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How to Make Goat Cheese Spread – Country Green Living
Like cream cheese and other soft cheeses, goat cheese lends itself as an excellent base for infused cheese spreads. Because chevre is such a simple ingredient, it lends itself to all types of flavor combinations, including dried fruit, herbs, garlic, and more. The process starts simply enough with chevre that has been softened at room temperature, and then you can really get creative.
Tips for Making The Best Goat Cheese Spread
As we stated above, make sure the cheese is softened at room temperature. It needs to sit outside of the refrigerator for roughly an hour. Also (and this may be obvious, but humor us): use plain goat cheese. The whole idea is to add your own unique twist, so there’s no point in getting the stuff that’s already been flavored for you.
Also: use fresh herbs. The dried stuff is fine for rubs, sauces, roasts, etc., but in this context, we want the herbaceous, fresh flavors. You can find plenty of fresh herbs in the produce section or, if you’re feeling adventurous, your local farmer’s market.
Delicious Dill Goat Cheese Spread
How easy is this? Get a log of your favorite goat cheese, roll it in some dill, and presto! A fantastic goat cheese spread with bright flavors everyone will love.
Ingredients
- One 11-ounce log of goat cheese
- One medium bunch of fresh dill
- Saran wrap
- 5 minutes of your time
- Divide the log in two equal parts. Roll into balls, using the saran wrap to help shape them. Cover both in the saran wrap separately and refrigerate for about an hour.
- Wash and completely chop the dill. Remove the cold goat cheese from the refrigerator, discard the saran wrap.
- Roll each ball of goat cheese in the dill until its fully coated.
- Serve this herbed goat cheese spread on your favorite cheese plate with crusty bread, water crackers or, for a little twist, a mini pumpernickel loaf. It really makes an awesome goat cheese spread for crackers.
Sundried Tomato and Roasted Red Pepper Goat Cheese Spread
Image Courtesy of Diana Takes a Bite, (c) April, 2011
This goat cheese dip has all the flavors of the Mediterranean, and takes almost no time to prepare.
Ingredients
- 11-ounce log of plain goat cheese, room temperature
- 3 medium red bell peppers
- 2 tbsp. cream cheese, softened at room temperature
- 2 tbsp. heavy cream
- 1/4 cup sundried tomatoes
- 1/4 cup chopped Italian flat leaf parsley
- Soften the sundried tomatoes in hot water until soft. Drain and discard water.
- Roast the red peppers on your gas burner or in the broiler. You’ll know they’re finished when the entire exterior of the pepper is blackened. Place the peppers in a bowl and cover with a tea towel or saran wrap for about a half an hour. Peel the peppers (rinse the black coating off in the sink is the easiest method), discard the seeds, core and stem.
- Coarsely chop the tomatoes.
- Add the peppers to a food processor and puree until smooth. Add the goat cheese, cream cheese, heavy cream and blend until smooth. Scoop out dip into a bowl and scrape sides with a rubber spatula. With same spatula, slowly fold in chopped tomatoes. Place in serving bowl, top with chopped parsley and serve.
What are you waiting for? Get started making your own goat cheese dips and spreads!
Extended Reading
The Ultimate Guide to Goat Cheese
9 Rules for Hatching Eggs – Country Green Living
Hatching chicken eggs artificially using an incubator is a rewarding experience. If you have a rooster you can use fertilized eggs from your own flock, or you can find fertile chicken eggs for sale from a neighbor or hatchery.
Recommended for Early Learning School centers, Aged Care, different companies and at homes for personal learning experience. Providing Chicken Programs Since 2001 to Sydney, Central Coast, Canberra and the Illawarra.
BOOK Your Chicken Hatching Program here.
Hatching Eggs for Beginners
There are some general rules you should follow when hatching eggs to ensure success.
Incubating Eggs for Beginners:
1. Hatching Chicken Eggs Takes 21 Days
This is true if the eggs were fresh and remained at the proper temperature for hatching chicken eggs throughout the whole period. If Day 21 passes hold on to your eggs for a few more days just in case they hatch late.
2. Keep the Eggs Warm
Throughout the incubation period the eggs should be kept at a still-air temperature of 101.5°F, measured at the top of the egg. If your egg incubator uses forced air keep the temperature at 99.5°F.
3. Turn Eggs till Day 18, then Stop.
If you turn the eggs manually be sure to wash your hands before doing so. It is important to stop turning at day 18 so the chicks can position themselves for hatching.
