Spooky Caprese Skull Salad & Bruschetta Bites
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!
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 403kcal
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
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.
Nutrition
Calories: 403kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 30mg | Sodium: 841mg | Potassium: 295mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 942IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 239mg | Iron: 3mg