Best Goat Cheese Recipes
From pizza and pasta to truffles and cakes, here are 21 goat cheese recipes for you to try.
Goat cheese is a versatile ingredient that can be incorporated into a whole gamut of dishes.
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Crumbly, creamy, and mildly salty and tangy, you can simply spread it on a cracker and call it a day.
If youre looking for ways to improve a dish, it wont let you down, either.
Because its flavor isnt too overpowering, its a perfect addition to a wide variety of treats, may they be sweet or savory. Youll never run out of ways to enjoy it.
Give your dishes that extra oomph with goat cheese!
From appetizers and sides to entrees and desserts, these goat cheese recipes are all must-tries.
What Is A Good Substitute For Goats Cheese In A Recipe
So, weve covered goats cheese, but what else would make a good substitute for goats cheese in a recipe?
Again, it will depend on what youre using it for, but almost any soft cheese is likely to make a good alternative.
Cream cheese has a similar texture, but it doesnt quite pack the same tang.
Recipes such as creamy pasta sauces where you would normally use goats cheese will do great with cream cheese.
Feta is best used in salads, as you get that essential crumble.
Try a French lentil salad or a beet salad and include feta for a great goats cheese alternative.
Finally, for spreading cheeses, labneh and ricotta are your best options.
Taste-wise, you are straying a little far from goats cheese here, but you will get that spreading that you would get from a goats cheese spread.
Labneh is Mediterranean yogurt cheese, and has a similar thick texture and tangy taste.
So, feta will make a great substitute for goats cheese in tons of dishes.
It has the perfect, crumbly texture which will go great in salads, and the right cheese will pack the same tangy taste.
Goats cheese, Ive found, isnt always as easy to get as feta cheese, but dont worrythey both make great substitutes for one another.
Cranberry Pecan Goat Cheese Truffles
OMG. Do these truffles deserve a standing ovation or not?
Even without knowing whats in these truffles, youll still want to have a bite. And dont worry, they taste just as magnificent as they look.
So heres what to expect from these bombshells: at their core is a blend of goat cheese, cream cheese, cinnamon, honey, and pecans.
The base alone is so good itll give you goosebumps.
The cheese balls are then coated with more pecans, cranberries, and parsley, and finished with a drizzle of honey.
There may not be any chocolate involved in making these truffles, but it doesnt matter. These truffles are definitely the stuff of legends.
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Cant Be Beet Tart With Goat Cheese
This is the dessert you cook when you want to make a big impression. Everything about it, from the ginger kick in the crust to the sweet earthiness of the beets in the filling to the rich goat cheese in the topping, comes together in beautiful harmony. Be sure to use an 11-inch tart pan to accommodate the filling a 10-inch pie plate will work in a pinch. Look for buttermilk powder on the baking or with the powdered milk.
Roasted Goat Cheese Stuffed Dates
Heres another appetizer recipe that will surely knock your socks off. I cant get enough of sweet and salty treats, so this ones definitely a winner for me.
Sweet and chewy dates are stuffed with roasted goat cheese and toasted pine nuts. You guys, this appetizer is absolutely a must-try.
Stuffed date recipes usually call for bacon, but if you want the dates to really shine through, all youll need are goat cheese and pine nuts.
They complement the taste and texture of the dates really well, without overpowering their flavor.
This super healthy appetizer is surprisingly delicious. To be honest, I didnt think Id be this addicted to apples, goat cheese, and honey.
But the combination completely got me, hook, line, and sinker.
Thinly sliced apples are the perfect crunchy vessels for crumbly and creamy goat cheese.
Honey completes the trio, adding a lovely layer of sweetness and moisture.
Its a basic, 3-ingredient recipe, but itll definitely blow your tastebuds away.
It proves, once again, that even the simplest things can also be the most amazing.
