Europe in a Haystack-Italy #5FIX

Submitted by badams31410

"5-Ingredient Fix Contest Entry! It's a Caprese salad in a Haystack! Travel through Europe from the comfort of your kitchen with the help of Simply Potatoes paired with the classic ingredients of Italy! Buon Appetito!"

 

• Ready In: 1hr 10mins
• Ingredients: 5
• Yields: 12-15 haystacks
• Serves: 4

ingredients

• 1 (20 ounce) package Simply Potatoes® Shredded Hash Browns
• 2 -3 plum tomatoes (roma tomatoes)
• 8 ounces mozzarella cheese (fresh, the kind in the ball shape)
• 1 bunch basil (fresh, 12-15 leaves)
• 1⁄2 cup Italian salad dressing (your favorite brand, preferably one with balsamic vinegar in the ingredients)

directions

1. Preheat oven to 375'F. Pat potatoes with paper towels to remove excess water. Spread potatoes out in an even layer on a greased baking sheet. Put potatoes in oven and bake for about 30 minutes or until potatoes are cooked through, lightly browned and crisp. Set potatoes aside until cool enough to handle.
2. Slice tomatoes into 12-15 rounds, set aside.
3. Slice mozzarella into 12-15 rounds, set aside.
4. Pull apart potatoes and pile into 12-15 small "haystacks". Drizzle each haystack with a little of the dressing, top with a tomato slice, drizzle with a little more dressing, top that with a basil leaf, top the basil with a cheese slice, then finish with another drizzle of the dressing. Continue this process until you have assembled 12-15 little "haystacks". Serve as appetizers.
5. Note: these are meant to be 1-2 bites, although a little messy, we just picked them up and ate them all in one bite. It's all the flavors together that makes them so yummy!
6. If desired, you can pop these under the broiler once assembled to melt the cheese a little. We tried it both ways and it didn't change the flavor but it is always fun to have ooey gooey cheese:).