When the temperatures drop, there’s nothing more comforting than warm, cheesy snacks to melt away the winter chill. Whether you’re hosting a cozy gathering, preparing game-day bites, or simply indulging in some comfort food, these recipes are the perfect solution. From gooey dips to baked delights, these winter snacks are packed with all the cheesy goodness you need to brighten even the coldest days.
Baked Feta with Hot Honey
Cook time: 25 min
Ingredients:
- 8 oz block feta cheese in brine is best, at room temperature
- 4 sheets phyllo pastry
- olive oil
- ½ cup hot honey
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme (you can use dried if you don’t have fresh)
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 375º.
- Drain the feta, then pat dry with paper towels to remove as much moisture as possible.
- Lay a sheet of phyllo on a baking sheet and brush with oil. Layer on another sheet of phyllo on top and also brush with oil. Place one block of feta onto the 2 pieces of phyllo. Wrap up all four sides like a present. Keep the sides relatively taut, but be careful not to rip them.
- Turn the block over so it’s seam side down, then repeat the same process of brushing individual phyllo sheets and layering. Lay the original block of feta wrapped in two phyllo sheets and repeat the fold. Flip the seam side down on the sheet, and brush the top with oil.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes, flipping halfway through. Remove the feta and lay on a plate. Drizzle the hot honey and sprinkle fresh thyme over it.
- Serve immediately and enjoy!
Crispy Feta Rolls
Cook time: 25 min
Ingredients:
- 12 phyllo pastry sheets (you may need 2 packs) thawed if frozen
- ⅓ cup unsalted butter
- ¼ cup light olive oil, or as needed
- 10 ½ oz (300g) feta cheese, crumbled
- 1 cup ricotta
- 2 Tbsp honey
- 2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
For the hot honey:
- ⅓ cup Stone Hollow Wildflower honey
- 2 tsp chili flakes
- 2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
- Pinch salt
Instructions:
- To make the cheese filling, combine crumbled feta cheese, ricotta, honey and thyme in a bowl and mix together to combine. Alternatively whip the filling in a food processor or mini chopper. You want the filling to be a little chunky, not completely smooth and runny.
- To assemble the rolls, put the butter in a small pan and melt over low heat. Add the olive oil.
- Cut a pack of phyllo pastry in half so that you have two stacks of pastry squares. Keep the phyllo covered with a slightly damp cloth while you are working so it doesn’t dry out.
- Lay one phyllo square on your worktop and brush with the melted butter and oil. Layer two more sheets of phyllo over the top, brushing each with butter/oil.
- Spoon some of the filling about an inch in from the border on the pastry closest to you. Don’t overfill! Brush with oil/butter and fold the edges in to encase the filling.
- Fold the edge closest to you over the filling and then roll, burrito style, to make a neat parcel. Remember to always brush with butter/oil so that the pastry sticks together and crisps up when baked. Keep the rolls covered with a damp cloth until you are ready to cook.
- Preheat the air fryer to 400°F / 200°C for three minutes. Place three rolls on a rack or directly in the air fryer basket and cook for five minutes at 350°F / 180°C.
- Flip the rolls over and cook for a further five minutes or until crisp and golden. Gently transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly while you air fry the rest of the rolls.
- If you would rather bake these in the oven then preheat to 350°F / 180°C and bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden and crispy.
- To make the hot honey add the honey, chili flakes and thyme to a saucepan and heat gently for a few minutes, stirring to combine. You want the chili to infuse the honey with a hint of spice. Keep warm until ready to serve.
- To serve, drizzle the warm rolls with the spicy honey and serve immediately.
Mozzarella Sticks
Cook time: 10 min
Ingredients:
- Egg roll wrappers
- Mozzarella
- Canola oil for frying
Instructions:
- Lay an egg roll wrapper on a flat surface and brush with water. Add a strip of mozzarella to the bottom half of the egg roll wrapper. Roll the wrapper up, folding in the sides halfway through. Seal the edges with more water if needed.
- Heat oil to 325° in a high sided pan. Once heated, add the mozzarella sticks. Fry for about 2 minutes on each side or until golden. Transfer to a paper towel to get rid of excess oil.
