How To Turn Ricotta Cheese Into A Simple Yet Flavorful Appetizer

Creamy ricotta is a great ingredient to use in all sorts of dishes (homemade lasagna immediately comes to mind), but you don't have to overthink it. It's good by itself, or as a breakfast item spread on toast, but if you're in a pinch and want a quick and easy appetizer to serve some guests, there's one thing you can make that only takes one additional ingredient to create. 

All you need to do is whip out that jar of hot honey sitting in your pantry, drizzle it on top, and you're good to go. Slice up some crusty bread, and serve that on the side. It's really as easy as that. I'm guessing you have a few other things laying around in your pantry as well, which means a little speckle of Calabrian chili would work (heck, even our favorite chili crisp would be incredible), or a sprinkling of fresh herbs, coarsely ground black pepper, or citrus zest would also go a long way. If you don't have those things, however, sticking to ricotta and hot honey will work perfectly well — and the best part is, you can refill the bowl as quickly as people empty it out.

It turns out ricotta is easy to make at home, too. All you need is milk, heavy cream, buttermilk, and salt, and you've got all the ingredients to make it on your own. It's just a matter of letting the milk and cream curdle with the buttermilk at a temperature that's just under boiling, letting it drain for some hours until it reaches your desired consistency, then seasoning it with salt. Granted, that's not quite as easy as just running to the store and grabbing a tub from the dairy section, but it's good to know that good ricotta doesn't have to be complicated, especially if you have the time and patience for it.

But as an appy, you can always whip the ricotta if you want to put in a little more work to make it lighter and airier. Otherwise, spooning some into a bowl and pooling some hot honey into it makes for a sweet and creamy appetizer that is sure to please a crowd. So if you're in a pinch and need something quick to serve friends, you know what to do. Any added flair from your pantry is just an excellent flavor bonus.