3 Times Thursday - Fun Fillo Bites

It's 3 Times Thursday, and today we are exploring Fun Fillo Bites. Mini fillo shells are the entertainer's best friend. They are inexpensive and come 15 to a package. They can be filled with savory or sweet delights. They can be heated, chilled, or served at room temperature. There are dozens of websites with hundreds of recipes ideas on what to do with these crunchy, flaky cups. Here are three of our favorite, because they are so simple and so delicious, and they all contain one of our other go-to ingredients - cheese!

#3. Goat Cheese and Chow Chow Fillo Bites - Creamy, sweet, crunchy and spicy, all in one yummy bite.

Ingredients:

2 packages mini fillo shells

6 ounces plain goat cheese

1 jar Mariah's Sweet and Hot Chow Chow Relish

Remove phyllo cups from package and set out on serving tray. Fill phyllo cups with desired amount of goat cheese and top with spoonful of "chow chow" relish. 

#2. Puck, Nuts 'n Honey - Puck is a Middle Eastern spreadable cheese that comes in a jar and tastes very similar to brie. It's wonderful with nuts and honey. And the name is kinda funny.

Ingredients:

2 packages mini fillo shells

1 jar Puck

4 ounces chopped nuts (walnuts, almonds or pistachios, or a mix of all of these!)

2 ounces honey

Remove phyllo cups from package and place on a baking sheet. Fill phyllo cups with desired amount of cheese and sprinkle with chopped nuts. Put them in a 350F oven for about 15 minutes. Remove to a serving tray and drizzle with honey. 

#1. Brie and Berry Bites - Sweet, tart and so elegant. The balsamic really spruces up the flavor of the berries. Serve these as an appetizer or a dessert!

Ingredients:

1 package mini fillo shells

4 ounces brie

1 pint berries

balsamic glaze, or reduced balsamic vinegar

Preheat oven to 350. Lay phyllo cups on a cookie sheet. Fill each cup with brie, top with a berry and bake for about 10 minutes, until heated through. Drizzle with balsamic glaze and serve warm. Idea plus: Try it with apples or peaches drizzled with honey.

Halloween Hummus Bites

Amy writes:

Chef Dave, the culinary teacher at school, started up a cooking club for students this year. I decided to join in on the fun, and once every couple of weeks we have a great time cooking up food that is easy to prepare, and then, of course, we eat up!

Being the excellent teacher he is, Chef planned the first meeting as an introduction to the kitchen and to the club. So, instead of club members doing the actual cooking that day (as we do now), he did a demonstration on how to make red pepper hummus. Many of the students had never tried hummus, and when they saw how easy it was and tasted how delicious, they were hooked. Meanwhile, I now had my plan for a simple appetizer to serve as our neighbors came around on Halloween night! Notice the festive colors, perfect for Halloween, and sort of spooky looking, too!

Halloween Hummus Bites

Makes 24 "bites"

Ingredients:

1 16-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

3-4 tablespoons of lemon juice, to taste

1 1/2 tablespoons tahini

2 cloves garlic

1 teaspoon salt

1 7-ounce jar roasted red peppers

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 packages mini fillo shells (found in frozen food aisle)

24 whole black olives, pitted

Place chickpeas, lemon juice, tahini, garlic, salt, and all but one roasted red pepper in a food processor. Pulse a few times to mix, then slowly drizzle in olive oil while processing until smooth. Take fillo shells out of package and place on a serving tray. Carefully spoon red-pepper hummus into fillo shells. Chop remaining red pepper into small pieces. Stuff the red pepper pieces into the hole in the olive. Top each filled fillo shell with the stuffed olive and serve at room temperature.