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    Urban Bliss Life » Blog » Elegant Appetizers: Ham, Melon, and Mozzarella Bites

    Published: December 18, 2017 / Updated: March 24, 2023 by Marlynn Jayme Schotland · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Elegant Appetizers: Ham, Melon, and Mozzarella Bites

    248 shares
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    Ham, Melon, and Mozzarella Bites are tasty, elegant appetizers that will elevate any holiday party table! I'm proud to partner with Smithfield once again to create this easy, delicious recipe I know you and your guests will love.

    Ham, Melon, Mozarella Bites elegant appetizers recipe on UrbanBlissLife.com

    Ham, Melon, Mozarella Bites party appetizer recipe on UrbanBlissLife.com

    It's December and officially holiday party season. Hooray!

    Are you throwing any holiday parties this year, or attending any? If so, I've got a mouthwatering, elegant appetizer recipe that is also super simple to make.

    Elegant Appetizers: Ham, Melon, and Mozzarella Bites

    Ham, Melon, Mozarella Bites

    When it comes to holiday entertaining, I like to take classic dishes and mix things up a little. I'm a big fan of the classic prosciutto and melon flavor combo, but parties this festive winter season beg for a beautiful holiday ham dish.

    Since holidays and Smithfield Ham go hand-in-hand (their Spiral Sliced Ham is a classic, yummy holiday centerpiece!), I decided to make bite-size party appetizers using Smithfield's Anytime Favorites Quarter Boneless Sliced Ham. It's perfectly cooked and evenly sliced, which makes pulling together this appetizer fast and easy!

    Ham, Melon, Mozarella Bites

    You just need five ingredients for this appetizer:

    • sliced ham
    • cantaloupe
    • mozzarella cheese
    • basil
    • balsamic vinegar

    Ham, Melon, Mozarella Bites party appetizer recipe on UrbanBlissLife.com

    Look how adorable these appetizers are! I love that they are easy to eat – you can easily mingle with guests while holding a glass of wine in one hand and skewer of ham, melon, and mozzarella bites in the other.    

    The sweetness of the melon balances so beautifully with the savory, salty ham, while the chopped basil gives each bite a fresh, bright flavor.

    Presentation Ideas

    Food presentation is part of the fun at holiday parties. I love that you can plate these ham, melon, and mozzarella bites in so many different ways.

    Ham, Melon, Mozarella Bites elegant appetizers

    If it's a smaller dinner party, I like giving each of these elegant appetizers its own little container, like the photos above.

    If you're making these for a larger holiday party, you could lay them in alternating directions on a serving platter, like the photo below.

    Ham, Melon, Mozarella Bites party appetizer recipe on UrbanBlissLife.com

    So that the cheese stays fresh throughout the party, I like to put out half of these appetizers while keeping the other half in the refrigerator. Then, when these delectable party bites start to disappear, I simply replenish with the remaining fresh appetizers.

    Sweepstakes

    Smithfield Ham - Ham, Melon, Mozarella Bites party appetizer recipe on UrbanBlissLife.com

    During the month of December, Smithfield is giving away a prize every day to members signed up for their rewards program, Smithfield Rewards. As part of 31 Days of Smithfield Cheer, there will be daily and weekly prizes as well as a grand prize of $5,000 to pay off holiday debt!

    All you have to do is log-in or create an account, and visit the holiday hub page, to be entered for the chance to win any of the sweepstake prizes, including gift cards, a shopping spree, and night out for the New Year.

    Use the secret word URBANBLISS when you register before December 31, 2017 and you'll be entered for a chance to win a trip for four to Beaches All-Inclusive Resort – Jamaica! See Official Rules for more details.

    Ham, Melon, and Mozzarella Bites Recipe

    Ham, Melon, Mozarella Bites party appetizer recipe on UrbanBlissLife.com

    Ham, Melon, Mozzarella Bites party appetizer recipe on UrbanBlissLife.com

    Elegant Appetizers: Ham, Melon, and Mozzarella Bites

    5 from 1 vote
    Prep Time: 15 mins
    Total Time: 15 mins
    Recipe by Marlynn Schotland
    Ham, Melon, and Mozzarella Bites are elegant, easy appetizers - perfect for any party!
    PRINT PIN RATE

    Ingredients

    • Smithfield Hickory Smoked Boneless Sliced Ham
    • 1 small cantaloupe cut in half, seeded
    • 1 8- ounce container fresh mozzarella cheese balls *
    • 2 tablespoons fresh basil leaves finely chopped
    • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

