44 Ways You Can Cook With Mozzarella

With its soft, squishy texture, white-as-snow color, and milky, sour taste, mozzarella boasts so many richly unique qualities. Along with Parmesan, it's the darling of Italian cheeses and is wonderfully velvety and melt-in-the-mouth when eaten fresh, just as it is. Mozzarella pairs exquisitely with the richness of tomatoes and the herby intensity of Italian basil when served in thick slabs and drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar. In dishes, added to sauces, or as a topping, mozzarella is a fantastic melter and transforms into a spectacular stretchy cheese that is so satisfying to eat. It's this extraordinary texture that turns pizzas and pasta bakes into incredible dishes and elevates recipes into something special. There's no end to how you can use this fantastic cheese in recipes not only from Italy, but from other culinary corners. To inspire you, here are 44 ways you can cook with mozzarella.

You're going to love, love, love these herby, garlicky mini-mozzarella bites. They are a superb add to a charcuterie board or our on-trend jarcuterie creations, and perfect for an antipasto platter. If you want to enjoy them in a more low-key way, then fan out a few crackers and add some cheesy balls on the side. Or, add a spoonful to pep up your lunchtime salad with some creaminess. This recipe uses dried basil and oregano, but you can play with the flavors. Try adding thyme, black pepper, red pepper flakes, or ground cumin.

Recipe: Marinated Mozzarella Balls

Not that you need a reason to cook our easy chicken alfredo recipe, but one might be so that you can make this cheesy garlic bread to go with it. There are literally no words that are as good as the taste of garlic butter toasted on ciabatta with melted shredded mozzarella and a sprinkling of tangy Parmesan. After a firing under the broiler, the two kinds of cheese create stretchy satisfaction with strands of mozzarella as you bite and give the airy Italian bread a buttery taste that's beyond moreish. 

Recipe: Cheesy Ciabatta Garlic Bread

If you love an old-style pasta bake, then you're going to relish this recipe which is a new take on that. While it may take a few hours to cook, the prep time is literally minutes. Mozzarella melts into spaghetti, marinara sauce, and pepperoni slices, as well as ricotta, to create a creamy ziti-style casserole that serves up classic Italian flavors without any fuss. You don't even need a knife to do any chopping for this recipe which has got to make it a firm favorite for busy family meal nights. 

Recipe: Slow Cooker Spaghetti Casserole

If it's the cheese that's the star of pizza in your world, then you'll appreciate this marinara sauce-free pie. Not only is there no tomato flavor, but there's way more cheese than usual. In fact, it's a three-cheese recipe. The ricotta on the base creates a creamy sauce substitute while grated mozzarella is a must-have pizza cheese that creates that iconic elastic cheese effect. Parmesan shavings on top of this lift the understated flavor of the mozzarella. Let the crust cool before slicing to enjoy the cheesy feast to its max. 

Recipe: New York-Style White Pizza

Mozzarella, Parmesan, and ricotta are a terrific cheesy trio that enhances so many recipes, and this well-known Italian dish is no exception. The ingredients add a flavorful twist that's different than the usual layering of bechamel sauce, and is easier to make as well. Add sauce first so that the pasta sheets don't stick. If you're not a fan of beef, then use turkey mince instead, and don't forget to cover the dish with foil until the last 10 minutes. That way the cheesy topping will brown and bubble up rather than burn and dry up. 

Recipe: Easy Lasagna

Who says you can't enjoy a spoonful of melted mozzarella at breakfast? This recipe gives you the ultimate permission, with a baked egg recipe that's gentle tasting and ever so soft for days when you want a dish that's warm, comforting, and not an overload of flavors. The mozzarella melts, the Parmesan adds zing, and the polenta and tomatoes create a creamy concoction with an acidic edge. Serve without anything else as a one-pot dish that's just as good for supper as it is first thing in the morning.

