This easy Baked Goat Cheese brings together the summer flavors of fresh tomatoes, basil, and lemon for a lighter take on a classic appetizer. This simple is the perfect thing to serve at a party.
The thing that I love about this easy Baked Goat Cheese recipe is that it comes together with just 5 minutes of preparation time and 15 minutes of cook time. You can even prep the goat cheese, which get mixed with cream cheese, lemon juice, olive oil, and garlic in advance and just pop the goat cheese in the oven to bake just before guests arrive.
Most baked goat cheese recipes involve layering the goat cheese over tomato sauce, but that can be a bit heavy. I wanted to put a twist on the baked goat cheese concept to create a lighter, more summery, baked goat cheese recipe. To accomplish this, I added freshly squeeze lemon juice to the goat cheese mixture – I just adore the combination of lemon and goat cheese. Then once the goat cheese was out of the oven I added diced fresh tomatoes and chopped fresh basil on top. This baked goat cheese has a much lighter taste than baked goat cheese with tomato sauce.
I made this Baked Goat Cheese on a warm spring evening when friends were over for rooftop cocktails. And we loved how it turned out. You could really taste the flavors of the goat cheese, lemon, and garlic which complemented the fresh tomatoes and basil wonderfully. If you want to add even more lemon flavor to the goat cheese you can add some lemon zest in addition to the lemon juice.
I served this easy baked goat cheese recipe with a sliced baguette. You could also serve it with pita chips, crackers, or slices of cucumber.
This is a fuss-free appetizer that you can easily whip up on a nice day. It is a recipe that lends itself well to those nights when you spontaneously invite friends over. (This seems to happen often when you live in Chicago and have a rooftop).
How to make Easy Baked Goat Cheese:
Baked Goat Cheese
Ingredients
- 11 ounces of Goat Cheese
- 4 ounces of Cream Cheese
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
- 3 tablespoons of Olive Oil
- 3 tablespoon Lemon Juice
- 2 cloves of Garlic
- 1 cup of Chopped Tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon Chopped Basil
- Serve with bread crackers, pita chips, or vegetables.
Instructions
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Heat your oven to 400 degrees. Find a glass or ceramic dish that is about 5 inches square. Grease it with a light layer of olive oil.
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In a food processor, combine the goat cheese, cream cheese, parmesan, 2 tablespoons olive oil, lemon juice, and garlic. Blend until the mixture is smooth.
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Pour the goat cheese mixture into the glass pan. Brush the top with a light layer of olive oil.
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Bake the goat cheese for 15 minutes, until the top has lightly browned.
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Top the baked goat cheese with the tomatoes and basil before serving.
Recipe Notes
I served this easy baked goat cheese recipe with a sliced baguette. You could also serve it with pita chips, crackers, or slices of cucumber.
