When it comes to appetizers, my main requirement is that they involve cheese, so when an appetizer comes along that’s made entirely of cheese I am most definitely 100% in. While this Marinated Cheese Appetizer takes little more than cubing up some cheese and giving it a chance to bask in some herb-packed oil goodness, it transforms an already great thing (cheese) into something that people will be talking about long after the party’s over. As simple as an appetizer gets, but about as delicious as it gets too!
My preferred cheese for this is mozzarella because it takes on flavor beautifully, but really any hard cheese will work. A mild cheddar is an absolute winner here too. Just grab a pound of cheese, cube it up, and put it in a jar or a bowl. (A jar is great because you can store any extra in the fridge for quick snacking.)
Then you’ll whisk together what is essentially your marinade: olive oil, parsley, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, basil, oregano, red pepper flake, and salt and pepper. You can switch up the herbs to your liking; it’s a versatile mix.
Pour that over the cubed cheese and toss it so it’s well coated and then let it chill for at least two hours.
In that time, that delicious marinade permeates the cheese a bit so when you bite in you not only get the creamy, milky flavor of mozzarella but also a bright smorgasbord of herbs, garlic, and sun-dried tomato. It’s tasty stuff.
This will store in your fridge for as many as three weeks and — dare I say — gets even better the longer it sits. I make no promises that it will last long enough to sit in your fridge past, say, day two, since it tends to disappear as soon as you set it out. Enjoy!
Ingredients
1 lb mozzarella cheese, cubed (can substitute other hard cheese, such as cheddar)
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, or more as needed
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, minced
1 tablespoon oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh basil, finely chopped
1 teaspoon fresh oregano, finely chopped
1 teaspoon red pepper flake
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Preparation
Place cubed cheese in a bowl or glass jar.
In a separate bowl, whisk together olive oil, parsley, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, basil, oregano, red pepper flake, and salt and pepper.
Pour over mozzarella and gently toss to coat. Cover and chill at least 2 hours, stirring a few times.
Serve chilled and enjoy!