Super Simple Fresh Mozzarella and Basil Bites Recipe
Decisions, decisions! Who to cheer for… or in other words, who do I want to make mad? My friends in the Bay Area or my buds from Baltimore? Maybe I should just do a coin toss? One decision I don’t have to make is what I’m serving as an appetizer for friends and family for our Super Sunday supper. I’ve come up with an easy, tasty idea that both 49er and Raven fans will enjoy…promise!
As you probably know, this year New Orleans is hosting the Super Bowl. What you might not know is that the Big Easy has a very special place in my heart. Not only is it a great town for wonderful food and jazz, it’s also where we spent our honeymoon. We haven’t been back in awhile, but look forward to our return…hopefully, very soon.
I got the idea for this recipe from looking at a lovely, warm grilled cheese sandwich made with fresh buffalo mozzarella. It was a bit more complicated than the grilled cheese that I make…soak the bread, dip into flour and egg…but wow, did it look good! I wanted to make something like that, but way easier. I wondered what would happen if I added basil. One of our family’s favorite recipes is a salad of fresh mozzarella, basil and tomato. Maybe I could add a dipping sauce for that spark of tomato. Yep, that would be great!
In the past I’ve “cheated” and made ravioli out of “store bought” wonton wrappers…why not use them to cuddle a smidge of mozzarella and a sprinkle of basil? Then plop them into some sizzling olive oil, dust with a tang of grated Parmigiano Reggiano or perhap Romano, if you’re so inclined. Before the first play of the game, these will be served and gone before the first touchdown.
So enjoy today, whoever wins or losses, your guests will be winners.
Maybe next year Bengals…maybe next year Bears…you gotta keep on believing, right?
Simple, fresh and fast, make it the first play of the game.
Ingredients
- 1 package of Ovoline fresh mozzarella (about 15, cut in half to make 30)
- 1 egg plus 1 tablespoon of water for egg wash
- 15 fresh basil leaves, plus more for garnish
- 30 sheets fresh wonton wrappers
- 1 cup fresh extra virgin olive oil or canola oil (if your olive oil has sat in the pantry for months, use canola oil instead.)
- 1 cup of your favorite warm tomato sauce (yep, canned is acceptable here) or make your own fav.
Preparation
Drain the mozzarella on a a paper towel making sure that they are not moist or dripping with any liquid.
- Whisk the egg and water together with a fork.
- Wash and dry the basil leaves and then stack 5 together...roll them together into a little parcel, cut them length wise into little strips as shown...this is called chiffonade...very fancy term that means "cut into little strips".
- On top of one a wontons, place an Ovoline, cut in half.
- Sprinkle a bit of the basil on top.
- Brush the outside of the wonton with the egg wash.
- Press ends together and tuck the ends underneath. Let rest for about a minute. This is to seal the little parcels.
- Heat the olive oil in a LARGE pan till it reaches 350 degrees. PLEASE NOTE: DO NOT OVERHEAT THE OIL and do not use more than the recommended amount of oil, you are NOT deep frying.
- Place the little parcels in the pan and cook (do not crowd, about 8 or 10 in the pan are just right. Cook till golden brown on each side, about a minute.
- Drain on paper towels.
- Sprinkle with grated cheese.
- Serve immediately with your favorite warm tomato sauce.
- Enjoy!
Enjoy!
In our hectic world, most of us can't commit to having dinner with our family/friends every night, but maybe we can start to put aside Sunday to be together and share our lives and good food. Let's join together to inspire others to celebrate our old traditions and create new ones. 
Mijbil — Saturday, February 9, 2013 @ 10:17 am
Even if I now live in Sweden, I am Italian, and just taking a look to your beautiful pics makes me feel hungry : ) I will certainly try this recipe! : )
By the way, your lovely Pavlova hearts recipe from last year has been featured in my Valentine’s post http://mijbilcreatures.blogspot.se/2013/02/valentines-diy-projects-roundup.html
Wish you a lovely weekend,
big hugs from Sweden,
Mijbil
6 Wicked Ways to Use Wonton Wrappers | Editorette — Monday, March 4, 2013 @ 12:38 pm
[…] 1. Stuff it with Cheese – Since everything tastes better with cheese, it makes perfect sense to create bundles of cheesy goodness inside a wonton wrapper. If you are looking for a healthy alternative to a classic party appetizer, these Baked Mozzarella Sticks by Olive The Ingredients are a guaranteed hit. Or take it up a class with ReturntoSundaySuppers’ sophisticated Fresh Mozzarella & Basil Bites. […]
Pilar — Wednesday, March 6, 2013 @ 6:56 pm
They are delicious. I made with phyllo dough. Thanks for sharing. Greetings from Mexico!
Hannah — Thursday, March 14, 2013 @ 8:03 pm
just made these and maybe my oil was waaaay too hot but they exploded and thankfully, no one was hurt. They def look better in the pic…they tasted great but clearly, something was amiss.
