Description
The holiday season is all about delicious appetizers that are easy to make, and these Goat Cheese Beet and Balsamic Puff Pastry Appetizers fit perfectly into that category! You only need 5 basic ingredients and there’s minimal prep and cook time required. Make these for a Christmas or New Year’s party, or just enjoy them yourself for lunch or a snack.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 (18 oz or similar sized) package puff pastry, defrosted – you may not need to use all of it but I don’t think they sell it in smaller packages
- 1 (4 oz) package steamed and peeled beets, or about 1 1/2 cups diced beets that you have steamed or roasted
- 1 small log plain goat cheese, or more if needed, crumbled
- Balsamic glaze
- Optional toppings: fresh herbs, such as thyme or parsley, and chopped walnuts or pecans
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F. Open the package of beets, drain out the liquid and pat the beets dry. Dice beets into small pieces. I usually cut the smaller beets into quarters and the larger beets into about 6 pieces. Spray a muffin tin well with cooking spray and set aside.
- Add a little bit of flour to a large, clean surface, like a cutting board and place your unrolled puff pastry down. Use a rolling pin to roll it out, just a little bit into a rectangle. Use a pizza cutter, or knife, to cut the puff pastry into about 6 equal pieces. You can also use a mini muffin tin and cut the dough even smaller*.
- Place each piece of puff pastry into the muffin tin and use your fingers to push the edges down a little bit, into a cup shape. To each one, add 3-4 pieces of diced beet and then top with a tablespoon or so of the crumbled goat cheese. It’s up to you how much of it you want to use.
- Place the muffin tin in the oven and bake until puff pastry is golden brown and completely cooked through, 30-35 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for about 5 minutes. Then, use a knife to carefully remove the puff pastry bites from the pan and place them on your serving plate.
- Drizzle the top of each with a little bit of balsamic glaze and then top with fresh herbs and toasted nuts, if desired. These should be enjoyed immediately, or kept at room temperature until ready to serve.
Notes
These would be great to make in a mini muffin tin instead of a regular sized one. That way they would be bite sized and easy to eat.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 35 mins
- Category: Appetizer, Vegetarian
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
