This contemporary version of a Caprese salad is made with Stella Fresh Mozzarella, mangos, watermelon, basil and balsamic vinegar and is a perfect appetizer for when guests drop by unexpectedly.
One of my favorite things to make when entertaining is appetizers. I love the creativity in mixing flavors, colors, sizes and texture to arrive at a unique combination that everyone enjoys. Today, I am sharing a well-loved and traditional recipe using Italian style cheese that I have updated to include fruit. In every Caprese salad, using only the highest quality, fresh mozzarella cheese will have the best outcome. For me, that means using Stella Fresh Mozzarella cheese to create a contemporary version of a Caprese salad only in appetizer form.
Combining flavors that are sweet, tart and creamy is the goal. To design an appetizer that looks beautiful on a plate and is easy for guests to eat is also important. No fork and knife needed in this recipe. If you are not familiar with the Stella cheese brand, it dates back to 1923 where old world craftsmanship made a difference. It still does today, with all Stella cheeses from shredded to crumbled and sharp to sweet. The new Stella Fresh Mozzarella offers a clean flavor and soft, delicate texture just like what you would imagine when made in the Italian countryside.
Making this recipe is quick and easy which is why I keep the ingredients on hand for that unexpected knock on the door. I have also made this for cocktail parties using seasonal fruit and fresh basil as well. Now it is your turn to make this dish with your favorite fruits.
If you are looking for new cheese recipes, please check out Stella’s website, Pinterest, Facebook and Instagram for lots of delicious ideas.
Happy Entertaining!
- 1 Stella Fresh Mozzarella log, sliced into 1/4 inch rounds or to fit on watermelon cubes
- 1-2 mangos, cut into cubes
- 1/4 small watermelon, cut into cubes and seeded
- 3-5 basil leaves, cut into strips
- 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
- Skewers
- Warm balsamic vinegar in saucepan over low heat. Let it simmer for 10-15 minutes until reduced to thick syrup consistency. Remove from burner and let cool.
- Skewer fruit with watermelon, fresh mozzarella, basil and then mango cube.
- Drizzle balsamic over the top of mango.
- Put in refrigerator to chill.
- Enjoy!
- Use your favorite fruits for this dish.
My 6-year-old is going to love these! It combines several of his favorite things. I’m not sure what he will think of the basil, but I know he can get behind everything else.
Try really thin strips of basil. He may not even notice. Hope he likes them!
I love easy appetizers like these! I particularly love skewered food because it makes ti super easy to get lots of different flavors in each bite and there’s no mess.
What a great, refreshing snack for summer! These will be perfect to put out on 4th of july 🙂
Oh my goodness I totally wouldn’t have thought about combining these flavours but wow it sounds like it would taste so good! x
What a great new twist on basil and mozzarella cheese. I need to make these.
I won’t admit how many of these I would likely eat in one sitting. They contain so much of what I love about food!
They are honestly really good. Had a plate of them sitting on the counter to serve and one of my guests ate the whole platter! Makes me happy they are liked but now I have to make a new batch very quickly. lol
That’s hilarious! I could see how that would happen though. They’re small bites, and it can’t be wrong to have just one more, right? I want to serve these at an upcoming gathering.
This is quite an unconventional mix of flavours but it seems wonderful! I need to try it
I love making caprese salads. And them people look at it as if it was hardly any effort, but devoure it as if it was made of gold.
I never imagined eating mangoes with mozzarella, but I’m sure they are just as delightful! This is an awesome appetizer for parties especially this summer because watermelons are so refreshing!
Watermelon is great with balsamic vinegar, I didn’t expect it to be paired with mozzarella but with the sweetness of the watermelon and the saltiness of the mozzarella, that’s definitely a winning combination right there! Thanks for sharing this lovely appetizer!
I love the idea of combining watermelon with mozzarella, this would make a delicious appetizer option me thinks!
This is very nice! Easy on the hands as well, I like it. I appreciate the brief history as well.
What a great use of watermelon and cheese! All of these are my favorite to snack on! I did not think of putting them together. This looks amazing! Thank you for posting your recipe!
This is a wonderful idea and looks so easy to make! I am definitely going to try it soon. Thank you for sharing.
This looks so easy to do. I am thinking will this be a great combo but it looks too good not to try. I love mango so anything mango is sure to be good.
Wow! What a gracious hostess you are, I can’t imagine keeping perishables on hand just in case someone decides to drop by. Fortunately in Denmark, there isn’t a culture of dropping by unannounced, which I appreciate. But that won’t stop me from making these for my husband and me : -)
Sage, that is so interesting to know about Denmark! Thanks for the kind words.
I never tried this before but looks really delicious. I only use mozzarella for pizza and mozzarella sticks.
I bet the mango and watermelon are a wonderful and refreshing alternative to the tomato! I am definitely going to have to give these a try a the next BBQ!
Oh my goodness! These look incredibly delicious! I would have never thought to pair what you did.
Those look so amazing! I would love to try them out soon. I bet they taste delicious. I’m looking forward to making them.
This looks really yummy and perfect for summer! I love the combination, sounds like really refreshing with a twist.
Oh my gosh this looks absolutely amazing. I would have never thought to prepare mozzarella and watermelon together but I must try it. This would be a perfect recipe for a BBQ. Going to have to try it. Yummy! Thanks for the great idea!
Oh wow a combination I never thought would work! It looks so good 🙂
I love this idea! It is so different from our usual dishes. I love cheese, watermelon, and wine so this would be perfect for me. I think my husband would hesitate to try it but would end up loving it!
I would’ve never thought to pair mango and mozzarella – but this looks delicious!! I need to try it 🙂
I LOVE caprese salads! This is so cute and clever to add the watermelon and have them single serve!
This recipe is such a great twist on the old classic caprese salad, which is already one of my favorites in the summer. Mango and Watermelon are two of my favorite summer time treats, so I can only imagine how wonderful this is. Adding the ingredients to my shopping list!
What a great, amazing snack for summer! These will be great to put out on 4th of July!!
would love to try this in my next girls night! It my time to host the night!
My husband and I love caprese salad and eat them all the time as appetizers are for lunch or dinner. We also both love watermelon and mango. Thanks for sharing this new idea to make our meals and snacks more interesting!
I love when I put a hit of salt on my watermelon! This recipe looks perfect for summer entertaining.
Okay that is not nice at all, you have me drooling here at my desk.
I love that this includes watermelon. I always find that watermelon is so refreshing in the summer xxx
Ooohhh mozarella and watermelon … I both love those things so this would be a huge feast.
I like the food presentation I love to try this desert for family picnic. I recently purchased a watermelon slicer and finally I could used it for this. I’m sharing this post to my family and friends if you don’t mind. Thanks!
This looks super yummy! I love the way it was presented and plated. Anything with cheese it pretty much my favorite! Haha. I am such a sucker for cheese. =P