Recipe: Corn Polenta With Baked Eggs

From family meals to potluck parties, there's something deliciously retro about a tuna casserole. It promises no-frills appeal and a serving of pure nostalgia. Along with tuna, pasta, and mushroom soup, you add peas for a flash of bold color. What does taste luxurious, though, for such a simple dish is when you mix in shredded mozzarella. You also sprinkle the cheese on top along with some panko toasted in butter to get a crispy, cheesy crust that makes this bake something special. Serve as it is, or with roasted broccoli or a wedge salad.

Recipe: Tuna Casserole

Sundried tomatoes, kalamata olives, and capers with fresh Roma tomatoes evoke the flavor of summer dishes. Meanwhile, mozzarella pearls are soft and milky and enhance all that this recipe has to offer. See how they soften so luxuriously and begin to melt in a Parmesan-rich sauce made with cream, chicken broth, and Italian seasoning. Together they create a stunning pasta dish that's greater than the sum of its parts. Make sure to drain the pearls before adding them to the pasta and mix them in really well so no one misses out.

Recipe: Creamy Sundried Tomato Pasta

Sharp cheddar can be replaced for gruyere or even pepper jack in this recipe. Even Parmesan, with its distinct flavor, can be replaced by other strong-tasting cheeses such as manchego. However, you really can't beat the oh-so-special qualities that mozzarella brings to a one-pot cheesy dream of a dish like mac and cheese. The strings of molten cheese as you spoon the pasta from the pot into a bowl are what make it so yummy. You can bake this in the oven with breadcrumbs once it's finished on the stove, too.

Recipe: One-Pot Mac And Cheese

There's something luxurious about the soft milkiness of mozzarella pearls. They are the star of this Caprese-inspired pasta dish. Why have a Caprese salad and a pasta dish when you can combine them? Add the grape tomato halves to the balsamic vinegar as a first step so that they are marinating while you prep everything else. If you want to add some more protein to this dish, then add some white beans, they'll work better than meat. You want to keep the flavors and essence of this dish fresh and vibrant. 

Recipe: Balsamic Caprese Pasta Salad

There are plenty of recipes that require a cheese topping to be broiled so that it browns and bubbles. However, all you need to do for this one is close the lid on your skillet and wait for the mozzarella melting magic to happen. As soon as this moreish Italian ingredient becomes soft and dippable, your work is done and you can simply enjoy this warming one-pot wonder. By cooking the orzo in tomatoes, you're removingthe need for lots of pots and pans. This is the perfect weekday meal. 

Recipe: One-Pan Cheesy Orzo Bake

Less is more with pizzas, and if you use quality ingredients, then you want these to shine. There's something so sublimely simple about a Margherita pizza, and using frozen pizza crust dough adds to that simplicity. A good tip is to use mini mozzarella balls for this recipe rather than slices as they melt perfectly to cover enough of the surface when they're spaced evenly. Canned San Marzano tomatoes are a must along with fresh basil leaves and a good olive oil to add once your pie is piping hot out of the oven. 

Recipe: Easy Margherita Pizza

The key to successful mac and cheese is the combination of cheeses you use. While Parmesan adds a lovely salty tang, it doesn't have the soft, velvety, and stretchy melt quality of mozzarella. So you need both, and this recipe also adds in cheddar and cream cheese as well. The way this dish is cooked, nice and slow, allows for the gooey sauce to really come into its own. All you need to do is give the ingredients a quick stir a few times and check there's enough liquid. 

Recipe: Slow Cooker Mac And Cheese

You know it's summer when no other dish will do but a traditional tomato pie. Perfect for lunch or brunch, try a slice with avocado, asparagus, or even some fresh fruit. It's important to let the tart cool down before serving as the flavors will be more intense and the consistency will be firmer. Mozarella and mayo create a creamy filling with nutritional yeast boosting the cheesy flavor. Don't miss the step of drying out the tomato slices, otherwise, the pie will be too liquidy and the pastry case may turn soggy. 

