Benedictine Cheese Canapes
A 2-bite version of a traditional family recipe, these Benedictine Cheese Canapés are quick and easy to prepare, and vibrant on the plate, too!
Servings: 55 (1 1/2") canapés
Calories: 52kcal
Ingredients
See gluten-free adaptations in the Notes section at the bottom of the recipe.
- 1 loaf thinly sliced white bread such as Pepperidge Farm - see Note
- 1 to 2 large cucumbers see Note
- 1 tablespoon grated onion
- 8 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
- 1/4 teaspoon salt or more to taste
- Cayenne pepper
- Dash green food coloring
- Dash sugar only if needed
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Cut rounds out of each slice of bread (not using crusts) to desired size (we like 1 1/2 to 2” rounds). Place on a cookie sheet and bake for around 7 minutes until lightly toasted.
- Peel, seed and grate the cucumber. Place on a clean dish towel (or paper towel) together with onion. Fold in sides and roll up. Holding over the sink, squeeze/ring out moisture from the cucumber and onion.
- Combine cream cheese (cut into cubes),onion, cucumber, mayonnaise, salt and dash cayenne pepper (or more to taste) in a food processor and mix until well blended. Taste and adjust salt and cayenne pepper as needed. Stir in food coloring.
- Place in a bowl, cover and refrigerate for several hours to let flavors blend.
- Taste again, adjust salt and cayenne as needed. If cucumbers are bitter (some can be, especially if they are young), add a dash of sugar.
- Top each toast round with some of the spread. Garnish with a slice of cherry tomato and lightly sprinkle with cayenne pepper.
Notes
Gluten free: use gluten-free bread.
Note on bread: if you can't find thinly sliced bread, buy regular white bread and roll thin, using a rolling pin.
Note on cucumbers: Use 1 cucumber unless it has a lot of seeds, then use 2.
Time-saving variation: Place the cheese mixture in a bowl, the tomato slices in another bowl and place both in the middle of a serving platter, surrounded by the toast rounds.
Make ahead: toast rounds and cheese can be made earlier in the day. Place the cooled toast rounds in a zip top baggie and store at room temperature; cover the cheese and store it in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Note: This recipe was originally published in my cookbook A Well-Seasoned Kitchen®.
Nutrition
Calories: 52kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.004g | Cholesterol: 4mg | Sodium: 85mg | Potassium: 46mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 101IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 32mg | Iron: 0.5mg