Baked Cheese Appetizer Recipe

If you are like me you’re always looking for delicious appetizers that are simple to make. I host often, and usually, we open the evening with what I like to call French Cocktails.

In France, grabbing a cocktail is a different experience than in the US. If we Americans are meeting friends for cocktails, the early evening pushes into the late night, with several beverages shared and usually something ordered to eat, am I right?

When the French have drinks, they have A drink. The party will convene around 6ish and they’ll linger with lively conversations over 1 cocktail, champagne, or glass of wine. If you are at a respectable establishment, a few delicious tidbits will be served with the beverages. The nicer the place, the nicer the morsels, and generally 3. This is the part I love, simple nibbles, with a focus on the quality. Its usually an offering of olives, whole nuts, and 1 baked good like a tiny tart or cheese straw. Once the single beverage has been consumed, the group is off to home or for their dinner plans, often with someone else.

The whole thing just feels so civilized. I adore the fact that the focus is on the quality of the food and not a huge fuss with tons of complex ingredients, just nibbles to keep the pallet interested.

And that, my friend, brings me to my Baked Cheese Appetizer Recipe. This is ideal to put out for a cocktail hour with a small bowl of assorted olives and an equally small bowl of high-quality chips or chef-style homemade popped corn. Just a few salty bites to keep people engaged and get them ready for a lovely meal.

The best part of this baked cheese is just how easy it is to make, plus everyone I’ve ever served it to raves. You can mix up this 4-ingredient recipe the day before, keep it refrigerated, and pop it into the oven 30 minutes before you’re ready to serve it.

This appetizer recipe is also super versatile. You can substitute almost any cheese for the parmesan and you’ll have a different flavor. Can you imagine, cheddar cheese with chopped jalapenos? That would be amazing!

Baked Cheese Appetizer

1 8-ounce package of cream cheese, room temperature

1 cup of grated parmesan cheese (good quality)

1-2 garlic cloves, pressed

2 2 tablespoons of chopped peppadew Peppers

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place all ingredients in a bowl, and mix with a hand-held mixer for 2-3 minutes until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Pour the cheese mixture into a small baking dish that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Place the dish on a parchment-lined baking pan and bake for 22-24 minutes until the mixture is browned and bubbly. Serve with French bread or crackers.

Enjoy and let me know how you like it! If you want to see me making this, pop over to my Instagram today and there it is!