Mozzarella Caprese Skewers

There is usually at least one night of the week where the the others are dispersed to various places...so the little ones and I just get to "play" in the kitchen.  And I don't know about the rest of you, but I really could just live on appetizers!  Well today has been a fairly stressful day with a particularly LONG appointment at the pediatric asthma specialist for Lily, so something easy and comforting was just the ticket for me.  Some years back, someone gave me a canape set to make cute little hors d'oeuvres, so we drug it out.  They had fun making shapes out of the little breads, and creating little stacked sandwiches to their own liking.  Come to think of it - so did I!

These awesome little appetizer skewers are about two perfect bites each - crunchy toasted bread, fresh basil, melted mozzarella, juicy tomatoes, and a bit of Italian prosciutto.  Seriously... all you need is a nice glass of wine and you are SET!  

I would like to give you even ONE exact measurement, but there really aren't any.  We were just having fun as we went along.  Make as few or as many as you'd like.  Vary the ingredients to your liking.  Make them straight up cold and fresh, or hot and melty like mine.  Have FUN!

Ingredients: 

• French bread slices (or country white bread)
• Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
• Italian seasoning
• Fresh mozzarella slices
• Roma tomato slices
• Fresh basil leaves
• Sliced prosciutto 
• Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper

Step-by-Step:

Cut bread into squares or whatever shapes you want.  Plain old squares may actually work better, but we couldn't resist these fun shapes.

Cooks option - The little kids made their sandwiches with turkey pepperoni. 

Brush them lightly with olive oil. 

Season with Italian seasoning. 

Broil until lightly browned (about 3 minutes).

Layer the appetizers:  toast, mozzarella, prosciutto, tomato, kosher salt and black pepper, fresh basil leaf.  Repeat the layers, then end with a third piece of toast.  Skewer them together.  tip - consider soaking the skewers in water beforehand so they won't burn. 

Drizzle them with just a bit more olive oil.

Bake at 425 F for about 5 minutes or until mozzarella gets the desired about of "melted." Garnish with extra fresh basil and serve hot.

Written Directions:

Cut bread into squares or whatever shapes you want.  Brush them lightly with olive oil and season with Italian seasoning.  Drizzle them with a bit more olive oil, and broil until lightly browned (about 3 minutes).  Layer the appetizers:  toast, mozzarella, prosciutto, tomato, kosher salt and black pepper, fresh basil leaf.  Repeat the layers, then end with a third piece of toast.  Skewer them together.  tip - consider soaking the skewers in water beforehand so they won't burn.  Bake at 425 F for about 5 minutes or until mozzarella gets the desired about of "melted." Garnish with extra fresh basil and serve hot.

Looking for more fun recipes from my blog?  Please browse through my Recipe Index for tons of ideas to cook with and for your family.  Some are all from scratch, others make use of convenience items to get dinner on the table quickly.

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Here are a few great appetizers to get you started:

Baked Brie Dip with Sun Dried Tomatoes and Thyme

Louisiana Crab Claws Bordelaise

Dill and Sun Dried Tomato Cucumber Rolls

 
Vietnamese Style Lettuce Cups

Steamed Asian Dumplings

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