(a.k.a. Eyeball Hors d’Oeuvres)
Here’s another easy but delicious appetizer for your repertoire. These Prosciutto Mozzarella Nests are incredibly simple to put together but look great in a fancy appetizer spread. If you’re interested in a Halloween themed dinner party, call them Eyeball Hors d’Oeuvres when you serve them. However, if you are going for fancy, I probably wouldn’t call them that. 😛
With my savory tooth, these little bites are some of my favorite things. Give them a try for your next dinner party!
What You Need to Make Prosciutto Mozzarella Nests
Equipment
- Cutting Board
- Chef’s Knife – Optional. This is for cutting the prosciutto slices and olives in half. You can just use the paring knife if you prefer.
- Paring Knife
- Grapefruit Spoon – Or other pointed utensil for carving out a divot in each mozzarella ball. The tip of an old fashioned peeler would work too.
Ingredients
- Prosciutto – I get mine in a large package at Sam’s Club because that’s where I typically find the best price. You could also use another type of cured ham like Jamón Ibérico, Jamón Serrano, or Capicola if you prefer or if that’s what you can find.
- Mozzarella Balls in Herbed Olive Oil – I buy a premixed “Mozzarella Salad” from Sam’s Club because it’s easy and already marinated. If you can’t find something like that, you can take a look at the Recipe Notes for an alternative way to make it yourself. Or you can just use non marinated mozzarella balls. The marinade adds a little flavor, but you’ve already got the olive there which is pretty powerful all by itself. This will still be a tasty appetizer if you don’t use marinated mozzarella.
- Manzanilla Olives stuffed with Pimentos – You can really use any green olives stuffed with pimentos.
Getting Started with Making Prosciutto Mozzarella Nests (a.k.a. Eyeball Hors d’Oeuvres)
Whether you’re planning to call these tasty snacks “Prosciutto Mozzarella Nests” or “Eyeball Hors d’Oeuvres”, they are incredibly simple to put together.
We’re going to prep each ingredient and then just place them in a little assembly line by the serving plate.
This recipe is for 30 nests but you can easily scale up or down to your desired number. You need 1 slice of prosciutto, 1 olive, and two mozzarella balls for 2 nests. I estimate 3 – 4 nests per person.
Prepping the Ingredients
First, we’ll go ahead and cut the prosciutto slices in half.
Then cut the olives in half shortways. i.e., You should have an olive circle with a dot of pimento showing in the center.
Next, we need to carve out the divots in the mozzarella balls for the olive halves to fit into. I used a combination of a sharp paring knife and a grapefruit spoon to cut a small well out of each mozzarella ball. Pro Tip: To prevent the balls from rolling around, I set them down on their flattest sides before carving my divots.
Assembling the Prosciutto Mozzarella Nests (a.k.a. Eyeball Hors d’Oeuvres)
To make this go as efficiently as possible, set the serving plate in front of you and arrange the 3 ingredients next to it.
Wrap a half slice of prosciutto around the outside edge of a mozzarella ball and set it on the serving plate with the divot facing up. Stick a half olive into the mozzarella divot with the cut side facing up. You should see the little dot of pimento.
Serving
Arrange them on the serving plate and they’re ready to serve. In the event you are prepping these a bit in advance, simply cover them with plastic wrap and stick them in the fridge until you’re ready for them.
If you’re sticking to a Halloween theme, call these “Eyeball Hors d’Oeuvres” when you set them out. If this is any other dinner party, I’d stick to calling them “Prosciutto Mozzarella Nests” in the interest of not putting the idea disconnected eyeballs into your guests’ heads. 😛
Related Recipes
Do you need some ideas of what else to serve with your Prosciutto Mozzarella Nests?
If you’re calling these Eyeball Hors d’Oeuvres for a Halloween theme, you might want to try:
- Bloody Coffin Brie (a.k.a. Melty Chili Garlic Brie)
- Stuffed Pepper Jack-O-Lanterns
- Keto Black Bat Crackers with Blood Moon Soup (a.k.a. Roasted Tomato Poblano Soup)
- Sugar Free Witch Finger Cookies
For a full Halloween themed menu and shopping list, check out my Casual Halloween Dinner Party.
If you happen to love prosciutto like I do, here are some other appetizer recipes you might be interested in:
Prosciutto Mozzarella Nests (a.k.a. Eyeball Hors d’Oeuvres)
Ingredients
- 15 slices Prosciutto cut in half
- 15 Manzanilla Olives stuffed with Pimentos Sliced in half shortways. Any green olives stuffed with pimentos will be fine.
- 30 Mozzarella Balls in Herbed Olive Oil See Recipe Notes for alternatives
Instructions
- Cut 15 slices Prosciutto in half so you have 30 shorter pieces.15 slices Prosciutto
- Slice 15 Manzanilla Olives in half short ways, making sure there is some pimento visible in each half.15 Manzanilla Olives stuffed with Pimentos
- Take 30 Mozzarella Balls and use a paring knife or grapefruit spoon to carve out a divot for half an olive to fit into.30 Mozzarella Balls in Herbed Olive Oil
- With the divot facing up, wrap a half slice of prosciutto around each mozzarella ball and place it on the serving plate. Stuff a half olive into the divot of each mozzarella ball.
- Cover with plastic wrap and store in the fridge until ready to serve.
Equipment
- Chef's Knife Optional. This is for cutting the prosciutto slices and olives in half. You can just use the paring knife if you prefer.
- Grapefruit Spoon Or other pointed utensil for carving out a divot in each mozzarella ball. The tip of an old fashioned peeler would work too.
Notes
- Alternative Suggestions for Mozzarella Balls in Herbed Olive Oil
- I find this as a premade “Italian Mozzarella Salad” in the refrigerated foods section at Sam’s Club.
- If you can’t find a premade version, you can make your own by mixing the following ingredients and letting them marinate in the fridge for at least an hour:
- 30 balls of fresh Ciliegine mozzarella
- ½ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 tablespoon Italian Seasoning
- ½ teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes (optional)
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