If you are looking for an easy, tasty, and elegant appetizer these Mushroom and Goat Cheese Filo Cigars with a Tomato Tapenade is exactly what you are looking for! In this recipe, crispy filo pastry is filled with a classic combination of earthy mushrooms, caramelized shallots, fresh thyme, and creamy goat cheese. This incredibly simple dish can be accompanied by an optional tangy, sun-dried tomato tapenade, which take them to the next level of flavor.
These savory filo cigars can be assembled ahead of time and take only minutes to cook. They are the perfect appetizer for entertaining, to bring to a pot-luck, or, simply enjoy them when you want a quick snack. They are crispy, flaky, two-bite treats. While irresistible on their own, they will disappear even faster when served alongside this simple, flavorful sun-dried tomato spread.
Ingredients for the Crispy Filo Cigars with Mushrooms and Goat Cheese
- Thin filo pastry: good quality filo makes a big difference (I used #4 Fillo Factory #4)
- Cremini mushrooms: the base of the filling adds great, earthy flavor
- Extra virgin olive oil: to sauté the vegetables and to brush on the filo pastry
- Shallots and garlic: add a hint of sweetness when caramelized
- Seasoning: sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- Fresh herbs: thyme and parsley (or, fresh mint)
- Cheeses: a combination of Goat cheese and Parmesan cheese (i.e., a creamy and a sharp cheese)
- Toppings: pine nuts and parsley (optional – for garnish)
- Optional pairing: sun dried-tomato tapenade pairs deliciously with the filo cigars (see note below), or, try this fabulous yoghurt and mint sauce
Optional pairing: Tangy Sun-dried Tomato Tapenade
To make this simple spread place about 1 cup of chopped sun-dried tomatoes packed in olive oil, a couple cloves of garlic, some fresh basil, a couple of green olives, a dash of sea salt and freshly ground pepper, and pulse in a food processor. Add enough extra virgin olive oil and process again until you achieve the consistency of a paste. Taste and adjust the flavors as needed and then refrigerate for at least an hour. Allow to come to room temperature before using.
Working with Filo Pastry – when quality matters
Those who feel intimidated by the idea of handling filo need not worry. This recipe is as simple as stacking sheets of filo, cutting it into pieces, filing it with some mushroom and cheese mixture, and rolling it up. The step-by-step tutorial that follows will help those who are not comfortable working with filo to make these yummy appetizers!
Quality matters: the sheets of filo pastry might look delicate, fragile and easy to mess up, but in reality they are extremely forgiving and, even when they tear, no one will notice. Choosing a reputable brand of filo will, however, make your work much easier. I use Fillo Factory brand filo pastry for all my filo recipes.
How to make the crispy Filo Cigars with Mushrooms and Goat Cheese
- Remove the package of thawed filo pastry from the refrigerator and prepare the mushroom filling.
- Place a filo sheet on a cutting board with its widest side in front of you. Brush it with some extra olive oil and place a second sheet on top of the first one. Brush that sheet with olive oil as well and repeat with a third sheet, so you have a stack of three sheets total of filo. With a sharp knife, cut the stack of filo horizontally into thirds (giving you three strips). Then, cut the filo stack vertically into fourths. This will leave you with twelve square pieces of filo stacks.
- Place about 1 TBSP. of the filling on each filo square and spread it evenly on the bottom of each filo square.
- Starting with the end that has the filling, fold the first filo stack to enclose the filling and then roll it tightly forming a thin cigar.
- Place the filo cigars seam-side down onto the prepared baking sheet and bake until golden brown.
Making them ahead of time
To make these crispy and slender filo cigars ahead of time, you can assemble them a day or two in advance, then cover them well and refrigerate until you need them. Then just bake in a preheated oven before serving. To make them extra crispy, brush them again with some extra virgin olive oil before baking.
You can also freeze the unbaked filo cigars for up to a month. Place them in a single layer on a sheet pan, pop them in the freezer for an hour, then remove them to a freezer bag and keep them frozen. When you need them, you can bake them without thawing, adjusting the cooking time slightly by adding a couple of extra minutes to get a nice and golden brown bake. 
This recipe is a collaboration with Fillo Factory. You can find this favorite filo dough (along with puff pastry) at Whole Foods and several small local stores. I love the quality of the Fillo Factory products and I always make sure to stash a couple of boxes in the freezer!
- 6 sheets thinnest Filo pastry, thawed (I used Fillo Factory #4)
- 10 oz. Cremini mushrooms, chopped into ½" pieces, about 3 cups
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil (plus more for brushing on the filo)
- 2 medium shallots, diced (about ⅓ cup)
- 1 large garlic clove, minced
- ½ tsp sea salt
- freshly ground pepper, to taste
- 1-2 TBSP. fresh thyme, chopped
- 4 oz. Goat cheese, crumbled
- 3 TBSP. Parmesan cheese, grated
- 1 TBSP. fresh parsley, minced (optional - for garnish)
- 2 TBSP. pine nuts (optional - for garnish)
- Remove the package of filo from the refrigerator and allow it to come to room temperature while you prepare the filling.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F . Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- Place a large 8" skillet over medium-high heat. When the skillet is hot, add the chopped mushrooms and dry-roast them (i.e., pan roast them without any oil or fat) for about 5 minutes, stirring often. After this cooking time, the mushrooms will release all their moisture and visibly reduce in volume.
- To the same skillet, add the olive oil and the shallots to the dry-roasted mushrooms. Sauté until everything is coated with the oil and the shallots are translucent, about 3 minutes. Lower the heat and stir in the minced garlic, the salt and pepper and sauté for a couple more minutes until everything is soft and nicely caramelized. Stir in the fresh thyme and remove the skillet from the heat so it can cool down.
- Place the mixture into a bowl and crumble the Goat cheese over it. Sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese and toss gently to combine. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed and set it aside (the filling can be done ahead of time).
- Open the filo package and remove three sheets of filo dough. Cover the rest with a piece of plastic and a kitchen towel, so they do not dry out.
- Brush each filo sheet with olive oil and place each one on top of the other, so you have a stack of three sheets of filo. With a sharp knife cut the stack of filo horizontally into thirds (you will have three strips). Then, cut the filo stack vertically into fourths. You will have twelve square pieces of filo stacks in total.
- Measure about 1 TBSP. of the filling and spread it evenly on the bottom of each filo square (see photo). Fold the end of the first filo stack that has the filling upwards to enclose the filling and roll it tightly forming a thin cigar. Place the filo cigars seam-side down onto the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the rest of the filo pieces, using about half of the filling.
- Brush the tops of the cigars with some more olive oil and bake for about 15 minutes or until golden brown. While the first baking sheet is in the oven, repeat the process with three more filo sheets and the remainder of the filling. Place those on the second baking sheet and bake until golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and allow them to cool down a little. Serve still warm with an optional sprinkle of parley and pine nuts.
For more filo roll appetizers, check out these favorite recipes:
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