This queso fresco caprese swaps the mozzarella of an Italian caprese for Mexican queso fresco, then pan-fries it into golden bites topped with pesto and sun-dried tomato. Because the cheese holds its shape, these sit happily at room temperature, which makes them a make-ahead party bite at about 2 grams of net carbs.
With the Oscars just around the corner I decided to start testing out some possible appetizer options for the event. As I confessed in another post I am absolutely obsessed with awards season. To the point where you could consider The Oscars as my version of the Superbowl. The important thing for me on this day is that I want all my hors d'oeuvres done and ready to eat at anytime. I don't want to have to leave my television to miss even one minute of the red carpet show. So I like to serve appetizers that are either able to cook on their own without my watchful eye, like my Crispy Garlic Parmesan Wings or like these that I can make up ahead of time and serve at room temperature. Simply make these up and fear not to leave them out for a while. Queso fresco is the fresh cheese in my keto cheese guide.
Why you can fry queso fresco
Queso fresco does something fresh mozzarella will not: it browns without melting. Mozzarella is a pasta filata cheese, stretched and stringy, so heat sends it into a molten puddle. Queso fresco is a fresh, acid-set cheese with a higher melting point, so in a hot pan it firms up and takes on a golden crust while keeping its square shape. That is the whole reason this works as a fried bite, and it is also why the bites can sit out: they will not slump or weep the way a mozzarella skewer would after twenty minutes on the table.
A Mexican-Italian caprese
A caprese is mozzarella, tomato, and basil. This keeps the idea and changes the parts, queso fresco for the cheese, pesto for the basil, and oil-packed sun-dried tomato for the fresh tomato. Concentrating the tomato and the basil into pesto and sun-dried strips means nothing waters down on the plate, so the bites stay crisp-edged and hold up for a party. It is a small fusion, a Mexican cheese carrying an Italian flavor, and it tastes like both.
Sources
USDA FoodData Central, nutrient references for queso fresco and sun-dried tomatoes.
Cheese references, on queso fresco as a fresh, acid-set cheese that browns rather than melts.
Sugarfreechic test kitchen, low-carb appetizer notes.
