These party-approved puff pastry appetizers are filled with goat cheese, spinach, and mushrooms. They are a great vegetarian option for entertaining and are beyond delicious!
Can you believe that the holiday season is upon us? Our family makes a big to-do about Christmas food. Not just a big Christmas dinner, but lots of bite-sized appetizers on Christmas Eve.
Dips, finger foods, and now these beyond delicious Goat Cheese & Mushroom Puff Pastry Appetizers.
Here's why this recipe works
- Filled with a savory, creamy, and flavorful mushroom base
- Frozen puff pastry is easy to use and creates flaky, golden layers
- Requires just 15 minutes of active time
- Perfect for holiday parties
Ingredients
- Goat cheese: The flavor of goat cheese stands on its own and provides a lot of the depth of these pastries. We will use plain, but feel free to get creative with other flavors (herb, honey, etc.). If you aren't a fan of goat cheese, try an equal amount of shredded mozzarella.
- Puff pastry: I use Pepperidge Farm’s frozen puff pastry sheets. They can be found in the freezer aisle.
- Baby Bella mushrooms: You can also use white mushrooms, but I like the rich flavor of baby Bella mushrooms best with goat cheese.
- Frozen spinach: We will use thawed chopped frozen spinach. Frozen spinach contains a lot of liquid, so make sure to squeeeeze it out before adding to the rest of the mixture.
- Shallots: Sweet, mild and with a hint of garlic, shallots are diced up fine and sauteed with mushrooms and garlic for a simple but flavorful combination.
- Garlic: Minced and added for the flavor! We will also add a little bit of salt, of course.
How to make
Mushroom filling
Start by heating olive oil in a medium pan (these are the pans that I use and love) over medium heat. Once hot, add shallots and diced mushrooms.
Saute until the mushrooms have released their juices, about 5-7 minutes. Add garlic and saute a minute more, until golden.
Transfer mushroom mixture to a heat-safe mixing bowl. Stir in the goat cheese and thawed spinach.
Note: To thaw the spinach, heat in the microwave until room temp (this usually takes about 1.5 minutes). Make sure to squeeze out any excess liquid from the spinach.
Cover and transfer to the fridge to cool for at least 30 minutes. You want the mixture to be cool to touch.
Assembling the pastries
Remove puff pastry from the freezer and let thaw according to package instructions (usually it will take ~15 minutes for the pastry to be pliable).
Use kitchen scissors or a chef's knife to slice into 2 x 3-inch rectangles (see photos below for reference).
Lightly spray a 24 count mini muffin pan with oil to prevent the pastries from sticking.
Pat each pastry square into a muffin tin. Fill with ~2 teaspoons (a scant tablespoon) of filling. Fold pastry corners into the center, pinching to close (if they aren't staying closed, use a drop of water to seal the edges).
If you don't have a mini muffin tin, slice the puff pastry to fit a regular-sized tin (it will be about double in size). Double the amount of filling per pastry.
Bake for 15-18 minutes at 350 degrees F, or until golden brown. Turn out of the muffin pan and cool on a cooling rack.
Recipe FAQ
You can make the goat cheese and mixture 24-48 hours ahead. Prep the puff pastry in advance by slicing it into 2 x 3-inch pieces, then refreezing. This way when you are ready to make the recipe you will only need to thaw the puff pastry, add the filling, and bake!
Keep leftovers refrigerated in a closed container. Reheat in the microwave, or crisp in a 350-degree oven for 5-10 minutes.
Yes, you can make larger puff pastry bites by using a regular-sized muffin tin. Double the size of the puff pastry slices and double the amount of filling per tin.
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Mushroom and Goat Cheese Puff Pastry Appetizers
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 12 ounces baby bella mushrooms small diced
- 2 small shallots diced finely (about ½ cup)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 8 ounces plain goat cheese
- 1 and ½ cups frozen chopped spinach thawed (see note 1)
- 17 ounces frozen puff pastry sheets see note 2
- water as needed
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a medium pan of medium heat. Once hot, add shallots and diced mushrooms. Sprinkle with ½ teaspoon salt. Saute until the mushrooms have released their juices, about 5-7 minutes. Add garlic and saute a minute more, until garlic is golden.
- Transfer mushroom filling to a heat safe mixing bowl. Stir in the goat cheese and thawed spinach (make sure to drain any excess liquid from the spinach). Cover and transfer to the fridge to cool for at least 30 minutes, or until the mixture is cool to the touch.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. While the filling is cooling, remove puff pastry from the freezer and let thaw according to package instructions.
- Once the pastry is mostly thawed (it should be pliable but not completely room temperature), slice into 24 pieces of 2 in x 3 in rectangles using scissors or a knife.
- Lightly spray a 24 count mini muffin tin with cooking oil.
- Pat each pastry square into a tin. Fill with ~2 teaspoons (a scant tablespoon) of filling. Fold pastry corners into the center, pinching to close. If the edges don't stay closed you can use a drop of water to seal them in place.
- Bake for 15-18 minutes at 350 degrees F, or until golden brown.
- When the pastries are golden brown and flaky, remove from the oven. Turn out of the muffin pan and cool on a cooling rack. Enjoy!
Notes
- Spinach: Measure out 1 and ½ cup of frozen spinach then thaw in the microwave or on the stove according to package instructions. It only needs to come to room temp, not completely hot. Squeeze out excess liquid by pressing in a fine mesh colander or patting with a paper towel.
- Puff pastry sheets can be found in the freezer aisle. I use these Pepperidge Farms frozen pastry dough sheets, which fill exactly 24 mini muffin tins.
- To make in regular muffin tins: Double the size of the puff pastry slices and double the amount of filling per pastry.
- Storage and reheating: Let cool before refrigerating in a closed container. Reheat in the microwave, or crisp in a 350-degree oven for 5-10 minutes.
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