Have you seen the Food Network’s show “Chopped”? The basic premise is that participants are given a few core random ingredients and challenged to make a dish that will impress a panel of judges. While you may, or not, be a fan of the show, it is fun to play the game with a few random ingredients.
We were up in Canada helping our daughter Jenn and her husband Ethan get ready for a move to Albuquerque NM. As we were cleaning out the refrigerator, I decided to play the game to make an appetizer for a neighborhood birthday party. In the freezer was a package of phyllo dough that had probably been there for quite a while. Our grandkids are major consumers of cream cheese, but a Costco purchase of two containers of cream cheese was too much. Hence the question.
What can be made with phyllo dough and cream cheese?
Phyllo dough, while not easy to work with, became a wonderful base. Using a mini cupcake pan as a shaper, I was able to bake up a good set of phyllo cups.
Cream cheese became the base for a homemade Boursin. Combining the cream cheese with butter, and:
- Dried spices from the pantry (dill, black pepper, and marjoram),
- Fresh chives, thyme, parsley, and basil from the herb garden
- Sauteed shallot and garlic
This resulted in a tasty product that was easy to make and better than the store-bought version.
With these bases in place, I raided the refrigerator and came up with two version of
Phyllo Cup Boursin Appetizers with: (check out the recipe)
- Bacon, Scallion and Tomato
- Blue Cheese, Strawberry and Apricot Preserve
The best part of the game was the audience. Jenn and Ethan have been in Ottawa for close to 4 years and have the best set neighbors. After corporate stints in Virginia, Saint Louis, and Charlotte they have found that all neighborhoods are not that receptive to short timers. Their neighbors in Ottawa have been the best, especially given the difficult environment caused by Covid over the last two years. The group in Ottawa doesn’t need much of an excuse to party and are particularly appreciative of whatever I make. They loved the Phyllo Dough, Boursin Appetizers
The moral of this story is that sometimes the combination of Impromptu Appetizers, an Impromptu party and a great set of friends can be more than a lot of fun.
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