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16 Recipes With Goat Cheese That Are Truly The G.O.A.T.

Step aside, feta. It's time for goat cheese to have a moment.

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fried goat cheese salad

Step aside, feta. It's time for goat cheese to have its moment. Wonderful on crackers, stuffed inside of peppers, or tossed in a light summer salad, goat cheese is a bright, creamy addition to appetizers, pasta, and pizzas. These recipes, like beet Wellington and black-eyed pea bruschetta, will show you what all the fuss is about.

You may be used to crumbling goat cheese on to all your favorite salads, and for good reason. It adds a creamy tang that goes insanely well with so many things. We love how it perks up our grapefruit & goat cheese fennel salad, roasted beet goat cheese salad, and farro & white bean salad.

But don't stop at just salads. Use goat cheese for making tomato rosemary savory mini cheesecakes, topping your next garlicky grilled chicken pizza, and stuffing into chiles en nogada. We also love how good goat cheese is when it's marinated in good olive oil and a blend of herbs, like rosemary and thyme.

Goat cheese also elevates so many dishes into something spectacular. You can whip it to create a lush base for grilled green tomatoes, stuff it into something sweet like these bacon-wrapped dates, or schmear it onto crusty baguette for a quick crostini appetizer. One of our favorite unexpected uses for goat cheese? Mixing it into our butternut squash mac & cheese.

Hungry for more cheese? We don't blame you. Try out all of our favorite recipes for hardcore cheese lovers, our favorite mozzarella recipes, and all our best cheesecake recipes.

1

Fried Goat Cheese Salad

fried goat cheese salad
RACHEL VANNI

A quick pan-fry makes creamy goat cheese a fun, super-crunchy salad topper. It’s a creative take on croutons and makes a simple salad so much more exciting. These are also great on their own and would be delicious on a cheese board with a little drizzle of honey.

Get the Fried Goat Cheese Salad recipe.

2

Grilled Green Tomatoes

grilled green tomatoes
Andrea monzo

Grilled green tomatoes are the perfect side for summer. This rendition combines the slightly tangy flavor of underripe tomatoes with the smoky char of the grill and a whipped goat cheese schmear to boot.

Get the Grilled Green Tomatoes recipe.

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3

Grapefruit & Goat Cheese Fennel Salad

grapefruit and goat cheese fennel salad
Andrew bui

Crisp licorice-y fennel is best from winter to early spring, so we paired it with some more winter-friendly ingredients: juicy grapefruit, briny Kalamata olives, creamy goat cheese, and some rich toasted pine nuts. This salad would pair nicely with roasted fish or a beef stew, but bulked up with a bit of grilled chicken or baked tofu, it can be a meal all on its own.

Get the Grapefruit & Goat Cheese Fennel Salad recipe.

4

Butternut Squash Mac 'N' Cheese

butternut squash mac 'n cheese
Erik bernstein

Butternut squash goes undercover in this creamy, cheesy sauce that has both cheddar and goat cheese. Soft, sweet and conveniently orange, the squash adds body and richness to a dish we didn’t think we could love any more: mac & cheese.

Get the Butternut Squash Mac 'N' Cheese recipe.

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5

Black-Eyed Pea Bruschetta

black eyed pea bruschetta
Andrea monzo

Black-eyed peas and collard greens are a match made in Juneteenth heaven. This black-eyed pea bruschetta is a twist on the traditional hot preparation for both dishes. Pile the mix onto toasted baguette slices and top with crispy, smoky pork to complete this summery, shareable appetizer.

Get the Black-Eyed Pea Bruschetta recipe.

6

Roasted Beet Goat Cheese Salad

roasted beet goat cheese salad
Parker Feierbach

All beet lovers rejoice! This is the ideal beet salad: creamy goat cheese, roasted beets, avocado. The secret is that instead of buying precooked beets, you simply wrap them in foil and bake them like a baked potato. The resulting beets will be tender, earthy, and slightly sweet in a way that no store-bought beet can.

