Ingredients
2 (15 count) phyllo cups
1 cup pimento cheese (homemade or store-bought)
⅓ cup red pepper jelly
¼ cup chopped pecans (optional)
These amounts match popular pimento cheese–pepper jelly phyllo cup recipes that use about 2 packages of 15-count shells, roughly 1 to 1 ½ cups pimento cheese, and around ⅓ to ½ cup pepper jelly, with pecans as an optional garnish. Pre-baked mini phyllo shells from the freezer section are standard for this style of appetizer because they crisp quickly and consistently in a hot oven.
Step-by-step instructions
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). This temperature is widely used for phyllo cup appetizers and pimento cheese bites to melt the cheese and crisp the shells without burning them.
Arrange the phyllo cups in a single layer on a baking sheet. Spoon about 1 tablespoon of pimento cheese into each cup, filling it just to the top; many recipes use about 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon per shell depending on size, aiming for a generous but not overflowing amount.
Add a small spoonful (a dollop) of red pepper jelly over the cheese in each cup. Pimento cheese and pepper jelly phyllo cup recipes often emphasize that the jelly layer should be enough to give a glossy, sweet-spicy top without drowning the cheese. If you are using pecans, sprinkle a few pieces or a small cluster of chopped pecans on top of each filled cup for extra crunch and flavor.
Bake the filled cups for 8–10 minutes, or until the phyllo shells are golden brown and the cheese is warm and melty. Similar pimento cheese bites and pepper jelly phyllo cup recipes suggest about 8–10 minutes at 350°F, noting that the edges should just begin to brown and the filling should be hot. Keep an eye on them during the last few minutes because phyllo can go from golden to overly dark quickly.
Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let the bites cool for about 5 minutes before serving. This short rest time appears in multiple pimento cheese phyllo cup recipes and helps the filling set slightly so it is warm but not scalding, and the cups are easier to pick up and eat.