Cheesy Pops!

I love to entertain!  I always look forward to having people over and doing something a little out of the ordinary.  Josh and I have a good friend named Paul who lives out in Chicago.  Ever since we got married, we have Paul over for a nice dinner whenever he is in town.  It has become such a fun tradition for us.  We always value that time because he is a friend with whom we can have great conversations for hours over a drawn out meal.  In talking about him with our youth group, our students have nicknamed him "Dinner Paul" and they all know we love having Dinner Paul over for dinner!  Now our little dinner party with Paul has expanded as his lovely girlfriend Kimmy joins us whenever she is here as well.  They are such a great couple and I really value the time we have together.

The two of them joined us for dinner over Christmas break and we enjoyed a lovely meal together.  Our appetizer course was certainly my favorite of the evening as I got to try something new-Cheese Pops! I come from a long line of cheese lovers and so of course I'd love the idea of a cheese pop!  

Here is how you make them!

First: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees.

Second: Chop up your cheese.  I used a mix of Parmesan, Romano, and Asiago cheese. 

Third: Fill a round cookie cutter with the chopped cheese blend. 

Forth: Remove cookie cutter and add a pop stick and sprinkle some extra cheese over the top of the stick.

Fifth: Gently place the cookie sheet in the oven.  Watch the cheese waiting for the entirety of the cheese to bubble (about 2 or 3 minutes).

Sixth: Place the cookie sheet in the freezer for about a minute to speed up the cooling time.  

Seventh: Gently peel pops off of the parchment paper and arrange in a darling display.  I used a can filled with black beans (to hold the pops in place).   

Finally: Serve with wine and appetizers and enjoy!

 

For optimal use: enjoy the cheesy pops during an evening with "Dinner Paul" and Kimmy!  I just love them!