Get the Roasted Beet Goat Cheese Salad recipe.

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7

Chiles En Nogada

chiles en nogada

Chiles en nogada is a traditional Mexican dish of poblano chiles that are stuffed with a fruit-and-nut-filled picadillo that is then covered with walnut sauce (nogada) and pomegranate seeds. It's also thought of as one of Mexico’s most patriotic dishes and it's easy to see why: The green of the poblanos, the red of the pomegranate seeds, and the white salsa de nogada make up the colors of the Mexican flag.

Get the Chiles En Nogada recipe.

8

Farro and White Bean Salad

farro and white bean salad

We love a giant grain salad that is full of so many beautiful flavors and textures. This farro and white bean salad has roasted veggies along with crunchy veggies like bell pepper and radicchio. It's all tossed in a bright lemony dressing and finished with some goat cheese to add creamy tanginess.

Get the Farro and White Bean Salad recipe.

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9

Bacon-Wrapped Dates

bacon wrapped dates
Emily hlavac green

If you're unfamiliar with dates, it's time to familiarize yourself! The date's sweetness is the perfect counterpoint to crisp, salty bacon and creamy goat cheese.

Get the Bacon-Wrapped Dates recipe.

10

Caramelized Onion Tart with Goat Cheese and Thyme

caramelized onion tart with goat cheese and thyme
Anna watson carl

Caramelized onions and goat cheese meld perfectly together for this upscale take on a pizza that makes for a great appetizer or dinner. Because this can be served warm or cold, it's the perfect treat for next day lunches too.

Get the Caramelized Onion Tart with Goat Cheese and Thyme recipe.

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11

Garlicky Grilled Chicken Pizza

garlicky grilled chicken pizza

Come summer, we’ll take any excuse to fire up the grill. And what better excuse is there than a pizza loaded with cheesy, garlicky chicken? This recipe uses the grill both for the chicken and the pizza dough, resulting in super crispy, deluxe slices that will rival any you can get from your local pizzaiolo.

Get the Garlicky Grilled Chicken Pizza recipe.

12

Tomato Rosemary Savory Mini Cheesecakes

tomato rosemary savory mini cheesecakes

Add some playful deliciousness to your party spread with these savory mini cheesecakes. The crust, which is just a stick of butter and crushed pretzels, is both incredibly easy to make and insanely rich in flavor. It’s the perfect complement to the garlic, rosemary, and lemon cheesecake, which (bonus!) can be assembled ahead of time.

Get the Tomato Rosemary Savory Mini Cheesecakes recipe.

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13

Cherry-Prosciutto Grilled Pizzas

cherry prosciutto grilled pizzas

These crispy flatbread pizzas achieve the perfect combo of salty, tangy and sweet in every bite. We use a store-bought dough for these, but feel free to make your own homemade pizza dough.

Get the Cherry-Prosciutto Grilled Pizzas recipe.

14

Flatbread Pizzas with Pesto, Corn, Goat Cheese and Sundried Tomatoes

flatbread pizzas with pesto, corn, goat cheese and sundried tomatoes
Anna watson carl

Creamy, sweet corn on a flatbread pizza? A revelation. Topped with pesto, sun-dried tomatoes, and tangy goat cheese, this flatbread pizza is easy enough for a weeknight dinner.

Get the Flatbread Pizzas with Pesto, Corn, Goat Cheese and Sundried Tomatoes recipe.

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15

Stuffed Chicken 4 Ways

stuffed chicken 4 ways

Give your regular weeknight chicken an overhaul by stuffing it with one of these combos, like French bread and apricots or goat cheese and tomatoes.

Get the Stuffed Chicken 4 Ways recipe.

16

Beet Wellington

beet wellington

Inspired by the always elegant (but somewhat intimidating) beef Wellington, this mini vegetarian version is just as impressive and not as difficult. Best of all, there's plenty of cheese—a heavenly combination of goat cheese and cream cheese mixed with herbs and lemon zest.

Get the Beet Wellington recipe.

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