Caprese Smoked Chicken Appetizer Picks

The classic caprese salad is made with tomatoes and fresh mozzarella cheese with leaves of fresh basil drizzled with olive oil. For today's Italian dinner, I've decided to start with an appetizer that brings in the flavors of the traditional caprese salad but serves them on a pick for easy consumption during cocktails. 

Julian's Caprese Smoked Chicken Appetizer Picks

To add a little twist, I've included a bite-sized piece of smoked chicken breast to the picks along with a kalamata olive. These are an easy make-ahead appetizer you can use all summer long. Assemble them completely except for the basil pesto, which you can drizzle on at serving time if laying them down or use underneath each pick if standing them up as I have done today. I will follow this appetizer with a Caesar salad and then a pasta main course and dessert. 

I'm not providing any quantity of ingredients as you can simply make as many as you prefer and easily substitute the smoked chicken with another item or skip it all together. 

Ingredients

Cherry tomatoes

Fresh basil leaves

Smoked chicken breasts

Kalamata olives, pitted (optional)

Fresh mozzarella pearls

Food grade wood picks

Basil pesto aioli (substitute good olive oil)

Instructions

Clean the tomatoes and basil leaves. Dry. Remove the skin and cut the smoked chicken into square(ish) bite-sized pieces. Assemble by placing a a an olive, cherry tomato, a basil leaf (folded in half for large ones) and a mozzarella pearl on a stick. Add a smoked chicken piece, but do not push it all the way through so the pick will stand on the flat side of the chicken piece. Repeat with the remaining ingredients. Refrigerate until 30 minutes prior to serving. Remove from refrigerator and allow them to warm slightly, then put a puddle of basil pesto aiolo or other favorite sauce underneath the spot for a single pick, then stand the pick in the sauce. Continue with the remainder. Alternately, lay them flat on a serving plate and drizzle with basil pesto aioli, balsamic vinegar glaze, or olive oil. Serve.