Food & Cooking Recipes Appetizers Mushroom-and-Goat-Cheese Purses 4.0 (3) This phyllo appetizer is a delicious, savory bite for any gathering. Close Prep Time: 25 mins Cook Time: 35 mins Total Time: 1 hr Servings: 24 Jump to recipe This easy phyllo appetizer is filled with a winning combination of cooked mushrooms and creamy goat cheese. The mushroom mixture gets a flavorful boost from shallots, garlic, and thyme, and can be prepared up to one day ahead of time, making this recipe excellent for entertaining. You can use one type of mushrooms or a combination, depending on what’s available at your market. Tangy goat cheese offsets the rich mushroom filling while adding just the right amount of creaminess. Using phyllo may seem intimidating but it’s easier than it looks, and we're sharing some helpful tips for foolproof execution. Do You Want Puff Pastry or Phyllo Dough for That Recipe? Here's How to Choose Tips for Working With Phyllo Dough Defrost gently: Phyllo is sold frozen, and it's best to defrost it overnight in the refrigerator vs. the day-of on the counter, which can negatively impact the texture. Let the dough, still wrapped in plastic, come to room temperature before you begin stacking and cutting the sheets. Keep covered: Be sure to keep the phyllo you're not working with covered with a damp paper towel to prevent it from drying out. If it gets too dry, it'll crack while you're working with it, making the whole process more fussy and difficult. Don't skimp on the fat: Brushing sheets of phyllo with butter before stacking helps to create golden, flaky layers. Use enough butter on each sheet to reach from edge to edge, which will give you the crunchiest finished result. Make Ahead You can make the mushroom filling up to one day ahead of assembling the purses. Let it cool completely, then store it in airtight container in the refrigerator before you're ready to make the purses. Directions Heat oven; sauté aromatics: Preheat oven to 400°F. In a large nonstick skillet, melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium. Add shallots, garlic, and thyme and cook, stirring, until shallots are translucent, 4 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook; stir in goat cheese: Add mushrooms and season with salt and pepper; cook until mushrooms are tender and any liquid has evaporated, 20 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes, then stir in goat cheese. Stack phyllo, brushing with butter as you go: Lay 1 sheet phyllo on a work surface and lightly brush with melted butter. (Keep extra phyllo covered while you work.) Stack 3 more sheets on top, brushing each with butter. Cut into squares; repeat with remaining sheets: Cut stack into 12 squares. Repeat with remaining 4 sheets and more butter to make 24 squares total. Top squares with filling; form into purses: Top each square with 1 tablespoon mushroom mixture. Gather and pinch phyllo around mushroom mixture to form purses with ruffled tops. Bake until golden; serve warm: Bake on a parchment-lined baking sheet until golden brown, about 12 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving. Variations Mushrooms: This recipe is delicious made with all cremini or button mushrooms but using a mix of mushrooms—think shiitakes, oysters, and maitakes—can take it over the top. Cheese: We love goat cheese for its creaminess, but you could easily swap in feta or crumbled blue cheese instead. More Savory Phyllo Recipes to Try: Ratatouille Phyllo Wraps Asparagus Tart With Gruyere Feta-Stuffed Shishitos in Phyllo Zucchini Tart Chicken Potpie With Phyllo Clusters Updated by Esther Reynolds Esther Reynolds Esther Reynolds is an experienced recipe developer, recipe tester, food editor, and writer with over a decade of experience in the food and media industries.