I love Emmentaler cheese. It has mild, fruity and nutty attributes, which pair incredibly well with fruit. One fruit it particularly works well with is cantaloupe. Since I had both on hand, I caramelized the cantaloupe in a little butter and then alternately skewered it with cubes of Emmentaler on cocktail picks. I finished the cute bites with crushed pistachios.
These cheese appetizers are easy to prepare and get devoured amazingly fast too. They would fit quite well in a buffet style party. Even if you aren’t planning a party, take advantage of the wonderful fruit that’s currently in season, because summer won’t be here forever!
1. Info for Cantaloupe and Cheese Appetizer Recipe
- Cook Time: 10 mins
- Total Time: 20 mins
- Servings: 24
- Calories: 177kcal
2. Ingredients for Cantaloupe and Cheese Appetizer Recipe
- ½ ripe, sweet cantaloupe
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 teaspoons wild flower honey (or any other sweetener)
- 24 (1-inch) cubes Emmentaler cheese (or Gruyère cheese)
- 12 thin slices beef salami (optional), halved
- ¼ cup salted pistachios, crushed
- 1 tablespoon fresh dill (optional), chopped
3. Directions:
- Using a melon baller, form 24 small balls of cantaloupe. In a saucepan, melt 1 tablespoon butter. Add the cantaloupe. Cook, stirring constantly, for about 2-3 minutes. Drizzle with honey. Toss well. Let cook until caramelized. Transfer to a plate and let cool to room temperature. Roll a halved salami slice (if used) and thread a cube of Emmentaler cheese on one side of the cold cut meat and a round of cantaloupe on the other side onto a party pick. Use the cube of cheese as the base of the appetizer and place onto a serving platter. Repeat until all the cheese, salami and fruit are used. Sprinkle with the crushed pistachios. Garnish with dill. Serve at room temperature.
- Bon appétit!
