These pretty St. Patrick’s Day appetizers are absolutely perfect for an Irish-themed brunch! They’re made with prosciutto-wrapped honeydew melon, Dubliner cheese and precious, easy-to-make basil clovers.
They may look intricate, but with a square cookie cutter, clover paper punch, kitchen scissors and just 4 ingredients, they can be made in a snap!
I made similar melon appetizers for my St. Patrick’s Day brunch this year. I already used cheese in a delicious potato and cauliflower hash, so I simply balled the melon, wrapped it in prosciutto and added little basil clovers.
Fun fact! did you know that a 4 leaf clover is not a “shamrock?” A shamrock is a clover with only 3 leaves. Once a clover displays a 4th leaf, it’s just a simple, (however lucky) “clover.”
Why This Recipe is Special
1. People can’t believe their eyes when they see them – They’re just so, so pretty!
2. The basil clovers aren’t just cute, they make the appetizer so tasty – They’re made with a simple clover paper punch by using basil instead of paper. Even though they’re small, they provide such a nice, fresh flavor.
3. They’re a lovely way to add St. Patrick’s Day colors without food coloring – I love orange and green for St. Patrick’s Day. But I hate green beer, bright orange cookies and other un-naturally dyed foods. Only all-natural green and orange ingredients are used in this recipe.
Ingredient Notes
Dubliner cheese – Dubliner is an aged cow’s milk cheese that’s similar to cheddar with a sharp, sweet and nutty flavor. I like it for this recipe because I think it pairs so nicely with honeydew, but you can use other cheeses if you like. Cheeses like mozzarella, feta, gouda and goat cheese pair equally well with honeydew.
Prosciutto – Make sure you choose a thinly-sliced prosciutto with slices that are separated by either plastic or wax paper. Prosciutto sticks together easily, so if you’re going to cut it to fit nicely over the melon, you’ll want to easily peel it away from the others.
Basil – be sure to choose basil with large leaves. It’s much easier to punch clovers out of big leaves than small ones
How to Make This Recipe
1. Slice 1 honeydew melon in half and remove the seeds. Slice honeydew into half-inch slices. Use a small, square cookie cutter to cut 16 squares into the honeydew.
2. Use the cookie cutter to cut 16 equal-sized slices of 7 oz. of Dubliner cheese.
3. Use a clover paper punch to punch clovers into 4 basil leaves. Punch 8 clovers.
4. Use kitchen scissors to cut 2 inch long strips of prosciutto.
5. Lay strips of prosciutto on top of each slice, and tuck it under the sides.
6. Put squares of melon on a plate, then stack cheese on top of each, then place the melon with prosciutto on top. Place basil clover right on top, and serve.
Common Questions
I used the 1.38” square cookie cutter from this set.
You can make them up to an hour before serving, but you’ll want to put them in a covered container in the refrigerator until then. Also keep in mind, they start to look a bit un-fresh after about an hour at room temperature.
This is the clover punch that I used to make mine, but you can easily find them at craft stores or other craft websites.
A Few Tips
1. If you don’t have a clover paper punch, you can use real clovers!
Well, specifically “wood sorrel” clover, which is totally edible, and has a lemony tang. However, “white clover” (generally the kind that grows in your backyard) can be poisonous. So be certain your clovers are wood sorrel before adding them to your appetizers. You can often-times find them in food stores in the plant section around St. Patrick’s Day.
2. If you can’t find honeydew, use cantaloupe!
You can still go for an orange and green color scheme with cantaloupe if you use a cheese like Sage Derby! It’s a naturally green cheese that gets its color from herbs and pairs beautifully with cantaloupe.
St. Patrick’s Day Melon Appetizers
Equipment
- cutting board and sharp knife
- 1.5 inch cookie cutter
- clover paper punch
- kitchen scissors
Ingredients
- 1 honeydew melon
- 7 oz. Dubliner cheese
- 3 oz. sliced prosciutto
- 4 large basil leaves
Instructions
- Slice 1 honeydew melon in half and remove the seeds. Slice honeydew into half-inch slices. Then use a small, square cookie cutter to cut 16 squares into the honeydew.
- Use the cookie cutter to cut 16 equal-sized slices of 7 oz. of Dubliner cheese.
- Use a clover paper punch to punch clovers into 4 basil leaves. Punch 8 clovers.
- Use kitchen scissors to cut 2 inch long strips of prosciutto. Lay strips of prosciutto on top of each slice, and tuck it under the sides.
- Put squares of melon on a plate, then stack cheese on top of each, then place the melon with prosciutto on top. Place basil clover right on top, and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Made with love.
Laurie Siegmund
We are flipping cut from the same cloth! I can’t with the paper punch with fresh herb idea!!! Thinking outside the box is always key! So happy to have you thinking one step ahead of me…Hahaha!