RECIPES:
Dec 8, 2021

Baked Goat Cheese Marinara

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
This easy baked appetizer is made with only three ingredients (not including the crostini for dipping!).
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This easy baked goat cheese and marinara appetizer requires only a few ingredients and can be served quickly for last minute guests. Creamy goat cheese is shaped into a circle and then added to a baking dish with tomato sauce. It’s baked until it’s soft and paired with crisp slices of baked baguette for spreading or scooping. 

Baked Goat Cheese Marinara

Key ingredients in This Recipe 

  • Goat cheese – Also known as chèvre, it is a creamy, mild cheese made from goat’s milk. This cheese has a tart, tangy flavor and actually has many different varieties. The most common goat cheese in America is fresh chèvre which can mostly be found in log form. First I flatten the log into a circle before I add it to the sauce though it can be kept in the log shape as well.
  • Marinara – Marinara is a simple tomato sauce made with peeled tomatoes, sautéed onions and basil. While you can make your own using my recipe here, I often use store bought sauce as an easy shortcut in this appetizer. 
  • Basil – I slice the fresh basil leaves into a cut called a chiffonade to garnish the baked goat cheese. Stack the basil leaves on top of one another (bigger leaves are easier), then roll them up and thinly slice them into equally sized strips for a visually appealing garnish. 
  • Baguette – The baguette is cut into ½” slices to make crisp crostini perfect for dipping in the warm cheese and sauce. Make the crostini a few days in advance and store in a resealable plastic bag. 
How to Make Baked Goat Cheese Marinara

How to Make Baked Goat Cheese Dip

  1. Make crostini. Heat oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Dip one side of the baguette slices into the oil and place on a baking sheet with the oil-dipped side facing up. Repeat with the remaining slices.
  2. Bake crostini. Next, bake until crisp, about 15 minutes. Remove and let cool.
  3. Add marinara. Heat the oven to 400ºF (200ºC). Then add the marinara sauce to the bottom of an 8” x 5½” baking dish.
  4. Add cheese. Flatten the goat cheese log into a circle then add to the baking dish on top of the sauce.
  5. Bake the cheese. Bake until the goat cheese is melty and the sauce is bubbling, about 15 to 20 minutes.
  6. Garnish and serve. Season the baked cheese with salt and pepper, then garnish with basil and serve with the crostini for dipping.
Baked Goat Cheese Marinara

Tips and Tricks for This Recipe

  • Sprinkle ½ teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes to the basil garnish to add a bit of spice to this recipe. You can also stir ½ teaspoon of Calabrian chili paste into the marinara sauce to kick it up a notch. 
  • For a creamier recipe, substitute the marinara sauce for your favorite vodka sauce. 
  • For a gluten free alternative, swap the crostini or bread for carrots, celery or gluten free crackers. 

Other Recipes to Try

If you enjoy this baked goat cheese recipe, I recommend checking out these:

Baked Goat Cheese Marinara

Baked Goat Cheese Marinara Recipe
Print Pin
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Serves 8

Ingredients:

  • 1 French baguette, cut into ½” slices
  • ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 cup marinara sauce of choice
  • 6 ounce log goat cheese
  • Kosher salt, as needed
  • Freshly ground black pepper, as needed
  • 1 tablespoon thinly sliced basil, for garnish

Instructions:

  • Heat oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Dip one side of the baguette slices into the oil and place on a baking sheet with the oil-dipped side facing up. Repeat with the remaining slices.
  • Bake until crisp, about 15 minutes. Remove and let cool.
  • Heat oven to 400ºF (200ºC). Add marinara sauce to the bottom of an 8” x 5½” baking dish.
  • Flatten the goat cheese log into a circle then add to the baking dish on top of the sauce.
  • Bake until the goat cheese is melty and the sauce is bubbling, about 15 to 20 minutes.
  • Season with salt and pepper, then garnish with basil and serve with the crostini.

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