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Beyond Chevre: 10 Essential Goat Milk Cheeses To Know And Love
Everyone knows about goat cheese, a.k.a. chèvre. Its white, its crumbly, and its always showing up on beet salad thanks to northern California cooks in the 80s.
Good fresh goat cheese is a special and important thing. It should be moist and creamy, without a hint of graininess. Its flavor should be clean and fresh, mouthwateringly tangy but not astringent, lemony but also milky and balanced. An unaged cheese has nowhere to hide its faults.
Unfortunately theres a lot of faulty, gluey goat cheese out there, metallic and sour without any nuance. And that stuff, I suspect, is what turns people off goat milk cheese entirely. But there are a lot of goat cheeses out there to try besides chèvre.
In some ways, goat milk cheeses are the opposite of cow milk the longer theyre aged, the more approachable they tend to be. Some goat cheeses are buttery and mellow, with hints of lemon. Firm, aged, and rinded varieties offer flavors of nut skins and cooked milkmuch more subtle than younger styles, which are more piquant and goaty fresh chèvre is actually pretty intense.
What goat cheeses should you seek out beyond the fresh kind? In the spirit of my top 10 introductory cheeses and my survey of essential sheep milk cheeses, here are 10 goat cheeses worth seeking out.
How Do Goats Cheese And Feta Cheese Compare Nutritionally
Cheese is a great source of nutrients like protein and calcium.
Some cheeses also contain high quantities of healthy, fatty acids, such as conjugated linoleic acid, or CLA.
Research suggests that this group of fats helps prevent heart disease and reduces body fat.
Both feta cheese and goats cheese often contain CLA.
The final amount in the product when it hits the shelves will be dependent on production methods, like how long theyre aged and ripened.
This can affect how much is retained in the final product. But both usually contain some.
Both will also support bone health through the high amounts of calcium and protein.
Feta is a great source of many nutrients and minerals which have been shown to promote bone health.
Feta does, unfortunately, contain higher quantities of sodium than goats cheese.
Lots of salt is involved in the process of making feta cheese since it is cured in brine and salt is added to the curd.
The brine they are submerged in is up to 7% salt.
Unripened cheeses tend to be higher in lactose than aged cheeses, which can present problems for those who struggle to digest cheese.
Finally, unpasteurized dairy products can cause a lot of issues for pregnant women, so its better to avoid soft cheeses like goats cheese and feta cheese while pregnant.
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Humboldt Fog From Cypress Grove Chevre
Where its from: U.S.Aroma: Yogurt with a whiff of moldFlavor: Sour cream and citrusTexture: Crumbly cakeProducer: Cypress Grove
Many a cheese counter suggests that this cheese takes its name from the superior weed grown in Humboldt County, California. Thats not actually the case, but the cheeses origins are trippy and wonderful enough that the idea is apt. Cypress Grove founder Mary Keehn dreamt of Humboldt Fog on a 1980s plane ride home from France, imagining it in painstaking detail, from its tall, cakey shape to the wavering line of blue-grey vegetable ash, included as an homage to the French mountain cheese Morbier. Folks new to the cheese think its blue mold, as in blue cheese, but the ash is merely decorative, and a daily acknowledgement of the French cheesemaking tradition that so moved one American woman.
Humboldt Fog isnt sticky and silky like Brie, but you look at it and imagine a Brie in Wonderland that swallowed a growth potion. Unlike fresh goat cheese, Humboldt Fog is dusted in vegetable ash and inoculated with P.candidum to develop that edible white skin. Its flavor is saltier and less acidic than Brie, without the animal notes. Instead, you get a flaky cheesecake texture and buttermilk tang with pronounced citrus fruit. The brightness of lemon shining through all that fog.
Raspberry Goat Cheese Cheesecake
Capping off this list is a unique dessert you dont want to miss.
Cheesecake is usually made from cream cheese, but for this recipe, youll kick things up a notch with a trio of cheeses.
Using a blend of goat cheese, cream cheese, and mascarpone, this cheesecake means serious business.
