A melon ball stuffed watermelon was a recipe my mom learned to make from my dad’s cousin who had already been in America before my folks arrived from Italy. I have fond memories of summer parties and celebrations where she would stuff a huge watermelon with overflowing balls of goodness. Seems like this was a Midwestern thing, but I’m not sure? Maybe one of you fine Midwesterners can chime in on that one! I do know that I absolutely loved it and thought the melon balls were so much fun to eat this way. She didn’t soak them in anything but kept them plain and simple and we always had fruit after dinner, before dessert. With so many courses and so much food, eating was a delicious marathon.
I’m really not a big cocktail fan or even drink much alcohol anymore but thought these little melon balls needed something extra…so here we have a super simple summer melon cooler with pineapple juice, Prosecco, and a touch of cooling mint. It’s simple, refreshing, and great for a dinner party; you know the kind, where you hang your string lights on the backyard patio and reconnect with family and friends after the sun goes down, maybe even around a nice cozy outdoor fire. I’m so grateful to have a beautiful view from our deck at our new home in So Cal (complete with string lights!) where I can host dinners and sip on sweet drinks like this one!
Feel free to post a pic if you decide to include this in your backyard party this Summer!
- Melons (watermelon, cantaloupe, and/or honeydew)
- 1 bottle of Prosecco (you won't need the whole bottle but you can drink the rest!)
- 1 c pineapple juice
- 2 Tbl finely chopped mint
- Fresh lime
- Use a small 1-inch melon ball scoop and scoop the melon balls into 4 equal parts in 4 glasses.
- Each glass will hold about 20 balls.
- For each glass, add ⅓ c Prosecco and ¼ c pineapple juice.
- Top with mint and a splash of lime.
- *You can also soak the melon balls for a few hours for a more concentrated flavor; either way it will be delicious!
Leave a Reply