Cake, Batter, and Bowl

Caramelized Onion, Apple, and Bacon Phyllo Cups with Gorgonzola

Appetizers

Is it phyllo or fillo dough? Whatever the spelling, I haven’t made anything with these crispy flakey layers of buttery deliciousness in a couple years, which is such a shame. But, last week when I was picking up some frozen puff pastry for an upcoming recipe, I noticed these cute little mini phyllo cups and spontaneously threw a couple packages in my cart. The filling possibilities are endless, and two mini cups only have 25 calories total – not bad!

For this version, the recipe title says it all. I mixed some of favorite ingredients together for the filling – caramelized onions, sautéed apples, and smoked bacon. Then I topped the bites off with some crumbled gorgonzola. Perfect for a party!

Caramelized Onion, Apple, and Bacon Phyllo Cups with Gorgonzola
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
2 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 large yellow onions, sliced (4 cups)
1 large tart apple, peeled, cored, and finely chopped
1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
4 strips hickory smoked bacon, chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt
26 mini phyllo shells from 2 1.9-ounce packages, prepared according to package directions
1/4 cup crumbled gorgonzola cheese

Directions:
To make the caramelized onions, heat 2 tablespoons butter and olive oil over medium low heat in a large nonstick skillet. Add onions, cover, and cook 40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Remove lid and cook an additional 10 minutes, or until caramelized.

To make the apples and bacon, heat chopped apples, remaining 1/2 tablespoon butter, and brown sugar in a small pot over medium heat; sauté for 10 to 12 minutes, or until apples are softened and lightly browned. Wipe pan clean and place bacon in it. Sauté over medium heat for 5 to 7 minutes or until crispy, stirring occasionally; drain on paper towels.

To assemble the shells, place caramelized onions, cooked apples and bacon, and salt in a small bowl and mix well. Evenly distribute the mixture among the mini phyllo shells. Top evenly with crumbled gorgonzola. Makes 13 servings of 2 cups each.

Nutrition: 108.6 calories, 7.2g fat, 0.9g fiber, 2.6g protein per serving
Cost: $0.54 per serving

Sweet Potato and Bacon Stuffed Mushrooms Topped with Hazelnuts

I love stuffed mushrooms and serve them almost every time we have friends over, but I’ve been wanting to lighten them up for awhile now since the usual cream cheese-filled versions are very heavy. When I was making my Truly Outrageous Baked Sweet Potatoes, I was...

Cranberry Pecan Brie Bites

Party season is finally here! I’ve been getting into the holiday spirit by having hot chocolate after dinner every night and singing along to Christmas carols in the car (I was in chorus in high school and know all the words!). But tomorrow things will get into full...

Chicken Parm Bites Stuffed with Mozzarella

I recently splurged on some of those cute little fresh mozzarella balls marinated in olive oil and herbs. They are so addicting! We enjoyed them when our friends visited last weekend, but I bought a huge tub because I wanted to play with them in a new recipe. I...

Eggplant and Goat Cheese Crostinis

It’s about time for a recipe post around here, huh?  Don’t worry, I actually spent all last weekend in the kitchen getting ready for our Ultimate Recipe Showdown screening party on Sunday, so I’ve got two appetizer recipes ready to share!  It was the first...

Pizza Onion Rings

A couple months ago, Apolinaras and I spent a long weekend in Chicago. I was scheduled to give a seminar about my lab’s research at the AACR conference at McCormick center, and Apolinaras tagged along to keep me company. Apolinaras and I went to college and grad...

Loaded Sweet Potato Skins

Football season is finally here! Ok, so I admit I actually only know this because I saw a game on while I was browsing through the tv channels on the elliptical at the gym. I’m not actually a huge football fan, and much to my brother’s horror, I’ve never tailgated at...

Cucumber Hummus Appetizers

I really enjoy every aspect of having friends over for dinner (except for the cleaning part, of course!) and was especially excited for the meal we had last night with our friends Geeti and Puneet because Geeti is also a huge foodie. We had an absolutely amazing feast...

Football Chicken Cakes

An additional foodie goal of mine this year is to enter more contests. I really enjoy the whole recipe development process and there are some incredible prizes! The Tyson Fantasy League Party Master Contest recently caught my eye on Contest Cook.  I’m an aspiring...