Star-Spangled Mozzarella Pesto Bites Recipe

These little patriotic appetizers for the 4th of July are really easy to make... but they're also super cute and taste great! This is also a good mostly make-ahead 4th of July party recipe... you can assemble the little tomatoes beforehand, and bake up the puff pasty stars, too. Just put them together right before serving.

One of the simplest Fourth of July food recipes that looks the most impressive!

Makes 24 appetizers.

Ingredients:
2 sheets puff pastry, thawed
3 tbsp. freshly grated parmesan cheese
12 large cherry tomatoes, halved
24 mini-mozzarella balls
1/4 C. prepared pesto

Instructions: 1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Using a star-shaped cookie cutter, cut 24 small stars from your puff pastry. You don't want them too big, or they'll overwhelm the rest of the ingredients.

3. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Sprinkle stars evenly with parmesan. Bake about 10 minutes, until puffed up and golden-brown. Remove from oven and cool.

4. Meanwhile, assemble your pesto-mozzarella tomatoes. In a bowl, combine your mozzarella balls with your pesto. Set aside.

5. Hollow out your halved cherry tomatoes with a small spoon. Insert a pesto-mozzarella ball into each tomato half.

6. Using a toothpick (or a little American flag on a toothpick to make this an even more patriotic Fourth of July food recipe), spear a tomato/mozzarella onto each star right before serving.

7. Serve immediately.

© 2010 Divine Dinner Party.com - http://www.divinedinnerparty.com