Sun Dried Tomato Pesto Goat Cheese Bites
on Dec 28, 2020, Updated Jul 08, 2024
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Sun Dried Tomato Pesto Goat Cheese Bites are an easy to make appetizer that’s sure to be a hit at your next party!
Every New Year’s Eve my husband and I have a tradition of making appetizers instead of a fancy dinner. We usually end up with about 4 different ones, plus something bite sized for dessert like these pistachio chocolate chip cannoli cups.
In the past some of our favorite appetizers to make have been baked buffalo chicken wonton cups, skinny green chile chicken enchilada dip and spinach and artichoke dip phyllo cups. They’re all easy to make and everyone loves them. This year I’m adding to the collection of phyllo cup appetizers and making these sun dried tomato pesto goat cheese bites!
Ingredients Needed to Make Sun Dried Tomato Pesto Goat Cheese Bites
- mini phyllo shells
- goat cheese
- plain Greek yogurt
- pesto
- pecorino romano cheese
- sun dried tomatoes
- basil
- pine nuts (optional)
How to Make Sun Dried Tomato Pesto Goat Cheese Bites
Making these phyllo bites is effortless, which is exactly how making appetizers should be. In a bowl combine the softened goat cheese, Greek yogurt, pesto, and chopped sun dried tomatoes. Whisk them together and then divide the filling evenly into the mini phyllo shells.
Bake the goat cheese bites for 12-15 minutes or until the filling is warm. Remove them from the oven and top each bite with a few toasted pine nuts, extra sun dried tomatoes and chopped basil. That’s all there is to it!
Tips for Success
- Don’t fill and bake the phyllo shells until you are ready to serve them. The longer the filling sits in the shells the softer they get.
- To save time make the filling ahead of time. You can do this 24-48 hours in advance.
- Use sun dried tomatoes packed in oil, but pat them dry so the filling doesn’t get too oily. Sun dried tomato oil has a lot of flavor, so a little bit in the filling is great. Too much though and they will be a greasy mess.
- If you can’t find pecorino romano cheese substitute with shredded Parmesan. The flavor is similar. One plus to using romano cheese is that it’s less expensive.
- Taste the filling before adding extra salt to it. Since there is salt in most of the ingredients you may not need any additional.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Can I Use Instead of Goat Cheese?
If you don’t like goat cheese replace it with the same amount of softened cream cheese.
Do the Phyllo Shells Need to Be Baked Before Adding the Filling?
No. The phyllo shells should be pre-baked so you can just put the filling in right away and then bake them until it’s warm.
Where Do I Find Phyllo Shells?
the mini phyllo shells should be located in the frozen section of the grocery store where they keep puff pastry and frozen pie shells. This brand of phyllo shells is widely available throughout the United States.
Sun Dried Tomato Pesto Goat Cheese Bites
Ingredients
- 15 mini phyllo shells
- 2 ounces goat cheese softened
- 1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 3 tablespoons shredded pecorino romano cheese or parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons pesto
- 2 tablespoons chopped sun dried tomatoes
- Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
- Toasted pine nuts basil and extra sun dried tomatoes for topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325° F. In a bowl whisk together the goat cheese, Greek yogurt, pecorino romano, pesto, sun dried tomatoes, salt and pepper. Divide the filling evenly into the phyllo shells.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes. Top the bites with extra sun dried tomatoes, pine nuts and basil. Serve immediately.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Hello, the Sun Dried Tomato Pesto Goat Cheese Bites recipe looks delicious! I’ve never worked with Phyllo before. Are the shells for this recipe supposed to be the pre-cooked and packaged ones? Or from the frozen dough? Thank you for your help :)
You’ll want to use the pre-baked packaged shells. You can find them in the freezer section near the puff pastry.