Ina Garten's Surprisingly Easy Cheesy Phyllo Appetizer Was Made for Holiday Parties

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What’s the best present you can give yourself this holiday season? Sure, you could spring for one of these amazing presents for foodies, or book a vacation at one of these VRBO beach houses. But the real gift to give yourself this holiday season is keeping things low stress. That means scaling back when needed, and looking for clever recipes so you’re not stuck in the kitchen all day trying to perfect a 40-step French hors d’oeuvre to impress your guests when Ina Garten’s super-simple goat cheese phyllo appetizer tastes just as good, for a tenth of the effort.

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When we say Ina Garten, the author of “Go-To Dinners,” knows a thing or two about elegant, easy entertaining, we’re not kidding, and this recipe is proof. All you’ll need to make this 4-ingredient recipe is phyllo dough, butter, breadcrumbs, and goat cheese cut into rounds.

Courtesy of Clarkson Potter.

Layer the phyllo dough sheets with melted butter and breadcrumbs, add the goat cheese, bundle them up, and bake until the phyllo is golden brown. They’re crispy, warm, cheesy, and so satisfying.

Garten serves these little bundles of cheesy joy on a simple green salad, but there’s so much room for experimentation.

Some of our favorite ideas? Add a dollop of cranberry sauce or chutney on top of the goat cheese rounds before closing up the phyllo packets; drizzle the finished parcels with hot honey, truffle honey, or olive oil and balsamic glaze; or use a flavored goat cheese instead of plain to immediately add more oomph to the recipe — with no extra work required.

Courtesy of Mike’s Hot Honey.

We always have a box of phyllo in the freezer for just this reason — it can make even the simplest combinations of ingredients seem like a special treat. This holiday season, work smarter, not harder, with phyllo dough and Ina Garten as your guides.