Roasted Beet and Fried Mozzarella Caprese Skewers

The following recipe and photography for this post were provided by local blogger Abby Thome of The Thome Home.

Sweet and earthy roasted beets paired with rich and crispy fried mozzarella, dipped into a balsamic glaze is a holiday home run. This incredible trio will not only take your taste buds for a ride, but the beautiful contrasting colors make this appetizer a centerpiece in and of itself. What’s even better is that the beets can be roasted a day or two in advance, so you have one less thing to do on party day. Whether you wish to skewer these ingredients into a portable bite or amplify the serving size by using full slices of mozzarella and roasted beet, this twist on a Caprese salad will be a bite to remember.

Roasted Beet and Fried Mozzarella Caprese Skewers

Ingredients

• 6 Beets
• 1 lb. fresh mozzarella, sliced
• 4 oz. basil
• 6 oz. Heinen’s Panko Bread Crumbs
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• Heinen’s Balsamic Glaze
• Kosher salt and ground pepper, for seasoning

Instructions

For the Roasted Beets

1. Rinse the beets with lukewarm water and pat dry.
2. Preheat oven to 375°F.
3. Place beets onto a baking sheet lined with foil. Be sure that there is plenty of excess overhanging foil as you will be wrapping the beets completely later.
4. Drizzle the beets with olive oil and generously salt the exterior.
5. Wrap the beets completely with foil.
6. Bake at 375°F for 60 minutes, remove from the oven and let sit for an additional 30-45 minutes to cool before handling. When beets are cool enough to handle, use a sharp knife or vegetable peeler to remove skins of the beets. Store in an airtight container in the fridge until you are ready to slice and serve.

For the Fried Mozzarella

Note: If you are serving this recipe as an appetizer, simply cut each circle of mozzarella into four segments. If you are using this recipe as a course of a meal, keep the sliced mozzarella in larger circles.

1. Pour 1/2 inch of vegetable oil in a large saute pan over medium heat.
2. Create a dredging station consisting of three bowls:
   Flour: Seasoned with a pinch of salt and pepper
   2 eggs: Whisked together
   Panko bread crumbs: Seasoned with a pinch of salt and pepper
3. One by one, take each piece of mozzarella and coat all sides in this order listed above.
4. Set the breaded mozzarella onto a plate next to the stove.
5. The frying process only takes 1 to 1 1/2 minutes total, so to prep, have a paper towel-lined baking sheet on the side of your stove to set the fried mozzarella to cool.
6. Place a few pieces at a time into the hot oil.  Flip over once after 40 seconds.
7. Remove from oil once the mozzarella is slightly golden.
8. Place onto the paper towel-lined baking sheet.
9. Sprinkle with kosher salt right away.

For Assembling the Skewers

1. Take your roasted beets that have been chilling in the fridge and cut into bite-size segments.
2. With an appetizer skewer, layer fresh basil, beet, mozzarella and finish with another piece of basil.
3. Serve with Heinen’s Balsamic Glaze for dipping.

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