Whip up these delicious watermelon and goat cheese phyllo cups in about 15 minutes. They're perfect for easy entertaining! Thank you to Restaurantware for helping me to share this recipe with you.
If I come back from a vacation with at least one great recipe (and a lot of memories, of course), I feel like I've scored. Last week, my boys and I headed to Victoria, B.C. (the homeland!) to visit my parents. More on that in another post (but feel free to check out my Instagram account for a few photos).
On one of the days, we took a day trip over to Vancouver to do a whirlwind visit with a few friends. At our dinnertime visit, our friends fed us a beautiful meal, which included a surprising and delicious watermelon and goat cheese crostini. With the first bite, my kids were hooked and couldn't stop talking about the sweet and savory appetizer for days.
Just a few days later, I took a shot at recreating the crostini for my parents and a few of their friends. I made a huge platter full of the appetizers and, by the end of our happy hour, there wasn't a single morsel left. When I made the recipe again at home, I decided to switch out the toasted baguette slices with mini phyllo shells, which are always in full supply in our freezer. It took me about 15 minutes and not a single minute of actual cooking to make the phyllo bites. Perfect for last minute entertaining!
Cocktail and appetizer parties are my favorite way to entertain. Lots of bits and bites, with plenty of flavor variations. I could happily eat that way everyday. When I'm serving on the patio, the last thing I want to worry about is broken dishes. And really, who wants to deal with a hostess who sucks in her breath every time a less-then-coordination person picks up a treasured plate?!
When I learned about Restaurantware and their collection of bamboo dishes and utensils, I knew my dish dilemma was solved. not only are the bamboo dishes unbreakable when dropped, but they are also biodegradable, making an environmentally friendly option when you don't want to deal with cleaning dishes at the end of a meal or party. And really, how adorable are the bamboo round small plates (only 3 ½ inches wide!)?! They'd be perfect for any bites-sized appetizers or even mini desserts.
The bamboo collection includes everything from plates, bowls and cones to spoons and skewers. My mind started working overtime when I looked through their site. Surely I can pull off a cocktail party at least five times per week just so I can use all of their dishes, right?!
In the meantime, I'll happily make these mini phyllo bites over and over again. My boys wouldn't have it any other way!
Other healthy summertime appetizers:
Baked Zucchini Fries with Pesto Yogurt Dipping Sauce
Mini Avocado & Hummus Quesadillas
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Watermelon, Goat Cheese & Basil Phyllo Bites Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup diced watermelon
- ¾ teaspoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon balsamic vinegar
- ½ teaspoon agave nectar or honey
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 4 leaves basil thinly sliced
- 15 mini phyllo shells such as Athens, defrosted
- 1 ¾ ounces goat cheese chevre
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, stir together the watermelon, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, agave nectar, salt and basil.
- Fill each phyllo shell with ½ teaspoon goat and 1 rounded teaspoon of the watermelon mixture, straining out the extra liquid from the watermelon so that the phyllo shells don't get soggy.
- Serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Restaurantware.com. I happen to be coveting about 75% of the items on their website. All opinions are my own.
missymops
I never would have thought to put goat cheese with watermelon, but now I need to try it! Those bamboo plates are downright adorable. We host a big Labor Day party at our day every year and I'm thinking of ordering a bunch of the bamboo plates to make my life easier.
Jennie @onesweetmess
These are the cutest little summer phyllo cups. Love the flavor combo. Pinned.