Shelly's Recipe

PHYLLO ONION ROLLS

Category: Hot

8 oz. pkg cream cheese, softened
2 cups grated Gruyere or Swiss cheese
2 onions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup butter
1/2 tsp dried thyme leaves
1/8 tsp pepper
18 (9 inch x 14inch ) sheets phyllo dough, thawed
More melted butter (I use about 1/3 cup)

In medium bowl, mix cream cheese and Gruyere. Set aside. In heavy skillet, saute onions in 1/4 cup butter until very soft and beginning to brown, 10-15 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook another 1 minute. Cool 20 minutes. Mix together onion mixture and cheese mixture and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Place one sheet phyllo dough on work surface. Brush with melted butter. Lay another sheet on top, brush with butter, and put one more sheet on top.

Take the onion mixture, divide it into thirds, and form a roll about 1 inch in diameter down one long edge of the stacked phyllo. Roll up carefully and place on cookie sheet. Brush thoroughly with more butter. Repeat with remaining phyllo and filling, making six rolls total. I place three rolls on each cookie sheet. Cover well with plastic wrap and chill overnight.

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 375 and remove the rolls from the refrigerator. Bake for 10-17 minutes or until rolls begin to brown and cheese filling melts. Let stand 5 minutes, then, using a very sharp knife, cut rolls into 1 inch pieces. Let cool for 5-10 minutes, then serve. The onion filling right out of the oven is super-hot. Serves 8-10 - or 4-6, at my parties!

NOTES: These appetizer pastries need to be baked just before serving - but that's okay, since you actually make the pastries ahead of time. I bake the recipe one cookie sheet at a time, so there are fresh, crispy hot rolls to pass around again. They even taste wonderful as they cool.

This appetizer recipe also freeze beautifully before baking. Just bake them, while they are still frozen, for about another 10 minutes until golden brown.

You can also freeze these rolls. Wrap well in freezer wrap, label, and freeze up to 3 months. To bake frozen rolls, place rolls on cookie sheets and bake at 375 for 15-23 minutes or until the rolls are beginning to brown and crisp and cheese melts. Proceed as directed above.