Recipe Swap - Endive Stuffed with Goat Cheese and Walnuts

Want to see what other Special Occasion recipes were made during the swap? Here is the link to the Special Occasion Recipe Swap Roundup

The holiday season means parties and special dinners for many people. We always have a special meal for dinner Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve, so I thought a special occasion recipe swap would be perfect. The guidelines were for an appetizer, entree or side dish since we just did two dessert swaps in a row. I received a recipe for Endive Stuffed with Goat Cheese and Walnuts. My step-aunt always brings an antipasto platter to Christmas dinner and I thought these would be the perfect accompaniment.


I assembled these in the morning and kept them refrigerated until our guests arrived. They were incredibly easy to make since the only real cooking is making the sauce and that takes care of itself. My walnuts took 10 minutes in the toaster oven to get golden brown but definitely keep an eye on them.


I loved the presentation of the endive stuffed with all the delicious bits drizzled with the balsamic syrup. I've always been a fan of savory and sweet flavors together and these were the perfect blend of both. Everyone loved them. We only had three left and that was with them competing with the gorgeous antipasto platter. I will definitely make these again. Thanks for a delicious, easy recipe Leanne!

Endive Stuffed with Goat Cheese and Walnuts
Slightly Modified from Cooking Light, recommended by Around the Table

1/3 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
2 tablespoons honey, divided
Cooking spray
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons orange juice
16 Belgian endive leaves (about 2 heads)
2 ounces crumbled goat cheese
1 large can mandarin oranges in juice (about 16 slices)
1 tablespoon minced fresh chives
1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper

Preheat oven to 350. Combine walnuts and 1 tablespoon honey; spread on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes, stirring after 5 minutes. Watch carefully so they don’t burn.

Combine 1 tablespoon honey, vinegar, and orange juice in a small saucepan. Bring mixture to a boil over high heat, and cook until reduced to 3 tablespoons (about 5 minutes).

Separate and wash endive leaves. Lay each leaf, cup side up, on a platter. Top each section with about 1 teaspoon goat cheese, one orange slice and 1 teaspoon walnuts. Drizzle the vinegar mixture evenly over leaves, and sprinkle evenly with chives and pepper.