Marinated Mozzarella

My sister has moved around a lot in the past decade. Although I would desperately like her to live nearby, I have had the opportunity to travel to some pretty cool places and get to know the areas pretty well. She has lived in Florida, DC, Atlanta, Nashville, and most recently, Seattle. Besides all the super annoying Seahawks fans (sorry, I root for the Cardinals), it is an amazing place to visit.

Seattle could not be more different than Phoenix. Everything is green, trees everywhere, and not to mention all the water. Rain versus sunshine. I am sure the people there miss the sun like I miss the rain. I have only been there twice and have gotten to do some pretty cool stuff. The number one destination spot on the Seattle tourist list, Pike Place Market.

Pike Place Market was so much fun! Not only did this Starbucks obsessed person get to go to the first ever Starbucks, I got to eat cheese. Oh yes…Beecher’s cheese. The front of this cute little shop has people actually making cheese. You can watch them make the most glorious little bites of heaven. Although there were several other wonderful things about this market, including my Grandpa Bob’s brick in the market, the cheese is the thing that I cannot seem to get out of my mind!

Beecher’s makes all kinds of cheese but the one that stole my heart was their marinated cheese curds. Little squeaky balls of cheese marinated in garlic, herbs, and olive oil. I make my sister get me these each time I visit now. They are even better than they sound. Nothing complicated, just quality and fresh ingredients. Yum!

Since I cannot get the marinated curds here in AZ, I decided to make my own version. Again, as you know, I like to make things simple. This is such a simple recipe that you can serve as an appetizer at your next classy event. It would pair well with a simple bowl of olives and a bowl of mixed nuts. This would be a great classy trio for a cocktail or dinner party.

Since cheese curds are more of a hard cheese, I needed a mild cheese that could stand up to the marinade. I decided on a simple, hard block of mozzarella. I absolutely love the soft fresh mozzarella balls but I think they would be too soft for this recipe. This is good for your wallet because an 8oz block of mozzarella is only about $2-3. You could also add or omit anything in this recipe. Feel free to make it your own! Just keep in mind that you will want it to be a little light flavor and not too overwhelming.

I am going to make this cheese in a mason jar because it will work well for this recipe and also because it is cute. You could also use a small Tupperware container. Basically you just need to mix the oil, garlic, seasonings, and herbs and add the cheese. It is that easy! Let it sit in the fridge for a couple of hours or overnight. I would also shake it up every once in awhile so that all of the cheese gets covered in the delicious marinade!

Marinated Mozzarella

1 8oz block of mozzarella cut into to cubes

¼ cup olive oil

½ tsp minced garlic

1 tsp minced basil (if you are using dried, I would suggest about ¼ tsp)

¼ tsp red pepper flakes

¼ tsp rosemary

Dash of salt and pepper

Mix all ingredients except the cheese in a Mason jar or small Tupperware. Add cheese. Stir or shake until all cheese is covered in oil mixture. Store in fridge for several hours or overnight.

#easy #appetizer