Recipe: Traditional Tomato Pie

Tis the season to be jolly and eat mozzarella any time of year. So don't think you have to wait until the holidays to make this festive-inspired sharing bread. As you roll each doughy ball to make your tree, you'll hide a wonderful surprise inside of mozzarella balls or pearls. You can use either, as long as you wrap the dough around them. This recipe suggests arranging the balls in the shape of a tree, but there's nothing stopping you from being creative and making a different design to pull apart. 

Recipe: Pull-Apart Christmas Tree Bread

You know how sometimes you just want a light sandwich? These are the times not to make this luxuriously rich and wildly decadent mac and cheese sandwich. However, when you want all-out irresistible comfort, this one is for you as it's three dishes in one. As if it doesn't already sound ultra cheesy, note that the pasta is made with Colby Jack, cheddar, and blue cheese. Mozzarella slices are the goo sticking everything together including the buffalo sauce baked breadcrumbed chicken. Now there's a mouthful. 

Recipe: Grilled Buffalo Chicken Mac And Cheese Sandwich

Don't you just love a clever culinary twist? Caprese salad is reminiscent of summer, and this season invites al fresco dining from garden parties to a cookout. Instead of a big bowl of salad, create finger food that adopts the classic Italian flavors of this dish. If you're not familiar with those, they are mozzarella, tomato, and basil. Adding cherry tomatoes, fresh leaves, and marinated mozzarella balls to skewers is pure genius. Thread them on alternately, ending with an extra ball of cheese to make them more tempting before drizzling with balsamic glaze. 

Recipe: Easy Caprese Skewers

With so many magnificent mozzarella dishes out there, creating a skull-shaped mound of cream cheese with Italian seasoning and shredded mozzarella doesn't exactly spring to mind. In essence, it's a fun, if not a little freaky, dip that's great not just at Halloween, but for party tables for anyone who love anything ghoulish. What's great is that beyond sourcing two pimento-stuffed olives you hardly need the artistic talents of Frida Kahlo to make this. It's simple and quick. Add whatever you like to dip from pretzel sticks and crackers to celery.

Recipe: Halloween Skull Cheese Ball

While shredded mozzarella is added on the top of this traditional Italian pasta and chicken dish, it's by no means a frivolous topping. Without it, this dish just wouldn't shine in quite the same way. Just as the rosemary, thyme, basil, and oregano bring a necessary herby note, the cheese marries the rigatoni, marinara sauce, and spinach together exquisitely. This stringy melted mozzarella top adds some comfort-food gooiness that really characterizes this dish as one to enjoy on a family dinner night or for supper. The green vitamin-rich spinach adds a feel-good, healthy quality too. 

Recipe: Rigatoni Fiorentina

The name of this dish is a little misleading, as the "parm" it refers to originally relates to the city of Parma, not Parmesan cheese. While you add Parmesan to this one-pot Italian star of a dish, if there's one cheese that's the leading ingredient, it's mozzarella. The cheese melts into the marinara sauce that covers the al dente penne which is studded with succulent pieces of breaded chicken. A sprinkling of fresh herbs, and you really have a winning chicken dinner that looks stunning in the middle of the table. 

Recipe: One-Pot Chicken Parm Pasta

Imagine this was a quick-fire quiz and you were asked to name three ingredients from Italian cuisine that pair well. A good answer would be mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil as these, along with olive oil, are the classic trio of flavors that make up any caprese dish. This recipe translates them into a gloriously tasty chicken bake made with succulent breasts. Make sure you use soft mozzarella made from buffalo milk rather than the more robust version that you can grate. You want the baked cheese to literally melt in your mouth.

Recipe: Caprese Chicken Bake

Mamma Mia. Mozzarella is the star of this understated homemade pizza, along with eggs, which aren't thew usual pizza topping. Less is more with a homemade honey crust topped simply with slices of cheese and tomatoes, sauce, and eggs. Ribbons of fresh basil finish the pie once it's out of the oven. The egg whites should be set while the yolks will still be nice and runny. Meanwhile, if you space the mozzarella slices evenly, they'll spread out when they melt. That means that every slice is topped with deliciously stretchy molten strings of cheese. 

Recipe: Egg Pizza