This weekend, I thought my house was blowing up. Legitimately. Somehow, a transformer exploded across the street from us and the explosion occurred just as I was turning off a light in my house. I heard a huge boom, saw super bright colorful flashes of light, and felt the house shake.
This is seriously concerning, right? Turkeys are allegedly setting fires in my neighborhood and attempting to destroy homes. Needless to say, I required a glass of wine and lots of cheese that evening. Luckily, we went to celebrate Father’s Day at my sister’s house and enjoyed lots of wine and cheese, along with the company of the best dad in the world and my my fabulous aunt and uncle who were visiting. Mt sunday was redeemed.
This is an appetizer that contains all of my favorite things in one glorious little bite. Is this what heaven is like? I hope so. They’re Cheddar Cups with Avocado Feta Mousse and they make a pretty ideal app. Plus, they have baked kale on top. The only thing that could make them better is if wine was somehow baked in. I’ll start working on that.
INGREDIENS :
Cheddar Cups:
- 6 Tbsp milk
- 1 block (6 oz.) Cabot Cheddar Cheese, grated
- Avocado Feta Mousse:
- 2 avocados, peeled and pitted
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
- 1 Tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Baked Kale:
- 1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
- Pinch of salt
- 2 cups kale leaves, cleaned with ribs removed
INSTRUCTIONS :
Cheddar Cups:
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees and spray a small muffin tin with cooking oil.
- On a parchment paper or Silpat-lined baking sheet, scatter shredded cheddar in small circular mounds, spaced at least an ounce apart.
- Bake at 350 degrees for about 8-10 minutes, when cheese is just turning golden.
- After removing from oven, let sit for 30-60 seconds and then lift cheddar rounds with spatula and fit into muffin tins. Press down to form cheese into cups. It's important wait 30-60 seconds before moving, so cheese isn't gooey, but then you must work quickly before it hardens completely.
- Cool completely and then remove from muffin tin.
- Spoon or pipe avocado feta mousse into each cup and top with crumbled baked kale.
- Avocado Feta Mousse:
- Places avocado, feta, lime juice, milk, and black pepper in a blender and blend until a smooth mousse is formed.
Baked Kale:
- Place kale leaves in a bowl and toss together with olive oil and red pepper flakes, and salt.
- Once kale is coated, spread leaves in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for about 16-20 minutes, until nice and crispy.
- Remove from oven and let cool.