No-bake pesto cheese phyllo bites
Some people create beautiful appetizers -- elegant, interesting, the memorable appetizers, perfectly arranged on a perfect platter, that take you by the hand and lead you into the meal. Not me. I have perpetual appetizer anxiety. I want to zoom right past them, to soup or an entreé. Sometimes, however, a host must serve apps.
Thank goodness for mini phyllo shells. They are the little black dress of appetizers. Any filling you can imagine looks better in a one-bite cup of phyllo dough. They come in packages of 15, ready to eat as is, or to bake for a few minutes. I've filled them with sweet fillings, and savory ones. Easy, easy, easy. These no-bake pesto cheese bites are savory, and the filling takes about two seconds to make, from ingredients you might always have in the refrigerator. Even someone like me, with first-course anxiety issues, can pull off these creamy, garlicky appetizers, and you can, too. Why not try them for your next game-day party?
No-bake pesto cheese phyllo bites {vegetarian}
From the pantry you'll need: mini phyllo shells, ricotta cheese, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, lemon, fresh black pepper, olives.
Makes 15; serves 6. Can be multiplied.
Ingredients
1 package mini phyllo (fillo) shells
3 Tbsp basil pesto, homemade or store-bought
4 Tbsp low-fat ricotta cheese
2 Tsp grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp fresh black pepper
3-4 kalamata olives, pitted and chopped, for garnish
Directions
Remove the phyllo shells from the package and set on a serving dish.
In a small mixing bowl, stir together the pesto, ricotta, parmesan cheese, lemon juice and black pepper.
Use a spoon to fill the phyllo cups. Top each with a sliver of olive (or, if you prefer, with a couple of pine nuts, or a small piece of roasted red pepper).
Serve chilled.
More phyllo cup ideas:
One-bite vegetable quiche, from The Perfect Pantry
Teeny tiny lime tarts, from The Perfect Pantry
Mini pecan phyllo tarts, from Skinnytaste
Hot brie kisses, from Recipe Girl
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Like you, I rarely make appetizers, but these look delicious!
Kalyn, delicious -- and easy!
Seriously, this is my type of app! Can't wait to try them. A nice change from cheese and crackers. I don't think to buy phyllo shells but now I have an excuse!
Janice, I always have these little shells in the freezer, because anything you put in them looks "fancy"!
These look amazing! I can’t wait to give them a try!