the first thing to come to mind.

I love these so much that I decided to make a post for anyone who wanted to try them at their next TV viewing party- or just a party in general. They’re a great appetizer and only take about a half hour to prepare and bake.

YOU WILL NEED: (*PLEASE NOTE – I didn’t give specific measurement amounts because it varies on the amount of people you’re serving. I prepared enough sliders for two people last night and only used a fraction of these ingredients. Obviously, if you’re serving more people- you will need more.*)

* Olive oil

* Split-top rolls (baguettes work, too!)

* Plum tomatoes

* Package of mozzarella cheese (whether or not it’s pre-sliced is entirely up to you.)

* Fresh basil (minced.)

* 1 Baking pan lined with tin foil.

OKAY, HERE’S WHAT YOU DO:

1. Pre-heat your oven to 350° – 375°, depending on how quickly you want these sliders to cook and how crispy you want them to be.

2. While the oven is heating, slice the split-top rolls width-wise to desired thickness. Place the bread slices flat on the baking pan lined with tin foil.

3. Drizzle a small amount of olive oil onto the slices of bread.

4. Slicing the mozzarella (again- to desired thickness,) place the slice on top of the bread and olive oil. If mozzarella is pre-sliced, simply grab a slice and place it on top. Use more than one slice if you want a thicker amount of melted cheese.

5. Just like the mozzarella, slice a clean plum tomato width-wise, and place slices on top of the cheese.

6. Using a tablespoon (or a squeeze bottle/tube) add minced basil on top of tomato. Drizzle another small amount of olive oil on top of basil.

7. Carefully place the baking pan in the oven, and cook until the mozzarella has started to melt. (It took about ten minutes for last night’s batch.)

8. Remove the pan from the oven, briefly let the sliders cool to avoid painful tongue-burning, and enjoy!

You can stack these sliders however you wish, too. It’s really one of those “all about preference” sort of snacks that can be mixed and prepared in a variety of ways. This is just the way I, personally, like them.

And luckily, last night’s episode of “The Walking Dead” was more stressful than it was gross- so I was able to enjoy these without dry-heaving.

xo