I love appetizer skewers for parties. They’re easy to assemble and easy to eat. And they’re fun, too! All kinds of different components come together to make something tasty. These Italian appetizer skewers have juicy tomatoes, fresh basil, creamy mozzarella, salty salumi and sweet roasted red peppers. Add a drizzle of olive oil and sweet/tangy balsamic vinegar for a fantastic bite of Italian flavors that pair really well with red wine or a sturdy cocktail, like a martini. The skewers would also be great at a summer barbecue or even a bridal or baby shower.
This recipe might seem intimidating because it has 2 piggyback recipes. I hate piggyback recipes, they surprise you when you thought a recipe was easier than it actually is. But you can make the red peppers ahead of time and they’re SO AMAZING that you’ll want to put them on everything. The other piggyback recipe is the croutons, which are really easy to make. And if you didn’t already know, learning how fantastic homemade croutons are will possibly change your life. They’re so flexible, too! Leave out the garlic if that step annoys you, add fresh or dried herbs, use flavored oil or flavored salts, and use whatever bread you have lying around (try cornbread, yum!).
- 12 garlic croutons (see recipe below)
- 12 thin pieces of your favorite cured meat (i used pepperoni, you could use salami or prosciutto too)
- 6 small mozzarella balls (bocconcini), cut in half
- 6 cherry tomatoes, cut in half
- 6 small basil leaves, cut or torn in half
- 4 slices garlic and herb roasted red peppers (see recipe below), each slice cut into 3 pieces (you could use jarred ones as well)
- extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
- high-quality balsamic vinegar, for drizzling
- 12 small bamboo skewers
- Onto each skewer, thread: a mozzarella half, a cherry tomato half, a roasted pepper half, a piece of basil leaf, and crouton. The order doesn't matter, except for the crouton. You want the last piece to be the crouton because it's the base on which your skewer stands.
- Stand the skewers on a platter and drizzle lightly with the olive oil and balsamic.
- 2 cups of 1x1 inch cubed bread (use ciabatta, focaccia, or a crusty Italian or French bread)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil (if you have a favorite flavored oil, you can use it here. Basil, garlic or chili pepper are all great)
- salt and pepper
- 1 clove garlic, peeled and the bulb end trimmed
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
- Toss the bread cubes with the oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Toast the bread cubes for 8-10 minutes, tossing halfway through. You don't want the cubes to completely dry out, but you do want them toasted.
- Lightly rub an edge of each breadcrumb with the raw garlic bulb.
- 2 red bell peppers, cored and cut into 1-inch strips
- 2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon dried herbs (I used half dried oregano and half basil, but you could use Italian seasoning too)
- salt and pepper to taste
- olive oil (save the expensive stuff for another use, the oil picks up tons of flavor from the other ingredients)
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Combine the peppers, garlic and herbs in a medium-sized baking dish. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Add enough oil to the pan to almost cover the peppers.
- Roast until the peppers are tender and can be easily pierced with a fork, about 30 minutes.
- Store the peppers in the oil in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
