# need ideas: what to do with fresh mozzarella? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 23, 2015, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-ideas-what-to-do-with-fresh-mozzarella/710688 "2015-01-23T16:38:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2015, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-ideas-what-to-do-with-fresh-mozzarella/710688/1 "2015-01-23T16:38:39Z")
Other than eating it out of hand, of course. It’s wintertime here, so both tomatoes and basil are bland, outrageously expensive, or both. What else could I do with those little snack-sized balls of supermarket fresh mozzarella? Go nuts, Dopers. Get creative, get elaborate, keep it simple’n’tasty … just gimme ideas! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2015, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-ideas-what-to-do-with-fresh-mozzarella/710688/2 "2015-01-23T16:49:15Z")
Cut 'em in halves. Melt them on some good italian bread. Top with roasted red peppers. Salt and pepper to taste. Melt as above but drizzle with good EVOO, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper. Top with fresh arugula. Got good pepperoni? Pepperoni melts! ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2015, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-ideas-what-to-do-with-fresh-mozzarella/710688/3 "2015-01-23T16:51:20Z")
Panini. Grill split chicken breast, season with Italian spices. Take the mozz balls (heh), drain, smash flat (or slice), then stack with sliced grilled chicken and marinated artichoke hearts on your choice of bread or roll. Grill the sandwich on medium-low until the cheese starts to melt, then flip until cheese is melted proper. Enjoy! ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2015, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-ideas-what-to-do-with-fresh-mozzarella/710688/4 "2015-01-23T17:04:26Z")
Make mini pizzas. Split a hoagie roll in half, slather your favorite pasta sauce on each half, and top with moz balls. Broil then nosh. ---
**Author:** ![Lars\_Aruns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c68b51/32.png) [@Lars\_Aruns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lars_Aruns)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2015, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-ideas-what-to-do-with-fresh-mozzarella/710688/5 "2015-01-23T17:10:55Z")
Tomato and mozzarella salad. Use good olive oil, though. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2015, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-ideas-what-to-do-with-fresh-mozzarella/710688/6 "2015-01-23T17:13:44Z")
> [@QuickSilver](#): > > Pepperoni melts! Does not. ---
**Author:** ![dracoi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@dracoi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dracoi)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2015, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-ideas-what-to-do-with-fresh-mozzarella/710688/7 "2015-01-23T17:15:23Z")
They’re a perfect size to put in baked pasta. Cook your pasta (virtually anything works, but penne and spaghetti are two common choices) and add them and your regular sauce to a baking dish. Then toss in a few of the cheese balls and toss. Cover the whole thing with a layer of more cheese. Bake until it’s hot and melted all the way through - maybe 30 min at 350 with 10 minutes under the broiler to toast the cheese on top. The actual time depends a lot on how much time the pasta and sauce had to cool while you were prepping. If they’re both piping hot when you start, then 10 minutes under the broiler might be enough on its own. They’re great on toothpicks with an olive and a sun-dried tomato. This gives you a nice presentation for entertaining, tool. If you’re totally committed to ruining your New Year’s resolutions, try [Spiedini Alla Romana](http://www.recipelink.com/msgbrd/board_14/2007/SEP/28091.html). ---
**Author:** ![Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maggie_the_Ocelot)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2015, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-ideas-what-to-do-with-fresh-mozzarella/710688/8 "2015-01-23T18:26:23Z")
> [@QuickSilver](#): > > Pepperoni melts! > [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > Does not. :D:D:D:D:D LHoD, you owe me a new monitor. Also, please let me know where I should send this Internet you just won? It’s in good shape, but it’s fulla dicks. ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2015, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-ideas-what-to-do-with-fresh-mozzarella/710688/9 "2015-01-23T20:44:44Z")
\*\*dracoi \*\*- what’s so unhealthy about that recipe? Olive oil, anchovies … is it the amount of butter? ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2015, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-ideas-what-to-do-with-fresh-mozzarella/710688/10 "2015-01-23T21:06:54Z")
Get some peppadew peppers and some italian sausage. Make meatballs out of the sausage and fry them up. Stuff each pepper with a meatball and some mozzarella cheese. Bake them in the oven until the cheese melts. ---
**Author:** ![Motorgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e36b37/32.png) [@Motorgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Motorgirl)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2015, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-ideas-what-to-do-with-fresh-mozzarella/710688/11 "2015-01-23T21:10:46Z")
- fig paste + prosciutto if you have little balls, wrap them in a piece of prosciutto and smear on a little fig paste. if you have large balls, slice and put on crostini with fig paste and prosciutto ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2015, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-ideas-what-to-do-with-fresh-mozzarella/710688/12 "2015-01-23T23:02:04Z")
> [@Motorgirl](#): > > - fig paste + prosciutto > > if you have little balls, wrap them in a piece of prosciutto and smear on a little fig paste. > if you have large balls, slice and put on crostini with fig paste and prosciutto Wait. Let me check… 😃