Parmesan Butter Beans
Cook time: 15 min
Ingredients:
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 15 oz cans butter beans, drained
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- Salt and black pepper
- 1 tsp Aleppo pepper
- ½ tsp cumin
- 1 cup chopped fresh parsley
- ½ cup shaved Parmesan cheese
Ingredients:
- In a large pan, add the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, 1-2 min.
- Add the beans and ½ cup water. Season with salt, black pepper, and the spices. Add the tomatoes. Cook, stirring occasionally until heated through, about 10 minutes. Stir in the parsley and parmesan.
- Finish with a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Serve with pita or your favorite crusty bread.
Spicy Honey Baked Feta
Cook time: 20 min
Ingredients:
- 1 block of feta
- Olive oil
- 2 Tbsp chili crisp
- ¼ cup honey
Instructions:
- Preheat your oven to 400º. Place the block of feta in a baking dish, and drizzle with olive oil. S
- pread 2 tbsp of chili crisp across the top, then bake for 15 minutes.
- Drizzle ¼ cup honey on top, and broil for 3 minutes.
- Serve with crackers and enjoy!
Bacon Phyllo Cups
Ingredients:
- 15 mini phyllo shells thawed
- ½ can mild Roasted Tomatoes or Rotel drained almost all the way
- ½ cup bacon cooked and crumbled
- 1 cups mix of Cheddar and Mozzarella cheese shredded
- ½ cup mayonnaise
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350ºF. Place phyllo shells on a baking sheet
- In a large bowl, mix together the tomatoes, bacon, and mayonnaise until blended.
- Add in the cheese and stir until completely mixed together.
- Fill the phyllo shells with the bacon/rotel mixture.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve warm or at room temperature.
Baked Goat Cheese Dip
Cook time: 30 min
Ingredients:
- 8 oz cream cheese, room temp
- 8 oz goat cheese, room temp
- ½ cup chopped dates
- ½ cup cooked, chopped bacon
- 1-2 Tbsp hot honey
Instructions:
- Preheat your oven to 400°. Put cream cheese and goat cheese into a bowl and mix until well combined and fluffy.
- Spoon the mixture into a cast iron skillet. Add the chopped dates and bacon to a bowl with the honey. Toss until coated, then spoon the bacon mixture over the goat cheese mixture.
- Bake for 15-20 min or until the goat cheese is bubbling.
- Serve with toast or crackers.
Queso
Cook time: 15 min
Ingredients for the Topping:
- 4 scallions, charred
- 2 small tomatillos, clean and diced small
- ½ jalapeño, minced
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- Kosher salt, to taste
Ingredients for Queso:
- 3 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
- ¼ onion, minced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
- 1 ¼ cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 4 oz shredded Monterey jack cheese
- 4 oz shredded sharp white cheddar cheese
- 2 Tbsp heavy cream
- Kosher salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
- In a small bowl, mix scallions, tomatillos, jalapeños, cilantro, lime, olive oil and salt. Set aside while you make the queso.
- In a small saucepan over medium low heat add butter and melt. Add in onion and garlic, and cook until soft and translucent. Stir flour into butter.
- Whisk in chicken stock and cook, whisking, until mixture is bubbling and thickened, about 5 minutes.
- Remove pan from heat. Let mixture sit off the heat for 1-2 minutes to insure its not super crazy hot before adding the cheese.
- Stir in cheeses, in three additions, whisking to melt fully before adding more cheese. Melting in the cheese off heat will keep your queso smooth and silky!
- Stir in cream and season with salt and pepper.
- Serve warm topped with scallion and tomatillo topping. Only top as much queso as you think you are going to eat so that you can still warm up the remaining as needed. Rewarm extra over low heat, stirring constantly.
Find More Recipes and New Favorites with Table & Thyme
If you liked these viral recipes and ideas, you will love our other content.
At Table & Thyme, we are committed to elevating all occasions. From birthday parties to weddings to corporate retreats, our team of skilled caterers are dedicated to creating memorable experiences with our gourmet catering options.
That is also why we share all kinds of tips, tricks, guides, and more. By joining the Table & Thyme community, you have access to all the tools you need to be a 5-star event host no matter the occasion.
Tune into our blog where we share everything from style inspo to hosting guides to irresistible seasonal recipes.
For more information on Table and Thyme, contact them today! Follow us on our social media: Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and Pinterest to see the other amazing events, lavishing grazing tables and beautiful graze boxes we have created.