When I entertain I like to have some simple appetizers but I also enjoy making a few elevated, yet simple, additions to the table. These stuffed olives are the perfect snack that’s so easy to make.
When I’m making party food I like for it to be fun and festive but also approachable. Everyone will chow down on chips and dips or cheese and crackers, so those are always staples. But who doesn’t want to have something a little more exciting, too?
Stuffed olives are one of those decadent hors d’oeuvres that you can serve at a party that have a fancy feel, yet they are so simple to make. They’re delicious on their own or they’re the perfect accompaniment to a great glass of wine.
When you are looking for a classy addition to the table for your next dinner party or holiday gathering, quickly grab up some cheese and olives and make this delicious appetizer (or accompaniment to a meal or cocktail) and impress some guests!
Common Questions about Stuffed Olives
What are olives usually stuffed with?
Store-bought jarred green olives typically come with pimentos inside. This recipe doesn’t involve that type of olive since it’s too small — but we absolutely would recommend using pimento cheese as an alternative filling in this recipe!
What olives are the best to use for filling?
Spanish Queen Olives are the best for their firmness and texture but any medium or large size olive that can hold a filling will work. You can find them jarred at any grocery store or you can check out the olive bar at other grocers.
How do you eat stuffed olives?
We recommend providing toothpicks next to your platter of stuffed olives or presenting them in such a way that they’re easy to pick up by hand.
Making Stuffed Olives Ahead of Time
You can definitely make stuffed olives ahead of time, but only by about a day.
Storage
You won’t want to store these long, but since they’re so incredible you likely won’t need to!
Refrigerator: Store these olives for up to 24 hours in the refrigerator in an airtight container or ziploc bags. After that, the quality decreases, though you can eat them safely for up to 3 days.
Freezing: It’s not recommended to freeze stuffed olives.
Tips For The Best Stuffed Olives
Stuffed olives are pretty simple so there aren’t a lot of ways they can go wrong. But if you want the best version try these tips.
- Choose larger olives. While any size olive, for the most part, will work, these are best made with a medium to large size olive to allow enough space to pipe in the cheese.
- The fresher the better — if you can get great olives from a local purveyor they’re preferable over jarred versions, like most food products.
- Using high-quality cheese is always the best way to go. These olives are meant to be a decadent appetizer so make sure to source a cheese that you’re excited to serve.
Ingredients
- Gorgonzola cheese (crumbled)
- Cream cheese (softened)
- Thyme (fresh and finely chopped)
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Whole olives (pitted — green, black or your favorite)
Kitchen Supplies You’ll Need
- Medium bowl
- Large spoon or rubber spatula
- Pastry bag (or ziploc bag with the tip cut off)
- Food processor, stand mixer with a paddle attachment, or electric mixer (all optional)
How to Make Stuffed Olives
- Add the softened cream cheese and the gorgonzola to a medium-sized bowl.
- Using a large spoon or a rubber spatula, mix the cream cheese and gorgonzola until completely combined. Alternatively, you can use a food processor, stand mixer, or hand mixer to beat the mixture.
- Fold or beat in the thyme and pepper to the cheese mixture.
- Spoon the cheese mixture into the pastry bag or plastic bag with a small snip in the corner.
- Gently pipe the cheese into each olive.
- Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.
What to Serve With Stuffed Olives
These make an excellent appetizer but there is no end to the dishes that you can serve with stuffed olives. Here are just a few ideas!
- Fish – Most fish dishes are delicate and deserve something to punch up the taste. Try serving these with your best poached salmon at the next dinner party.
- Steak – Any amazing steak dinner deserves some elegant side dishes and these go well as a starter or to nosh on during the main meal.
- Salads – Toss a few of these over a green salad to make it memorable.
- Martini – Who could overlook using these in a classic cocktail? There are plenty of cocktails that these olives could grace but a martini is one of the top choices.
- Breakfast – From placing these alongside a breakfast board featuring bagels, cream cheese, and smoked salmon to an amazing bar of Bloody Marys, these olives deserve a place at the table any time of day.
- Boards – Elevate any cheese or charcuterie boards by adding these.
Why You Should Make This Recipe
There are endless reasons to make these delicious olives but here are just a few of the best excuses to make this decadent app.
- Decorative – These gorgeous olives are the star of the show on a spread of appetizers.
- Easy – With only a few steps, they come together quickly.
- Delicious – The creaminess of the cheese offsets the toothsome texture of the olives. Meanwhile, the brininess of the olives plays well with the saltiness of the cheese.
- Portable – These stuffed olives are just as easy to set up at home on a pretty platter as they are to transport to a party.
Variations and Add-ins
These olives are an impressive addition to any appetizer tray all on their own with this simple recipe. But you can take it up a notch with a few easy additions.
- Cheeses – Make it your own by changing it up using any variety of cheese — try blue cheese in place of gorgonzola for a funkier feel and tangy flavor or tone it down with some brie. You can also skip the cream cheese and added cheese altogether and simply use a flavored Boursin with garlic or shallots or try goat cheese.
- Spices – Add some heat to your olives by either incorporating chili powder or cayenne into the cheese or roll the filled olives in extra virgin olive oil, then crushed red pepper.
- seafood – Pack some protein into the olives by adding some seafood into your cheese mixture. Flakes of smoked salmon or shreds of backfin crab meat will add an elevated feel to your olives.
- Nuts – Garnish your olives with an almond, or other nut, stuffed just inside the top of the olive.
- Garlic – Roast small garlic cloves (or cut them in half after roasting) and stuff them inside after piping the cheese.
- Fried – If you want to get a little bit more labor intensive, you can batter and fry cheese-filled olives until they are golden brown for an amazingly impressive treat.
- Salt – These are already a bit salty, but if you want more try adding some sea salt.
- Zest – Try adding a little lemon zest to the cheese mixture to bring some brightness to the olives.
If you love this easy Stuffed Olives recipe, you’re going to love these other snacks too. Please click each link below to find the easy, printable recipe!
Other Simple and Savory Appetizers
Spinach Artichoke Stuffed Mushrooms
Mini Bacon Onion Ranch Cheeseballs
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Stuffed Olives
Ingredients
- 3 ounces Gorgonzola cheese crumbled
- 2 ounces cream cheese softened
- 2 teaspoons thyme fresh – finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 40 whole olives pitted, green, black or your favorite
Instructions
- In a medium bowl beat together the Gorgonzola cheese and the cream cheese until smooth.
- Stir in the thyme and pepper.
- Spoon the mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a small round tip.
- Pipe the cheese mixture into the olives.
- Place the prepared olives in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
- Store for up to 24 hours in the refrigerator.
Nutrition
Nutritional information for the recipe is provided as a courtesy and is approximate. Please double-check with your own dietary calculator for the best accuracy. We at Yummi Haus cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site.
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