Dragon Scale Spicy Pepperoni Cheese (Printable Version)

Overlapping spicy pepperoni and smooth cheese create a striking dragon scale appetizer.

# What You'll Need:

→ Meats

01 - 5 oz thinly sliced pepperoni

→ Cheese

02 - 5 oz semi-firm cheese (provolone, mozzarella, or cheddar), sliced into thin rounds or half-moons

→ Bread Base (optional)

03 - 1 baguette, sliced into ½-inch rounds or gluten-free crackers

→ Garnishes

04 - Fresh basil or parsley leaves (optional)

# How to Make It:

01 - Set oven temperature to 400°F to warm and melt the cheese slightly.
02 - Place baguette rounds or gluten-free crackers on a serving platter or baking sheet.
03 - Starting at one edge of each base piece, place a semi-circle of cheese with the straight edge aligned to the base's edge, then overlay with a slice of pepperoni over the rounded cheese edge to form a scale-like pattern. Continue layering alternating cheese and pepperoni pieces with slight overlap.
04 - Repeat the layering process until each base or the entire platter achieves a uniform dragon scale appearance.
05 - If serving warm, bake the assembled pieces for 5 to 7 minutes until cheese melts gently and pepperoni edges crisp slightly.
06 - Top with fresh herbs if desired and serve immediately.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It looks like you spent hours when you actually spent fifteen minutes, and that's the best kind of kitchen magic.
  • No cooking skills required—just a sharp knife and the ability to overlap things slightly, which is honestly harder to mess up than it sounds.
  • You can eat it warm from the oven with melted cheese or cold straight off the platter, and it's equally delicious both ways.
02 -
  • The thickness of your cheese and pepperoni slices is everything—ask the deli counter to slice them paper-thin, and mention what you're making so they understand why.
  • If your cheese is too cold when you start, it'll crack instead of bend, so pull it from the fridge ten minutes before assembly and your whole process becomes infinitely easier.
03 -
  • Assemble these right before serving if you're not baking them—cheese and pepperoni start to absorb moisture from the bread and lose their snap if they sit too long.
  • If you're making these hours ahead, keep all your components separate and layer them together fifteen minutes before guests arrive, which takes almost no time and keeps everything tasting fresh.
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