Name: Cheese-Stuffed Boats: Savory Appetizers with Cheese and Parsley
Prep time: 30 min
Yield: 15-24
Cuisine: Egyptian, Greek, Jordanian, Lebanese, Mediterranean, Mexican, Middle Eastern, Palestinian, Syrian, Turkish, World

Cheese-Stuffed Boats: Savory Appetizers with Cheese and Parsley

August 21st, 2015 By: Riwa Saied

This delightful baked cheese appetizer will have everyone cheering. Nothing complements chopped parsley like salty white cheese—whether it’s Nabulsi, White Mexican, Haloumi, or Feta Cheese. Desalted cheese won’t deliver the sought-after taste. We use a basic bread dough recipe to create boat-shaped cheese sticks filled with this winning cheese and parsley combination.

Ingredients

Basic Bread / Pizza Dough
Active Dry Yeast - 2 teaspoons
White Sugar - 1 teaspoon
Lukewarm Water - 1 cup
White, Unbleached, All purpose Flour - 3 cups, plus extra for kneading
Salt- 1/4 teaspoon
Olive Oil - 1 teaspoon, plus some for coating dough
Cheese Parsley Filling
Nabulsi, Haloumi, White Mexican, or Feta Cheese, Finely Chopped or Crumbled (Not Unsalted) - 3 cups
Chopped Fresh Flat Leaf Parsley - 1/2 cup
Egg Whites - 2
Egg White Wash
Egg Whites - 2

Steps

Step 1
Make Your Basic Bread / Pizza Dough

Mix all dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl.
Step 2
Add 1 teaspoon olive oil and water and mix using your hand.
Step 3
Knead dough well for about 8-10 minutes by hand till dough is well mixed.
Step 4
Put dough in a clean bowl, cover surface of dough lightly with some olive oil, cover with clean cloth, and allow to rise at room temperature for 1 ½ hours.
Step 5
Make Your Filling

Combine the White Cheese of your choice with the chopped parsley and egg white. Mix Gently and set aside.
Step 6
Knead and Shape your Dough

Divide dough into 2 sections after it finishes rising.
Step 7
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Step 8
On a floured surface, take one section of the dough and knead for a few minutes. Shape dough into golf size balls and cover with wet cloth while you repeat with the next section of the dough.
Step 9
Stuff Your Cheese Boats

Using your hands, flatten each ball from the dough you created into a flat oval shape.
Step 10
Fill with 1 tablespoon of cheese and parsley filling.
Step 11
Close the ends of the oval shaped dough by pinching the corresponding sides tightly. Keep pinching the dough with your fingers towards the center of the boat, leaving a small opened circle in the middle. Fold the pinched dough to the side (this way the Cheese Boats do not lose their shape during baking time).
Step 12
Place in ungreased pan, leaving about an inch between each cheese boat.
Step 13
Brush top of each boat with white egg wash.
Step 14
Bake for 15 – 20 minutes or until dough starts to change color on the top.

Tip

Make a batch of these and keep in your freezer. All you will need to do is heat in the oven and serve! Easy!

Cheese-Stuffed Boats: Savory Appetizers with Cheese and Parsley