Spicy Caprese Baguettes are layered with creamy mozzarella cheese, jalapeno peppers, scallions, tomatoes, basil, drizzled with balsamic vinegar for an easy, yet delicious, appetizer. Try my Caprese Tortellini Pasta Salad and Chicken Caprese Salad for more of the same flavors in a salad.
Spicy Caprese Baguettes
When friends come over, it’s nice to have something easy to put together and serve. Spicy Caprese Baguettes are as impressive looking as they are tasty! The colorful display will grab everyone’s attention before they even take a bite! And, of course, once they take a bite, they will be hooked! For a main dish with the same great flavors, try my Caprese Hasselback Chicken.
Ingredients & Substitutions
Don’t let the name fool you…this appetizer isn’t always spicy; it depends on the heat from the jalapeno peppers. And, of course, you can leave those out.
Bread: I used a French baguette for this recipe. Any artisan bread, like French bread or ciabatta, would be delicious layered with all the tastiness.
Cheese: Fresh mozzarella cheese was my choice. However, to make the appetizer stand out a bit more, try a different kind of cheese like burrata cheese. It can be compared to mozzarella cheese because they are both semi-soft cheeses. However, be aware of its creamy center when you cut into burrata cheese.
Jalapeno Peppers: The jalapeno peppers are the reason this appetizer has the word ‘spicy’ in the title. I will explain how to get the most heat out of the peppers below.
More Toppings: Besides the jalapeno peppers for the heat, I also used scallions, tomatoes, and basil. And, of course, we can’t forget the balsamic vinegar to drizzle over the toppings.
What Makes This Spicy?
Without the jalapeno peppers, this appetizer is simply a Caprese baguette. When adding the jalapeno peppers, you can make this bite-sized food as hot as you prefer. Of course, you can add more diced peppers for more heat, but you can also be choosy when it comes to picking out jalapeno peppers.
To get the hottest jalapeno peppers, look for older peppers. You can tell if a pepper is older, or more stressed, by white lines or markings on the green pepper. Jalapenos actually turn red at their oldest, which you could also look for. Finally, for even more heat, after seeding and dicing the jalapeno, add a few of the seeds back in the mix; this is where the capsaicin is concentrated to give the most heat.
More Appetizers
Spicy Caprese Baguettes
Ingredients
- 1 loaf French baguette, cut at a slight angle into ¼-inch slices
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into ¼-inch slices
- 1 medium jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely diced
- ¼ cup scallion, finely diced
- 1 cup tomatoes, diced
- ¼ cup fresh basil, cut into strips
- 1 cup (255g) balsamic vinegar
- ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Arrange slices of bread on the lined baking sheet. Drizzle the slices with olive oil and toast for 12-14 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Top each slice of toast with mozzarella cheese, jalapenos, scallions, tomatoes, and basil.
- Drizzle with balsamic vinegar and sprinkle with sea salt. Serve.
Did you make this recipe?
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