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This easy baked goat cheese appetizer is made with French Bûcherondin goat cheese and marinara sauce and can be thrown together in minutes. Serve with crostini when it’s hot and bubbly.
With the holidays upon us, I think we can all use some quick and easy appetizer recipes in our arsenal, right? That’s exactly why I’m sharing this recipe for baked goat cheese in marinara sauce. There’s absolutely nothing complicated about this recipe. With no fancy ingredients, and very few steps, this is an appetizer recipe that’s about as simple as they come. Another highlight? You can do all the work before your guests arrive.
I made a simple marinara sauce by combining some canned crushed tomatoes with couple cloves of garlic and some Italian spices like oregano and basil. A pinch of sugar cuts down on the acidity a bit, and there’s no need to cook the sauce ahead of time, it will get nice and bubbly in the oven and all the spices combine perfectly as it bakes away. Note: You could also use some store bought marinara sauce in this baked goat cheese recipe, though I promise that whipping together this homemade version is nearly as simple.
The superstar of this appetizer is the French goat cheese. I used a Bûcherondin goat cheese – Every round slice has a thick cream line below the find and a fresh, lemony center. It was the perfect compliment to the garlickly tomato sauce. I’d highly recommend it for this recipe, though you could really use any variety of French goat cheese here.
Did you know that throughout France, there are 3,000 goat cheese producers and that Chèvre in French means ‘goat’? Different styles of cheese are produced throughout regions mainly located south of the Loire river, where the climate, geography and geology form the goats’ diets. It’s interesting to see all the varieties available – Some are flecked with ash, others have wrinkly rinds, some are aged, and some are not. But, they’re all creamy and delicious and perfect to experiment with.
As much as I could simply eat this baked goat cheese appetizer with a spoon, I figured some crostini would be the perfect vehicle to load up with this creamy goodness. I just sliced up a baguette, drizzled it with some olive oil and let the crostini get nice and crispy by adding them to the oven during the last ten minutes of baking time.
Once your French goat cheese is nice and golden and bubbly, it’s ready to eat! I topped my baked goat cheese off with a bit of fresh basil for some added color and a bit of extra flavor, but you can totally skip this step too.
This baked French goat cheese appetizer is guaranteed to wow your guests! Pair it with a nice bottle of Barolo or Chianti for bonus points.
- 1 cup crushed tomatoes
- 2 garlic cloves grated
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Baguette sliced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 8 ounces French Bûcherondin goat cheese pressed 1-inch thick and leaving 1-inch border around baking dish
- Basil leaves optional garnish
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Place the baguette slices on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Set aside.
- In a bowl, combine the tomatoes, garlic, oregano, basil, onion powder and sugar. Place in a baking dish and top with the goat cheese.
- Bake, uncovered, until the sauce begins to bubble at edges and the cheese is hot, about 25 minutes. During last 10 minutes of baking, transfer the bread to the oven and toast until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Garnish cheese with basil, if desired.
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