Baked Mozzarella Bites Food

BAKED MOZZARELLA BITES

Steps:

• Roll each mozzarella ball in panko and place on a parchment lined baking sheet.
• Freeze for 2 hours or overnight. You can then either place the mozzarella in a ziploc or cook immediately.
• Heat the oven to 400 degrees.
• Place the mozzarella on a parchment lined baking sheet, spray the breadcrumbs liberally to help with browning and bake for 6-10 minutes or until lightly golden and gooey.
• Serve with warm marinara sauce

FRIED MOZZARELLA BITES

Steps:

• Heat 2 inches olive oil in a deep skillet over medium high heat. Cut each pound of mozzarella and smoked mozzarella into 16 cubes. Set up a breading station: flour, 2 eggs beaten with 1/3 cup milk, Italian bread crumbs mixed with a couple of handfuls of grated cheese. Reserve the chopped parsley. Roll fresh plain mozzarella in flour, dip in egg, then coat in bread crumbs. Bread all the plain mozzarella, then add chopped parsley to the bread crumbs. Coat the cubed smoked mozzarella in flour, egg, then Italian bread crumbs mixed with parsley. The chopped parsley will allow you to distinguish between the fresh and fresh smoked cheese once fried. Place herbs into hot oil and fry 30 to 45 seconds. Be careful not to stand over pan, the oil will spatter a little because of the water content in herbs. Remove herbs with a slotted kitchen tool and transfer to a paper towel lined plate to drain. Season immediately with fine salt. Fry the mozzarella bites in batches in a single layer. Cook until evenly deep golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain and cool mozzarella bites on a paper towel-lined surface. Let stand and cool a few minutes so that the cheese will not be too runny when bitten into.
• For dipping sauce, heat a small saucepan over medium heat. Add extra-virgin olive oil, garlic and crushed pepper flakes. Saute garlic and hot pepper 2 or 3 minutes, and add tomatoes. Season with salt.
• To assemble your serving plate, pile mozzarella bites, alternating them with fried herbs. Set the dipping sauce in a bowl along side the balls and pile bamboo skewers or party picks on the edge of the plate to spear and dip the bites.
• Add some mixed olives, celery sticks, long bread sticks to round out this finger food selection.

ROASTED CAPRESE BITES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• Using a small serrated knife, cut off the top eighth of each tomato and hollow out the insides, leaving the sides intact. (Discard the seeds and insides.) Slice a small sliver off each tomato bottom so it sits flat. Drain well on paper towel, taking care to dry the inside.
• Sprinkle the tomatoes with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Stuff each tomato with a pinch of the chopped basil and a mozzarella ball and set on a small rimmed baking sheet.
• Combine the breadcrumbs with the olive oil, oregano and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt in a small bowl. Divide the mixture among the tops of the tomatoes.
• Bake until golden and the cheese is melted, about 10 minutes. Allow to cool for 10 minutes, then serve warm.

TOMATO AND MOZZARELLA BITES

Steps:

• Using a toothpick, spear a half of a tomato, a leaf of basil, a mozzarella ball, and another half of a tomato. Repeat with remaining ingredients.
• Place on a serving dish and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Mix the vinegar and oil together in a small bowl to serve as a dipping sauce.

LIGHT AND BAKED MOZZARELLA STICKS

Steps:

• Preheat a toaster oven on broil setting, or set an oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source and preheat the oven's broiler. Spray a small baking sheet with cooking spray.
• Insert toothpick vertically into each cheese stick half to mid-way point. Beat egg in a small bowl. Place bread crumbs in a separate small bowl.
• Dip each cheese stick into egg, then press into bread crumbs. Repeat dipping in egg and breadcrumbs for a double-thick coating. Place cheese sticks on prepared baking sheet and spray with additional cooking spray for uniform browning.
• Broil in preheated oven until golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Allow cheese sticks to set before serving, about 1 minute.

EASY BAKED MOZZARELLA STICKS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Unroll crescent roll dough on work surface and separate into 4 rectangles, pressing perforations together to seal. Cut each rectangle into 2 smaller rectangles. Place 1 slice of mozzarella cheese on each; roll up tightly and press edges together to seal. Arrange seam side-down on a baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, 11 to 13 minutes.
• Warm pizza sauce in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, about 5 minutes. Use warmed sauce as a dipping sauce for mozzarella sticks.

BAKED MOZZARELLA BITES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°.
• Heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Add 1/3 cup panko to pan, and cook for 2 minutes or until toasted, stirring frequently. Remove from heat, and place the panko in a shallow dish.
• Cut mozzarella sticks into 1-inch pieces. Working with one piece at a time, dip cheese in egg substitute; dredge in panko. Place cheese on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray.
• Bake at 425° for 3 minutes or until the cheese is softened and thoroughly heated.
• Pour the marinara sauce into a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at HIGH 1 minute or until thoroughly heated, stirring after 30 seconds(or heat briefly in a small saucepan). Serve with mozzarella pieces.

BAKED MOZZARELLA BITES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F
• Cut cheese crosswise into 15 slices; cut each slice crosswise in half.
• Top each of 30 crackers with 1 cheese slice; cover with remaining crackers.
• Place in 15x10x1-inch baking pan.
• Bake 8 minutes or until cheese begins to melt.
• Serve with the spaghetti sauce.

BAKED MOZZARELLA BITES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325°F.
• Cut cheese crosswise into 15 slices, then cut each slice in half.
• Top 30 crackers with cheese; cover with remaining crackers. Place on rimmed baking sheet.
• Bake 8 min. or until cheese begins to melt. Meanwhile, heat pasta sauce. Serve cracker sandwiches as dippers with sauce.

BAKED MOZZARELLA TOMATOES

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven (or toaster oven) to 400 degrees F.
• 2. Cut tomatoes into thick slices, and place them on a foil-lined baking sheet.
• 4. Salt and pepper lightly, add basil (as much or little as you like) and cook tomatoes for 10 minutes, or until tender but not mushy.
• 5. Turn off oven. Top tomatoes with cheese and drizzle with olive oil. Allow to sit in hot oven just long enough for the cheese to melt.