When hosting a cocktail party, I always like to serve at least one hot hors d'oeuvre (see this post). There are plenty of pre-made hot hors d'oeuvres options in the freezer section of your grocery store, but today I wanted to share this homemade hors d'oeuvre option with you all because it is beyond easy and I would venture to guess that you likely already have these ingredients sitting in your pantry!
Hot cheese puffs are a great addition to any cocktail party menu. They can be made to be vegetarian friendly, but also taste fabulous when made with bacon! Today's recipe can be made and garnished with a variety of ingredients. I have included a few suggestions below, but the flavor possibilities reach far beyond what I am sharing today. In addition to this recipe being delicious and versatile, prep + cook time for this hors d'oeuvre takes less than 15 minutes! This recipe is most definitely a staple in my entertaining menu repertoire and I think it should be added to your repertoire as well!
Ingredients
- Slices of White Bread
- 1/2c Mayonnaise (Light Mayo is also fine)
- 1/2c Grated Parmesan Cheese
- 1/2c Shredded Parmesan Cheese
Optional Ingredients
- 3 Tbs Finely Chopped Bacon
- 1 Tbs Fresh Thyme Leaves
- 1 Tbs Finely Diced Jalepeno
- 2 Tbs Finely Chopped Sundried Tomatoes
Garnish Ideas
- Fresh Basil, Thyme or Rosemary
- Smokey Spanish Paprika
- Cayenne Pepper
- Sundried Tomatoes
- More Bacon (is it ever possible to have too much?)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper
- In a bowl combine mayonaise, both parmesan cheeses and any optional ingredients of your choosing. Mix well and set bowl aside
- With a very small biscuit cutter, cut rounds out of white bread slices and place on a baking sheet
- Apply a light layer of the mayonnaise cheese mixture to each bread round
- Bake in the oven for 8 minutes
- Garnish with toppings of your choosing and serve promptly
- **NOTE- If you notice that your cooked cheese puffs are no longer perfectly round due to an overflow of the cheese mixture melting off, take a clean pair of kitchen shears and trim off the excess edges.