The swirls of sweet and tart raspberry add that lovely punch of fruity flavor.
The crust has a little bit of honey in it, which compliments really well with the filling.
Its creamy, dreamy, and everything you want a cheesecake to be.
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Sheep Or Goat Milk Feta
Feta cheese originated in Greece and is made with either sheep milk or a combination of sheep and goat milk that is curdled, then cured in brine for four to six weeks. Feta is perfectly crumbly, salty, and tangy. It is the best substitute for goat cheese because it is the closest texturally and flavor-wise to goat cheese without the gaminess. Therefore, feta cheese is the best goat cheese substitute for those who dont like the taste of goat cheese.
Feta is also the most like goat cheese in terms of macronutrient make-up, having a high protein and low-fat content, so it is a great substitute for anyone on a low-fat, low-carb diet.
You can find feta cheese at any grocery store. Most grocery stores offer a wide variety of feta cheeses including, Greek, Bulgarian, French, and American each type differs slightly in creaminess, saltiness, and texture.
The best dishes to use Feta instead of goat cheese are on salads, in savory tarts and pastries like Spanakopita, pasta, and dips like spinach artichoke.
Herb And Goat Cheese Puff Pastry Bites
Puff pastry is such a perfect crust for appetizers. Topped with sweet or savory fillings, it never disappoints.
These flaky and buttery bites are filled with a blend of goat cheese, cream cheese, garlic, and herbs.
Ill give you a moment to let all of that goodness sink in.
Theyre super elegant and worthy of any special occasion, but theyre also easy enough to make any day.
Bursting with roasted beets, avocado, arugula, walnuts, this salad is loaded, to say the least.
The combination of colors, flavors, and textures create a mouthwatering symphony.
Each component is special on its own, but together, theyre even more remarkable.
Tied together by a sweet and tangy maple balsamic glaze, this salad might just be the greatest of all time.
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Does Goats Cheese Taste Like Feta
Feta is full of flavor and is cured in brine, which is a staple of cuisine in the Mediterranean diet.
Its mostly enjoyed in salads or as part of a cheese platter.
Though it does make a great alternative to goats cheese, there are some important differences.
Feta cheese is traditionally made with 100% sheeps milk.
In some cases, it can contain as much as 30% goats milk, but in general it does not.
Goats cheese, on the other hand, as you might have guessed, is made entirely from goats milk.
European law dictates that anything calling itself feta cheese has to contain at least 70% sheeps milk, but these rules do not apply outside of Europe.
In the US, feta could be made from cows milk check the label to be sure.
Part of the reason feta tastes so close to goats cheese is that sheep are more similar to goats than cows are.
Both feta and goats cheese are usually white, creamy cheeses.
Feta has a much nuttier smell and a tangier, saltier taste.
This is due to the curing in brine which it undergoes.
Goats cheese has an earthier aroma, with a tart, bold flavor.
Goats cheese may have a rind or skin of some kind, whereas feta is shaped into blocks during production.
So, they are very similar in many ways, and though naturally a discerning cheesemonger could quickly tell the difference, they are often mistaken for one another by lay people.
The taste is very similar.
But, what about nutritionally?
Drain Curds & Release Whey
When a good curd has formed, you will see a thin layer of whey over the curd mass and the curd may show cracks and separation from the sides. It will also show a clean break when tested with a knife or finger.
This curd can now be transferred to a butter muslin lined colander with a ladle or slotted spoon to allow the whey to drain. The amount of time needed for draining will be about 6 hours at 68-72°F but this is dependent on what you want as Chevre-less time for a sweeter and moister cheese and more time for a drier and tangier cheese. Remember that the bacteria is still working and as long as the whey is present they are able to convert the lactose to lactic acid.
The time of draining and the temperature of the room determine how much whey drains from the curd. The draining period regulates the body characteristics and determines the final quality of the cheese. This period can be as much as 12-36 hours at a temperature of 68-72°F. Higher temperatures promote gas formation and excessive moisture loss lower temperatures inhibit whey drainage and produce a very moist cheese with very short shelf life.
