Mini Caprese Bites on a Warm Summer Night
These Mini Caprese Bites are the perfect warm summer night appetizer!
I’m so glad that hospitality is not always about me opening up my home, and that I also have very hospitable friends.
Last week my friend invited some moms and daughters to her beautiful back yard on a warm summer’s night. I think we were having such a good time, we lost track of time!
The next morning when I woke up, I counted the hours that we were together – seven hours! We started at 5:30 and left after midnight. And I think our daughters had a bit of fun, too. :)
(Photo taken by my Abby)
If you’re a reluctant entertainer, remember sometimes the easiest thing to do is to have everyone bring an appetizer or salad. Especially if you’re entertaining women, they are perfectly content with a meal like this.
We had melon wrapped in prosciutto, homemade salsa and chips, bacon wrapped chestnuts, bread bowl filled with amazing spinach dip, and a sweet strawberry green salad. Yes, my friends are fantastic cooks!
Since our cherry tomatoes are in fully ripe right now, I knew right away what I’d be bringing when I said “yes” to the invitation.
Mini Caprese Bites on a Stick. Light and easy. The essence of summer.
When’s the last time you invited girlfriends over for a light meal?
Get the Recipe:
Mini Caprese Bites
Ingredients
- 16 ripe grape or cherry tomatoes
- 16 fresh mozzarella balls or chunks, about the same size of the tomato
- 16 basil leaves
- 3 T. olive oil
- 1 T. balsamic vinegar
- 1 tsp. Italian seasoning
- Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Instructions
- Wash and dry the cherry tomatoes. Pierce the tomatoes with the toothpicks and lay them out on a plate.
- Fold the basil leaf in half and push it onto each tomato, on the toothpick.
- Next, push the chunk of mozzarella onto the toothpick, under the basil leaf.
- Place each Caprese Bite onto a platter.
- Whisk the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper and Italian seasoning together.
- Drizzle the olive oil mixture over the tomatoes and serve!
Hello and welcome to my home and table!
I’m Sandy—lover of food, family, cooking, THE BIG BOARD, travel, and bringing people together. Through great recipes and connection around the table, we become better, stronger, and more courageous people. Feasting on Life is real, and every time we do it, we grow a little more. Read more...
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Served these yesterday for a bridal shower, they were wonderful. I love Caprese!
I LOVE this! Such an easy app to bring to someone’s house…and so pretty! Those girls crack me up…oh to be YOUNG again :)
YUMMY! I just bought some fresh mozzarella and some goat cheese because next tuesday we are having a friend and her daughter over for grilled pizza!!! YUMMY!!
What a GREAT idea!! Last week end we made Caprese salads for our Bar B Que, with heirloom tomatoes, they were delicious!!! But cutting enough tomatoes and mozzerella to make 35 was quite a job~~ Now this week we are invited to friends (Tami Jones Partida’s) for appetizers and drinks, what a great new way to offer a health appetizer!!!!! Thanks Sandy you are the go to gal!!
Blessings
Curtis & Sherrie
Gosh, I have no idea – never? ;) But it’s a great idea. And those girls are so beautiful – each of them has their own personality just by the way they’re standing and their expressions. That is a great, great photo.
The faces on those girls have me peeing my pants with laughter!
Oh, yum. I love, love, love Caprese salad. I never would have thought to adapt that recipe into an easy and elegant finger food! These look delicious!
I love that Charlie’s Angels photo of the girls. Aren’t they all beautiful?
Easy and elegant! I’ll have to try this!
Instead of drizzling with dressing, I roll the mozarella balls in homemade pesto before putting everything on a toothpick. Left-over pesto can be served on the side for dipping (Caprese or French baguette).
great healthy appetizers that kids love!
Sounds like a wonderful evening. I love all of the appetizer ideas (will definitely file those away). I’d love to do this next month when it’s a bit cooler here and moms are settled into the new school year. Right now it’s hot and crazy!