I am super excited about Thanksgiving next week. The kids have the week off so we will definitely be having some fun, both here in Louisiana and hopefully Texas. I posted this recipe 5 years ago! Not only is it delicious, but the recipe includes a lot of ingredients that are likely in your pantry of fridge.
I love cheese as an appetizer, but we all know that it’s easy to consume a lot when part of a large cheese tray. Consuming a lot of cheese equals consuming a lot of saturated fat and calories.
One of the benefits of goat cheese is that it’s lower in saturated fat and calories compared to regular cow milk cheese. It is one of my favorite cheeses and if you think you don’t like it, you should try it marinated with all of these flavors.
Interesting facts about goat cheese (chevre):
- It’s is easier to digest than many other cheeses.
- The high digestibility of goat cheese results from the unusual structure of its fats, which are generally small molecules, made up of short-chain fatty acids. Their small size makes them easier to break down and digest than the larger-chain fats of cow’s milk and cheese.
- It is almost 40% lower in calories, fat and saturated fat compared to cow’s milk cheese like cheddar. For example 1 oz of goat cheese has: 70 calories, 6 grams of fat, 4 grams of saturated fat. Compare that to 1 oz of cheddar cheese which has 113 calories, 9 grams of fat and 6 grams of saturated fat. Plus a little goes a long way due to strong flavors.
The dipping oil is delicious too because it absorbs so much flavor from the rosemary and thyme. Another bonus of this gorgeous appetizer is that it can be made ahead of time, even the day before.
When I choose dishes to make during the Holidays I like to plan a few dishes that can be made ahead of time that way I am not in the kitchen all day (ha ha…like that is even possible!).
You really need to make this on!
This is what you’ll need:
The assembly of this dish couldn’t get much easier and here is your final product.
The crostini I made at home as well. Just cut loaf of wheat bread into slices, drizzle with olive oil and bake until crisp.
This was originally posted Dec. 20, 2010 (I did not update the photos this time, just the text).
- For the cheese:
- ¼ lb log of goat cheese, cut into 8 rounds
- 2 Tablespoons finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil
- ½ teaspoon minced capers
- 1½ teaspoon lemon zest
- 3 rosemary sprigs
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- pinch of sea salt or kosher salt
- For the Crostini
- 1-2 loafs of baguette or wheat bread (I fit about 30 slices on my cookie sheet)
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- In a small, shallow dish, arrange the goat cheese slices in one layer. If the cheese starts to crumble, just use your hands to press it into the slice.
- Sprinkle with lemon zest, sun-dried tomatoes, capers and thyme. Sprinkle a little sea salt or kosher salt over the dish. Tuck the rosemary sprigs into the dish.
- Pour the olive oil over the cheese and let marinate in the refrigerator for 2 to 6 hours. It can be served sooner if needed, but the flavors will improve with time. Bring the dish to room temperature (about 20 to 30 minutes) before serving.
- For the crostini:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Slice bread into slices ¼" to ½" thick. Place in one layer on cooking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes, turning at least once, until light brown and crisp.
- Yield: 30 crostini
Cheese Recipe Adapted from Best of Fine Cooking Magazine
Enjoy!
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yum! heading over now!
Hi Jenn!
I just realized when she copied and pasted my post, she left out the ingredients accidentally. If you’d like the recipe, make sure to check back later. I notified her they were missing. 🙂
Something new for me to try. Thanks
I love goat cheese (sadly, my husband always tells me it tastes like wet sheep), but maybe I can sneak this one in anyway.
Mary recently posted..Antebellum Rice Waffles (and The Big Jones Cookbook)
Goat cheese is delicious and also good for us. Great recipe for the holidays!
Carol Cassara recently posted..Your life, all in one place
Melanie this looks amazing! Goat cheese is my favorite and really the only cheese I will eat lately. What an impressive and tasty app!!
Chrissa – Physical Kitchness recently posted..10-Minute Tabata
Thanks Chrissa! I agree, goat cheese is the best. Love it slightly melted on pizza. Mmmmm
This looks amazing! I’ll have to serve this at the next party I host!
Natalie @ A Fit Philosophy recently posted..Healthy Chocolate Peanut Butter Energy Balls
Thank you Natalie! It’s super easy too 🙂
Oooo this looks so delicious!! I don’t eat a lot of cheese because I find it doesn’t always agree with my stomach, but fortunately goat cheese bothers me less 🙂 I’m always looking for new recipes to bring to holiday parties and this looks like it will fit the bill perfectly! Thanks for sharing!
Ariana recently posted..Lessons Learned From Two Months of Self-Employment
Yes love that goat and feta are a bit easier to digest.
This looks amazing – I’ve heard of marinated mozz but never goat cheese but it makes perfect sense. Can’t wait to give this recipe a try!
Amy @ Happy Healthy RD recently posted..Sunshine Quinoa Collard Green Wrap
Thank you Amy!
This reminds me of maternal grandma. She had few goats in her house at village and because of this entire family was getting pure goat milk. I never liked the taste of goat milk whenever I visited them but now I know that how good goat milk is for health .
The recipe you’ve mentioned is looking great and as it is all veg, I can give it a try. It will be bit hard to find goat’s milk though.
Bharat Sharma recently posted..43 Amazing Health And Beauty Benefits of Amla (Indian Gooseberry)
Just when I thought it couldn’t get better than my go-to baked chevre…. this looks so yum and and way easier!
Chelsea recently posted..6 Ways to Host the Perfect Friendsgiving
Well warm cheese is quite delicious 😉