These easy beet, goat cheese and pistachios phyllo cup appetizers are filled with all of the flavors of fall and are perfect for entertaining! Thank you to Athens Foods for helping me share this recipe with you.
When the holiday months approach, our minds become a swirling mass of recipes…turkey, gravy, sweet potatoes and cranberry sauce. It’s all we can think of as when it comes to cooking. For those of us in the U.S., Thanksgiving reigns supreme in November and it’s a wonder that we manage to get any other meals on the table.
I’m sure our family is not alone in being feast-focused on the actual day, which means that the other meals tend to get neglected. And unless the appetizers are really simple, such as Mini Hummus & Roasted Pepper Phyllo Bites or Sun-Dried Tomato & Dill Dip, they just don’t happen.
Attempting an appetizer with beets, a seasonal autumn veggie, may seem ambitious, but I promise that it couldn’t be easier, particularly if you cook and chop the beets the day before. Just scrub the beets and cut off the greens, then toss the beets into a pan of water, simmering for about 25 minutes, or until the beets are fork tender. Seriously, that’s it.
Assembling the appetizers from there is even easier, particularly if you keep fillo shells on hand. I keep several boxes of Athens Mini Fillo Shells in our freezer throughout the year, but they really come in handy during the season of all-thing-entertaining-and-cocktail-parties.
Each time I use these mini fillo shells, my friends ask me if they need to be cooked in the oven. The beauty of the shells is that they are pre-cooked. Yes, you can bake them as part of hot appetizers, such as Mini Chili Filled Phyllo Cups, but I often use them for room temperature hors d’oeuvres, such as Mini Sherry Shrimp & Tarragon Phyllo Bites. When you remove the boxes from the freezer, set them on the counter for 10 minutes and the shells will be ready to use.
Gently press a small scoop of soft goat cheese (chevre) into the bottom of each shell, then top with the dressed beets and chopped pistachios for a tangy and sweet treat, with a great mixture of crunchy and soft textures.
Other healthy appetizer recipes:
Mini Hummus & Roasted Pepper Phyllo Bites
Cinnamon Apple & Goat Cheese Crostini
Mini Beet, Goat Cheese & Pistachio Phyllo Cups Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 small beets scrubbed & stalks removed
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon agave nectar
- 30 Athens Mini Fillo Shells 2 boxes, defrosted
- 2 ½ ounces soft goat cheese chevre
- ¼ cup shelled pistachios finely chopped
Instructions
- Place the beets in a medium saucepan and cover with cold water (water be about 2 inches higher than the beets). Bring to a simmer and cook until the beets are tender when pierced with a fork, about 25 minutes.
- Remove the beets from saucepan, let cool slightly, then peel. Cut the beets into ½-inch dice and transfer to a bowl.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, olive oil and agave nectar. Pour over the beets and stir to combine.
- Fill each fillo shell with ½ teaspoon goat cheese. Gently press the goat cheese into bottom of each shell.
- Divide the beet mixture evenly between the filled fillo shells. Sprinkle the chopped pistachios over the beets. Serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Athens Foods. All opinions are my own. This post contains links to my Amazon affiliate page. Any revenue made from sales through these links helps to support this blog. Thank you!
Colleen (Souffle Bombay)
These little bites are so festive and pretty! What a beautiful food item for the holidays!
Renee - Kudos Kitchen
Earthiness, rich creaminess, and crunch. These look like the perfect holiday appetizer, Dara. Plus you've added a tart (the vinegar) to balance the richness of the cheese, making these these an amazing 1-2 bite appetizer! Pinning!
Rose | The Clean Dish
These little guys look adorable!! Beets and goat cheese is a match made in heaven, anyway. Good to know they have pre-cooked phyllo cups - I had no idea! Yes, my mind is spinning too... so much to do, so little time! This recipe is perfect for the busy chef 🙂
Angie | Big Bear's Wife
Those colors!! So pretty! Those beets are gorgeous! Plus those little phyllo cups are amazing aren't they!
Gerry @ Foodness Gracious
Beets and goat cheese = perfection!!
Nutmeg Nanny
There is so much that I love about this recipe. You can never go wrong with goat cheese and beets and who doesn't love those crispy little phyllo shells?
Des @ Life's Ambrosia
I just posted a beet and goat cheese recipe too. As a new found beet lover I just love the combo! These look great!
eat good 4 life
Loving all the beet recipes lately. This is great to serve as an appetizer for the holidays. Love the combo. Goat cheese is one of my favorite cheeses ever!
Heather | All Roads Lead to the Kitchen
These are so pretty, I love the color contrast of the beets and the pistachios. Plus, I can just tell they taste amazing with the goat cheese and crisp shell...mmmm.....
Carolyn
Such a great colourful appetizer for the holidays!
tanya
I have shied away from beets, I want to like them, I just don't know how to eat them. Thank you for this recipe, it's the perfect way to get to know beets!
Lora @cakeduchess
How cute are these mini phyllo cups! Love that you put together all of these favorite flavors of mine. Just lovely for a holiday party or any time you want to make something easy and fancy:)
Erin @ Texanerin Baking
You're right - I've never actually made an appetizer for a holiday! Come to think of it, I don't think I've ever prepared an appetizer for any kind of get-together. But these look delicious and easy enough to add to the menu without any fuss. Love it!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet
I love anything with phyllo and these sounds positively scrumptious!
Megan {Country Cleaver}
I love phyllo cups for easy entertaining. And the beet/goat cheese combo - so full of flavor!
Maris (In Good Taste)
I love beet salads! I bet these are just as delicious
Justine | Cooking and Beer
I love this, Dara! Those beets are just stunning!
Shelley
We grew a tremendous amount of beets this year but I've pickled them all and I'm definitely gonna try this with those.... even easier to throw together & I'm sure they'll still be delicious! I've used those shells before and they are just perfect for most any filling!
Kim Taylor
Dara, I would love to make these for a Thanksgiving appetizer. We're going to be serving a roasted beet salad the day after Thanksgiving. Do you think I could kill two birds with one stone and use roasted beets for this recipe, rather than simmering the way you suggested?
Dara
Yes, you could absolutely use roasted beets. Just toss them with the vinaigrette after chopping. I hope you enjoy the phyllo bites!
Laura NN
I have to make these! Only recently did I fall in love with beets and now I am trying to find different ways to use them. I'll be heading to the store to find those phyllo shells.