    Instructions

    • Start with about 6-8 slices of the pre-sliced ham. Slice into 1" wide strips until you have 20 thin ham strips; slice up more ham if needed. Set aside.
    • Using a melon baller, scoop out 20 round cantaloupe bites and set aside on a plate.
    • Take one skewer and slide one mozzarella ball onto the skewer. Then, fold a 1" slice of ham into a nice neat little rectangle and slide through skewer. Slide a cantaloupe ball through the skewer. Sprinkle some basil over the mozzarella.
    • Repeat until you have finished about 20 skewers.
    • Drizzle balsamic vinegar over the ham, melon, mozzarella bites.
    • Refrigerate until you are ready to serve.

    Notes

    * If you can find mozzarella cheese balls marinated in herbs, that's the best! Otherwise, any tub of mozzarella cheese balls soaking in water or oil will do.
    * You will likely have leftover ingredients. Just use as many slices of ham, mozzarella, and cantaloupe as you need to make enough for your party!
    MAKE AHEAD NOTE: you can make these appetizers as much as 4-6 hours in advance. Simply refrigerate in a covered dish until you are ready to serve.
    Tried this recipe?Please leave a star rating and comment! Then snap a pic of your dish and share it on social media. Tag @UrbanBlissLife and #UrbanBlissLife!

    Nutrition information is a general estimate. Actual nutrition details may vary depending on the exact foods & brands you use to make this recipe. It does not take into account any substitutions, toppings, or optional ingredients.

    Leftover Ham Recipe Ideas

    Ham, Melon, Mozarella Bites party appetizer recipe on UrbanBlissLife.com

    Since this recipe doesn't use up all of the ham in the package, here are some other ideas for the leftover ham:

    • ham and cheese frittatas (use this recipe, but add the ham!)
    • ham, mushroom, and spinach omelettes
    • savory ham, cheese, and herb biscuits
    • breakfast hash with ham and eggs
    • ham fried rice

    And be sure to check out the Smithfield website for more recipe ideas!

    What are YOUR favorite ways to serve ham at the holidays?

    This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Smithfield. All opinions, recipes, and
    photos are, as always, my own.

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      Reader Interactions

      Comments

      1. Carolyn M Vollmer says

        May 24, 2019 at 3:46 pm

        delightful idea

        Reply
      2. Meg says

        December 19, 2017 at 2:09 pm

        I'm so impressed with how melon and cheese goes together so well. I've mostly done melon with parmesan, but the mozzarella sounds good, too. I can see how the salty ham would also go well. I think this appetizer would make for a really nice light summer meal, too.

        Reply
      3. CAFFAHOLIC says

        December 19, 2017 at 11:04 am

        Thanks a lot for sharing this...though its winter but i was so curious to try this out and i actually did...Turned out to be super delicious and appetizing

        Reply
      4. Hillary Harper says

        December 19, 2017 at 1:33 am

        This looks so good! I love appetizers that come together in a snap so hosting is stress free :)

        Reply
      5. Catherine @ Ten Thousand Hour Mama says

        December 18, 2017 at 4:44 pm

        I always appreciate appetizers that can be eaten with one hand—it makes it so much easier to drink!!! ;)

        Reply
        • Marlynn | UrbanBlissLife says

          December 18, 2017 at 9:18 pm

          Agreed! LOL Thanks, Catherine! :)

      6. Melissa Chee says

        December 18, 2017 at 12:10 pm

        WOW! This appetizer looks absolutely delicious. :)

        Reply
        • Marlynn | UrbanBlissLife says

          December 18, 2017 at 9:18 pm

          Thank you! :)

      7. melissa says

        December 18, 2017 at 10:36 am

        such a beautiful blog! and great recipe idea!

        Reply
        • Marlynn | UrbanBlissLife says

          December 18, 2017 at 9:17 pm

          Thanks so much for the nice comment, Melissa! :)

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      Marlynn Jayme Schotland 2021 profile pic

      Hi! Thanks for stopping by! I'm Marlynn - a cookbook author, writer, photographer, and mom of two teenagers + a lovable lab retriever. Here you'll find my fast, easy, and delicious recipes, wine pairings, and travel guides. I hold a WSET 2 with Distinction in wine, and am a member of Society of American Travel Writers (SATW) and the International Food, Wine, and Travel Writers Association (IFWTWA).

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