Baked Mozzarella Balls with Bacon

These bite-size, cheesy morsels are perfect for parties and get-togethers with friends. Plus, they're super easy to prep ahead and bake just before serving! Of course, you can always deep fry them, but that's messy...

Note 1: Fresh mozzarella balls, also known as bocconcini, are sold in plastic tubs in the specialty cheese section of your grocery store. They come immersed in liquid - so you'll be draining them before using. 

Note 2: Plan ahead because you need to freeze the cheese balls for at least 1 hour (and up to 5 days) before baking. This ensures that the cheese doesn't melt all over the baking pan. But, because you can freeze them for 5 days, this is also a great dish to serve guests because all the prep work is complete! 


Baked Mozzarella Balls with Bacon
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup bread crumbs (plain or seasoned)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound fresh mozzarella balls (bocconcini), drained and patted dry
Cooking spray
4-6 slices bacon, cooked until almost crisp (but not too crisp to fold)


Place the flour, eggs and bread crumbs in 3 separate shallow dishes and season each one with salt and pepper. 
Dredge the mozzarella balls in the flour and shake off the excess. Transfer the cheese balls to the eggs and turn to coat. Transfer them to the bread crumbs and turn to coat, pressing in the bread crumbs to make them stick. 
Transfer the coated cheese balls to a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze for 1 hour (and up to 5 days). 
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. 
Spray the surface of the cheese balls with cooking spray. 
Bake for 5 to 6 minutes, until the cheese softens (gooey is good) and bread crumbs are golden.
Transfer to a serving platter and top with pieces of folded bacon.