Spooky Caprese Skull Salad & Bruschetta Bites is an Italian classic with an impressive Halloween makeover. It includes juicy grape tomatoes, fresh basil, and the star of the show - mozzarella cheese shaped into tiny skulls!
Drizzle this salad with a tangy homemade dressing and sweet balsamic glaze, and you've got a dish that's both a salad and a bruschetta topping. It's perfect for your Halloween festivities or just spending time with family and friends.
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Why You'll Love Spooky Caprese Salad and Bruschetta Bites
- Versatile: Serves as both a salad and bruschetta topping.
- Visually striking: Skull-shaped mozzarella adds a spooky flair to this traditional Italian salad.
- Fresh Ingredients: Uses juicy tomatoes for optimal flavor.
- Crowd-Pleasing: Perfect for parties and for Halloween or autumn-themed events.
Ingredients - Here's What You'll Need
- The Tomatoes: I used juicy grape tomatoes in this salad.
- The Basil: The basil in this salad came from my garden, so I know it's fresh.
- The Cheese Skulls: I used fresh sliced mozzarella for the cheese skulls, which I formed into skulls using my silicone skull mold.
- The Dressing: The flavorful dressing included olive oil, white wine vinegar, fresh minced garlic, Dijon mustard, dried parsley, dried thyme, dried oregano, Kosher salt, and black pepper.
- Balsamic Glaze: No need to make your own - store-bought balsamic glaze tastes great.
Making the Spooky Caprese Salad: Step-by-Step
- The first thing that I did was to make the skull mozzarella cheese. I cut each slice of fresh mozzarella in half and pressed each half into the cavities of my silicone skull mold.
- Then, I heated the mozzarella cheese in a 350°F oven for six minutes to soften it. After six minutes, I removed the cheese from the oven and used the back of a small spoon to press it into the mold. I used a paper towel to blot the liquid the cheese released.
- I allowed the cheese to cool. Then, I pressed the cheese skulls from the silicone mold. I repeated this several more times until I had used all of the cheese.
- To prep the tomatoes, all that was required was cutting them in half.
- After cutting the tomatoes in half, I roughly chopped the fresh basil.
- The final prep involved making the dressing. I added olive oil, white wine vinegar, minced garlic, Dijon mustard, dried parsley, dried thyme, dried oregano, Kosher salt, and pepper to a small jar with a lid. Once I had added all the ingredients, I secured the lid and gave the jar a good shake. That's it for the dressing!
- Once I had everything prepped, making the salad was super easy. I added the tomatoes, basil, mozzarella skulls, and dressing to a bowl and tossed the ingredients together.
- Finally, I transferred the Spooky Caprese Salad to a serving bowl.
This Spooky Caprese Salad was out of this world good and was a perfect bruschetta topping. With its perfect balance of flavors, visually appealing presentation, and versatile serving options, it's a hauntingly delicious way to celebrate Halloween.
Whether enjoyed as a refreshing salad or a crispy bruschetta topping, this spooktacular dish will have your guests coming back for more. Yum!
Frequently Asked Questions
You can prepare the components beforehand, but it's best to assemble the salad just before serving. Prepare the skull-shaped mozzarella and store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Wash and dry the tomatoes and basil, and make the vinaigrette in advance. Assemble the salad or top the bruschetta shortly before serving to maintain freshness and prevent sogginess.
A crusty French bread, baguette, or Italian bread like ciabatta works best for bruschetta. Slice the bread about ½ inch thick diagonally, brush with olive oil, and toast until golden brown. The bread should be sturdy enough to hold the toppings without becoming soggy.
While grape tomatoes are ideal for their size and sweetness, you can use other varieties. Cherry tomatoes work well, or you can dice larger tomatoes. Just ensure the tomatoes you use are ripe and flavorful. If using larger tomatoes, remove some of the seeds to prevent excess moisture.
Other Halloween-Themed Treats
Halloween is a fun time of year. Here are some of my favorite Halloween-themed recipes.
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Recipe
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Spooky Caprese Skull Salad & Bruschetta Bites
Equipment
- Silicone skull mold
Ingredients
Caprese Salad Dressing
- 2 ½ Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon white wine vinegar
- ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 small garlic clove, minced
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon dried parsley
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon Freshly ground black pepper
Spooky Caprese Salad
- 8 ounces Sliced fresh mozzarella
- 1 pound 16 ounces grape tomatoes, halved
- ½ cup fresh basil leaves, roughly torn or chopped, divided
- Caprese Salad Dressing from above
- Balsamic glaze for drizzling (store-bought) See Tip 1)
Bruschetta Bites
- 1 loaf French bread, cut into ½ inch diagonal slices
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
Caprese Salad Dressing
- Add all dressing ingredients to a jar with a lid. Cover and shake well to combine the ingredients thoroughly. Set aside.
Spooky Caprese Salad
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Lightly spray the silicone skull molds with nonstick spray and place them on a baking sheet for stability. Cut a slice of the fresh mozzarella cheese in half and press it firmly into the cavity of the skull mold. Repeat with the remaining cavities of the skull molds. (See Tip 2)
- Heat in a preheated 350°F oven for around six minutes to soften the cheese. Remove from the oven and use a folded paper towel to press the softened cheese into the molds to form the skulls and absorb the liquid released from the mozzarella. (See Tip 3)
- Allow the cheese to cool, and remove the skulls from the mold. Repeat with remaining cheese until all of the mozzarella has been formed into skulls. (See Tip 4)
- Place tomatoes, mozzarella skulls, and most of the basil in a bowl. Shake the dressing to ensure the ingredients are well combined and drizzle it over the salad; toss gently to combine.
- Transfer the salad to a shallow serving bowl. Drizzle with balsamic glaze and sprinkle with remaining basil. Serve immediately.
- Yield: 6 servings.
Bruschetta Bites
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Brush both sides of the French bread slices with olive oil. Place in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet.
- Bake in a preheated 400°F oven for 6 to 7 minutes or until golden brown and crispy.
- Remove to a serving platter; spoon on Caprese salad salad and drizzle with balsamic glaze.
Video
Tips/Notes
- I used DeNigris store-bought balsamic glaze. It's delicious!
- The 8-ounce package of sliced fresh mozzarella cheese contained 16 slices. Each half of the sliced fresh mozzarella cheese weighed around 0.25 ounces. I was able to get 32 skulls from the 8-ounce package.
- The fresh mozzarella gives off quite a bit of liquid when heated in the oven. Sometimes, I'll use a small spoon to help remove the excess liquid in addition to the paper towels.
- When I remove the skulls from the silicone molds, I like to place them on paper towels to absorb any residual liquid. Often, I'll make the skulls ahead of time and refrigerate them until ready to use.
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