Oven-Fried Green Tomato Caprese Stacks with Basil and Mozzarella

No, I am not drizzling chocolate over cheese and vegetables.

But it does sound like something I might do, so I don’t blame you if you rolled your eyes for a second.

If it were opposite day I might call this chocolate. Since it isn’t, let’s agree it’s balsamic glaze — which, honestly, works perfectly. It’s sweet, tangy and the ideal finishing touch for these crunchy green tomatoes and melty fresh mozzarella.

Speaking of opposite day: where did that idea even come from? For me it began as a kid, probably in second or third grade, right after learning the copycat game where someone repeats everything you say. Eventually someone would snap, “Stop copying me,” and the next move was the classic comeback: “It’s opposite day.” I definitely used it as a get-out-of-chores card more than once — “Sure, I’ll do that horrible task… oh wait, it’s opposite day!”

If it really were opposite day, these are the things I’d confess:

• I did, in fact, spend nearly ten minutes drawing hearts and arrows in the steam on the shower door. I may even have written my sixth grade crush’s name just to see if it still looked the same when the fog lifted.
• Eric Northman? Totally overrated. (That’s the opposite-day version, anyway.)
• I’m definitely obsessive about things. Not at all. Except maybe about perfecting crunchy coatings and gooey cheese.

Opposite day seems to have resurfaced in a grown-up form through social media — you’ve seen the “said no one ever” quotes and sarcastic memes on Pinterest and Instagram. It’s basically the adult version of kids’ opposites, and some of them get a little tiresome. Still, every once in a while I come across one that cracks me up.

So in perfect opposite-day fashion: you absolutely should not make these stacks. Not even once. They are not delicious. The tomatoes are not crisp, the mozzarella isn’t perfectly melty, and the balsamic glaze is not precisely sweet and tangy. Really — don’t bother.

But since that’s obviously nonsense, here’s the honest version: you should make these. They’re an excellent appetizer — crisp, savory, and balanced by the fresh basil and bright balsamic.

Oven Fried Green Tomato Caprese Stacks

Yield:
4

Prep Time:
20 mins

Cook Time:
30 mins

Total Time:
50 mins

Ingredients

• 4 green tomatoes, sliced into 1/2-inch thick rounds
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 cup panko bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup regular breadcrumbs
• 1/4 cup medium grind cornmeal
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 12 ounces fresh mozzarella, sliced into rounds
• 12 large fresh basil leaves
• Balsamic glaze for drizzling

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and set a wire rack on top. Spray the rack lightly with non-stick spray.
• In a large bowl, combine the panko, regular breadcrumbs, cornmeal, flour, salt, pepper and cayenne. Mix well. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs lightly.
• Dip each tomato slice into the beaten egg, then dredge in the crumb mixture, pressing the coating to adhere. Place the coated slices on the prepared wire rack. Repeat with remaining slices.
• Spray the top of each tomato slice with olive oil or non-stick spray, then bake for 25–30 minutes, until golden and crisp.
• Remove the tomatoes from the oven and assemble stacks by alternating tomato, mozzarella and basil. Finish with a generous drizzle of balsamic glaze and serve immediately.

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: American

And no, I did not eat the entire batch myself. I would never do that — unless it was opposite day, in which case I absolutely would.