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How To Buy And Store Goat Cheese
When you hear “goat cheese,” what probably comes to mind is that little white log: fresh chevre, creamy, tangy deliciousness.
It’s a good starting point. From there, goat cheese can run the gamut from firm to funky to crumbly to melty to nutty, you name it. Basically, anything cow or sheep’s milk can do, goat’s milk can do just as wellor, if you ask Judy Schad, better.
Schad is proprietor of Capriole in Indiana, one of the nation’s foremost makers of goat cheese. Naturally, she has much to say about the stuff, from what makes it so distinct to why plastic wrap is the enemy .
Here’s a rundown of what you need to know on your next goat cheese excursion.
+ Goat Cheese Recipes For Appetizers
11/23/19
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We LOVE goat cheese at our house so I decided to round up some of the best goat cheese recipes for appetizers that youll want to serve at your next party.
These are so tasty that they will quickly become family favorites. This list is currently 48 goat cheese recipes for appetizers long, but Ill be adding more as I find them.
I have 60+ ideas for party appetizers youll want to see as well.
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List Of Goat Cheeses By Region
China
- Rubing is a fresh goat cheese from Yunnan Province, resembling the Indian paneer, a cows cheese.
- Shosha a pungent cheese and staple food in Tibetan cuisine of the Tibet Autonomous Region that is often made from animals suited to the climate such as goat and yak.
Japan
- Yagi Cheese is a goat cheese made in Japan. Yagi is the Japanese word for goat.
Eastern Mediterranean
- Labneh is a goat, cow or sheep yogurt cheese consumed in many parts of the world including the Eastern Mediterranean. It is often eaten with olive oil, olives, zaatar and fresh vegetables on flatbread for breakfast.
France produces a great number of goats milk cheeses, especially in the Loire Valley and Poitou, where goats are said to have been brought by the Moors in the 8th century. Examples of French chèvres include Bucheron, Chabis, Chavroux, Clochette, Couronne Lochoise, Crottin de Chavignol , Faisselle, Montrachet , Pélardon, Picodon, Pouligny Saint-Pierre, Rocamadour, Sainte-Maure de Touraine, Chabichou du Poitou, Valençay, and Pyramide.
It is sometimes served hot as chèvre chaud.
Belgium
Belgium produces several goat cheeses, most of them soft cheeses and some half-hard types. Some artisanal farm house cheeses are made with raw, organic goat milk: Karditsel in Lummen , Farm Polle in Lichtaart and Ferme du Chemin Chataigne in Ayeneux . While others are made by artisanal producers with raw or pasteurised, organic goat milk: the fromagerie Gros Chêne in Mean and Het Hinkelspel in Ghent .
Greece
Bonne Bouche From Vermont Creamery
Where its from: U.S.Flavor: Milk, lemon, bread doughTexture: Creamy to runnyProducer: Vermont Creamery
This diminutive ashed round closely resembles one of the classic goat cheeses of Frances Loire Valley: Selles-sur-Cher, a pasteurized version of which is available in the States. Unlike its French inspiration, Bonne Bouche has a rind produced exclusively with the yeast geotrichum candidum, known for its sweet, mellow flavor. Unlike Vermont Creamerys other aged goat cheeses, Bonne Bouche also uses ash, hence its foggy grey color.
The geo rind has a corrugated brainy appearance, so the higher ratio of rind to interior cheese means the paste breaks down more quickly, resulting in an oozing, spreadable texture within several weeks. French Loire Valley cheeses are often unaged, sprinkled in ash but essentially fresh goat cheese beneath. With Bonne Bouche, youre guaranteed a developed rind. The cheese can age as long eight weeks out in the market, developing piquant black walnutty flavors, but for the most part its drippily spreadable with a bare background of lemony tang.
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