Mmmmmmm Caprese anything…
One of my favorite snacks in the summer is garden fresh tomatoes, homegrown basil, and balsamic vinegar on crostini. For summer parties and barbecues, anytime I am looking for something fresh, gorgeous, and packed with flavor, I almost always turn to some type of caprese creation.
Sometimes it’s caprese crostini, caprese bruschetta, a caprese appetizer mini-sandwich, or even a caprese breakfast bruschetta. But what happens when I’m in the mood for that classic Italian caprese flavor and have no bread in the house? Easy! I make these Mini Caprese Bites With Balsamic Drizzle. The recipe is simple and fast, which means no one has to wait long to gobble them all up.
Heck… Sometimes in the middle of summer, I’ll make a big plate of these for Brian and I (mine without the cheese) and we’ll have them for dinner out by the pool!
I source my tomatoes and basil from our backyard garden and try to always pick everything about 20 minutes before I’m going to make these delicious caprese bites, so they can go inside the magic chill-drawer in our refrigerator. In fifteen minutes, almost anything will get cold in there, and I think these bite-size appetizers just taste better cold.
The hardest part of this entire recipe is scooping out the insides of the tomatoes. If you grow or buy tomatoes that are too small, it’s harder to scoop out the sides, and your tomatoes may break apart. Ideally you want to use nice, plump cherry tomatoes.
I first wash the tomatoes and basil and slice the basil leaves into small strips. I then cut up the fresh ball of mozzarella into small pieces and use a small tomato corer to cut off the tops and scoop out the insides. This leaves a perfect hollow for the basil and mozzarella to go inside!
Once the tomatoes are ready, I wrap each small piece of mozzarella with a few strips of basil and stick it inside one of the tomatoes. Once all of the tomatoes are stuffed with basil and mozzarella, I sprinkle the bite-size caprese appetizers with a little salt and pepper, then drizzle a little balsamic vinegar over each one.
Word Of Caution: Make more of these appetizers than you think you’ll need. Trust me. Seriously. This Mini Caprese Bites With Balsamic Drizzle recipe is so good, that they will all be gone before you know it and everyone will want more!
Mini Caprese Bites With Balsamic Drizzle
Skip the traditional Italian Caprese Salad and make this delicious, bite-size, healthy appetizer that bursts with flavor.
Prep Time
Total Time
Ingredients
- 1 pint plump cherry tomatoes
- 1 large ball fresh mozzarella
- 10 sliced basil leaves
- 2 tblsp. balsamic vinegar
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Wash tomatoes and basil. Slice basil leaves into small strips. Cut the mozzarella into small pieces. Use a small tomato corer to cut off the tomato tops and scoop out the insides.
- Wrap each small piece of mozzarella with a few strips of basil. Stuff the mozzarella and basil inside a tomato. Repeat for all tomatoes.
- Sprinkle the stuffed tomatoes lightly with salt and pepper. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar. Serve immediately.