Susie replied: — March 14th, 2013 @ 11:15 pm
I’m so sorry to hear that you had a problem and I’m so glad that no one was hurt. Let me ask, did you use a large pan? Did you check to make sure that the oil was 350 degrees? Could the wontons have been damp on the outside for any reason? I have made these many times and have never had a problem. I posted many “how to” pictures with this post just so it would be easy to understand how to make them. Maybe you are right and the oil was too hot.
Lauren K. — Thursday, March 28, 2013 @ 7:20 pm
You should report this site to Pinterest (http://sharefoodpics.com/?p=467 “Fresh Mozzarella and Basil Bites Recipe”). They are using your image without credit nor a link here! Thankfully they called it the same thing so I found you through a Google search. These look good. Can’t wait for a chance to make them!
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[…] is happening in my house soon. Mozzarella and Basil Bites. […]
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[…] Italian Night starting with Super Simple Fresh Mozzarella and Basil Bites Recipe From Sunday Supper and MeatBall […]
Tiffany — Wednesday, May 8, 2013 @ 6:56 am
Hi-
These look great! Do you think they could be frozen to be used a wk later?
Susie replied: — May 8th, 2013 @ 10:29 pm
I have never frozen these, but I do know that you don’t want any moisture on them when they go into the hot oil. Foods that are frozen get ice crystals and they also take longer to cook if not defrosted. I think that if they were defrosted and you made sure to pat them with a paper towel to remove any moisture that they would be OK, but do remember that frozen basil turns black, which is not very appetizing.
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Jane — Thursday, May 30, 2013 @ 12:29 pm
Is there a way to make these without frying and still have good results? Anyone tried to bake them?
Bpfeit — Sunday, June 9, 2013 @ 1:00 am
Does the egg wash make them wet on the outside?
Bpfeit — Sunday, June 9, 2013 @ 1:01 am
Doesn’t the egg wash make them moist on the outside?
Susie replied: — June 10th, 2013 @ 9:30 am
You don’t need to use a lot of egg wash, just a bit will do. Let it dry for 10 minutes to seal the little packets before cooking.
surkhab — Saturday, June 15, 2013 @ 2:14 pm
Simply amazing..
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[…] Πηγή […]
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June — Saturday, June 29, 2013 @ 2:36 pm
I must have doe something wrong because the wonton bubbled up. The bubble burst and the mozzarella oozed out leaving an empty pocket. This did not happen to all of them but most. Balls were dry and cut in half as instructed. Oil half way up a bit less than 350 B/c it really started to smoke. Love the idea but would try to figure out what went wrong.
Susie replied: — June 29th, 2013 @ 5:52 pm
I’m sorry that you had a problem. I use extra virgin olive oil when I make this, which has a smoking point of 365F – 400F. You may also use canola oil for this recipe.
I have done research as to why you had a problem and might have an explanation. If your olive oil had sat in the pantry for awhile it might have not been as fresh as olive oil needs to be for frying.
Busey — Monday, July 15, 2013 @ 10:50 am
Can you fry them in advance and heat them up when need( when guest arrive). They would be great appetizers, but cooking them when my guest are here will take away from social time.
Susie replied: — July 16th, 2013 @ 2:03 pm
I’ve never made them ahead to serve later. I wish I had time to experiment with this idea for you, but right now I’m swamped. Perhaps you could do a trail run before you are entertaining and see if they are up to par. I would drain them well on paper towels before popping them in the fridge, so they don’t get soggy. Soon, I hope to try brushing them with olive oil and baking them as an alternative to frying. I believe this will be a good idea for folks who want to make them ahead, then they could just pop them into the oven for a few and serve them hot and fresh.
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Christine — Thursday, August 22, 2013 @ 3:32 pm
I bake wontons/egg rolls vs frying all the time. Be sure to seal the edges well with egg wash and then brush the egg wash over the top of the wrapper. Bake at 425 degrees for 17-20 mins turning over halfway through. I use my baking stone. They turn out crispy and crunchy without the extra fat from frying.
Julie — Friday, September 6, 2013 @ 12:04 am
I just found your blog… Love your recipes, love your photography, and love your message! Truly so inspiring!
Karen Dawkins — Friday, September 20, 2013 @ 2:09 pm
Oh my goodness! This is fabulous!!!! We’re huge football fans and this looks so much yummier than frozen mozzarella sticks.
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[…] so addictive! We had to move the bowl away so we would stop eating it. I made smashed potatoes and mozzarella wantons. I highly recommend both! I of course didn’t get pictures of all the delicious food, except […]
Kathleen Taylor — Sunday, March 2, 2014 @ 6:24 pm
Can these be baked in the oven?
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[…] Recipe & Photo credit to returntosundaysupper.com […]
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