Party Food: Mushroom Tartlets

Wild Mushroom Filo Cups

These tartlets are a great appetizer for a holiday party. They can be prepared ahead of time and keep well. They are popular, elegant, vegetarian, and best served at room temperature. Helpful friends don't need any cooking know-how to help you assemble them. You may need to adjust amounts slightly as the spirit moves you. I usually just wing it.

Leftover goat cheese filling can be combined with pesto and used as a dip or to stuff into some other tiny food item.

4 boxes frozen Athens (or homemade, or another brand) filo cups
6-oz goat cheese
3-oz cream cheese
1 small sprig fresh rosemary
Butter
Olive oil
1 box shiitake mushrooms or 4 large fresh shiitake, finely diced
1 box or 10 fresh crimini (or white) mushrooms, finely diced
Splash white wine (optional)

Defrost filo cups. If they taste "raw", toast them for a few minutes in a medium oven, then let cool. Combine softened goat cheese and cream cheese and set aside.

Remove "needles" from rosemary and finely chop them until you have about 1/2 teaspoon.

In a saucepan, melt about 2 Tablespoons of butter, and add 2 teaspoons olive oil.

Add mushrooms and rosemary to pan. Add a little butter as it is absorbed by the mushrooms, approximately 1 more Tablespoon. Add a small splash of white wine if you like.

As soon as the shiitakes change color from white to tan and opaque, remove from stove and let cool.

To assemble, fill each filo cup half-way to the top with goat cheese mixture. Fill to top with mushroom mixture. Set aside and repeat until all cups are filled. Refrigerate up to one day before serving.

Photo by Tamaki via Flickr