G-FB6LH291YY
Ingredients For A Fabulous Life
raising the bar on life, one post at a time...
I’m sharing two ways to enjoy savory cheesecakes during the holidays, be it Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas or New Year’s Eve!
I love to serve this first recipe as a passed hors d’oeuvre on trays during cocktails. Sweet and savory, these little phyllo bites are filled with caramelized onions, dried apricots, honey and blue cheese! Blue Cheese Apricot Tartlets make the perfect “one-biter” snack for cocktail hour and holiday soirees.
As dramatic as it is delicious, my Savory Party Cheesecake Appetizer serves an army of guests. It’s sophisticated, addictive, and would be a gorgeous addition to your holiday appetizer choices throughout the entertaining season.
It’s got a creamy goat and cream cheese base that’s laced with prosciutto, sundried tomatoes, roasted garlic and swirled with a sage gremolata.
An “everything bagel” crust is the finishing touch on this simply sensational holiday buffet hors d’oeuvre. You’ll want to serve it with gourmet crackers and breadsticks for a sophisticated party snack.
Cheesecake is usually a sweet dessert consisting of one or more layers. The thickest, or main layer consists of a mixture of soft, fresh cream cheese or ricotta, eggs, and sugar. If there’s a bottom layer, it can be made from any number of baked goods, including cookies, sponge cake or graham cracker crumbs. A dessert cheesecake can be either an unbaked or baked version, with, or without a crust.
Cheesecakes are usually sweetened and may be flavored in many different ways, including extracts, spices, citrus, chocolate or pumpkin. Additional flavors and visual appeal can be added by topping the finished cheesecake with fruit, whipped cream, nuts, sauces or other toppings.
A modern cheesecake isn’t usually classified as a cake, despite the name. People who classify it as a torte point to the addition of eggs, which are the sole source of leavening, as a key factor. For others, the overall structure, with the separate crust, the soft filling, and the absence of flour, is compelling evidence that it is a custard pie Other sources identify it as a flan or tart.
As far as I’m concern, call it anything you want! Just don’t miss out on learning how to make a fabulous one, be it a sweet dessert or savory party cheesecake appetizer!!
Cheesecakes of many varieties and styles have been made throughout history, all over the world. It seems that almost all countries have their own way of making cheesecake, including Bulgaria, India and Russia!
Here’s a few of the more common styles available for retail purchase here in the United States:
Savory cheesecakes open up a plethora of ways to enjoy the creamy texture of a baked cheesecake outside of the dessert realm.
While the basics of making savory cheesecakes remains basically the same as a sweet version, I think savory cheesecakes are much more exciting.
The variations are endless, and when you start combining flavor profiles, just wait until you taste your creations!
Here’s some great ideas for variations on the theme of savory cheesecakes:
Sweet and savory, these little phyllo bites are filled with caramelized onions, dried apricots, honey and blue cheese!
Using premade phyllo tartlet shells makes this a simple and fast hors d’oeuvre to toss together. You can make the filling up to two days ahead of time, so this recipe is really a holiday hostess helper!
I know that the thought of making caramelized onions might give a few of you the willies! That’s because you’ve been told that it takes forever to cook them down to that lovely “jammy” consistency, right?
While it is true that the cooking process can take some time, it’s mostly “hands-off” time. And that means, once you’ve got your onions cooking away in their butter bath, you can get moving with the rest of your party prep list.
I tell you how to make your caramelized onions right in the recipe, but you can also click this link to get the full recipe: CARAMELIZED ONIONS
Don’t these candied pecans look dazzling, glistening on top of each and every little savory cheesecake tartlet?
They take just a few minutes to make by melting down white sugar into a lovely, dark caramel. Toss in the nuts to coat, and let them dry to a shiny, hard coat of crunchy caramel.
Don’t be tempted to skip the pecan garnish, they truly take this recipe “over-the-top”!
You’ll find the recipe card for Blue Cheese Apricot Tartlets at the bottom of this post.
Want your own set of HOLIDAY GIFT TAG PRINTABLES, but you’re not on our list yet?
Why not join in on the fun!
Fill out the form below and I’ll send you a copy as a thank you for joining the IFAFL Email Subscriber List.
As a Ingredients For A Fabulous Life Subscriber, you’ll also get instant access to the IFAFL Resource Library and receive our twice-weekly emails. What are you waiting for? You don’t want to miss out on anything fabulous, do you?
There’s always something fabulous happening here at Ingredients For A Fabulous Life, don’t you want to stay in the loop?
And while you’re at it, come join the gang in our Facebook group and get in on the gabfest at, The Fab Life! That’s where we show off our triumphs and share our pursuit of “the good life” with each other all week long.
Sweet and savory, these little phyllo bites are filled with caramelized onions, dried apricots, honey and blue cheese! They make the perfect "one-biter" snack for cocktail hour and holiday soirees.
HOW TO CARAMELIZE ONIONS: Thinly slice 1 large sweet onion. Saute in 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter over medium heat, stirring occasionally until deep golden brown, about 20-30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Nutritional information should be considered an estimate only; please consult a registered dietician, nutritionist, or your physician for specific health-related questions. Please note that the recipe above is published using a recipe card plugin, with preexisting software which can auto-calculate metric measurements, as well as change the number of servings.