4. Turn Eggs 3-5 Times a Day
Many incubators have turning trays, but most homemade incubators for hatching chicken eggs will require hand turning. You can draw an X on one side of each egg to help you keep track of which ones you’ve turned.
5. Place Eggs on the Turner Large End Up
If you have an automatic turner, don’t be surprised if you can’t see it moving. They go very slowly and you may think it is broken. Check back in a few hours and the change in position should be obvious.
Image courtesy of eggtochicken.com
6. Use the Right Humidity for Hatching Eggs
Maintaining the proper humidity for hatching chicken eggs is critical. You should use a hygrometer to check it, as levels can vary widely based on the ambient humidity in your home. From day 1-18 keep humidity at 40-50%. At day 18 boost it to 70%.
7. Start with at Least Six Eggs
This is for your benefit and that of the chicks. Hatching chicken eggs requires a lot of work. If you set fewer eggs a bad hatch is possible and some of the chicks may not make it, or they may all be males. And remember, chickens are flock animals. A lone bird can actually die of loneliness.
8. Let the Chick Come Out of the Shell on Her Own
When you see a pip in the shell, be prepared to give the chick up to 24 hours to come out (5-7 hours is the average). If you try to “help” by pulling the shell off the chick is very likely to bleed to death. Be patient.
9. Keep the Incubator Closed
The key to hatching eggs successfully is to leave them alone as much as possible. This is especially true when the chicks are hatching. You lose humidity when you open the incubator, and this can make it difficult for the chicks to get fully out of the shell.
Protect your eggs with one these: Chicken Coop.
Extended Reading
Baby Chicks: The Complete Guide
When it comes down to the moment of actually hatching eggs, the chicks do a beautiful job of it all by themselves.
How to Raise Chickens for Eggs Ethically – Country Green Living
Many backyard poultry keepers want to know how to raise chickens for eggs ethically. There is a growing awareness in America of the disturbing practices on large factory farms. Indeed, it is the desire not to participate in this harmful system that leads many of us to keep our own hens. If that is your intention, then you should learn how to raise laying hens respectfully.
How to Raise Chickens for Eggs Ethically: What it Means
There are many perspectives on the morality of keeping farm animals. For me, learning how to raise laying hens ethically means educating myself about all aspects of chicken care and acting appropriately.
How to Raise Laying Hens without Supporting Factory Farms
If you keep backyard chickens you may be supporting commercial farming unintentionally. Here are some choices you can make to start turning your backyard coop into an ethical source of eggs:
You can also try a mobile coop if it suits, check at www.thechickentractor.com.au .
Keep Heritage Breeds
When you are first learning how to raise chickens for eggs at home you will read about specialized breeds which produce 250 or 300 eggs a year. Instead of purchasing over bred birds, keep a heritage breed like the critically endangered Russian Orloff. They lay eggs consistently year round, are cold hardy and produce nice meat. Black Jersey Giants are another heritage breed that lays abundant, large eggs. Heritage breeds are often the best laying hens for backyard farmers.
Image courtesy of backyardchickens.com
Buy Chicks Locally
Where do your chicks come from? Do you know how chickens are kept at the hatchery? Order chicks from a small farm that fully discloses its practices. Better yet, get naturally brooded chicks from a neighbor.
Don’t Use Artificial Lights
Many articles about how to raise chickens for eggs encourage you to use artificial lighting to keep a hen laying all year round. This deprives her of the rest she needs to molt and replenish her body. Part of raising laying hens ethically is being respectful of their natural cycles. You may get fewer eggs each year, but your flock will be healthier and stay productive longer.
Cherish Broody Hens
Image courtesy of suchandsuchfarms.wordpress.com
As you are learning how to raise laying hens you will be confronted with the broody hen. She is often considered a nuisance because she lays few eggs. Yet broodiness is natural in chickens and is necessary if you want to breed your own chicks. With modern breeds it can be nearly impossible to find a broody hen because the tendency has been bred out of them. The offspring from a broody chicken are more likely to be good mothers themselves. If you get a broody hen, give her some eggs to hatch and take good care of her. She is the key to making your poultry endeavor sustainable.
Figuring out how to raise chickens for eggs ethically will be a long and personal process. These are just a few ideas to help you get started. Ethical chicken farming also involves proper feeding, housing and ranging opportunities.
To learn more about cage free and free range commercial chicken raising, check out this article.
Extended Reading
Guide to Backyard Chickens & How to Raise Chickens
Large scale farmers in Australia are learning how to raise chickens for eggs more naturally by using chicken caravans.
Guide to Backyard Chickens & How to Raise Chickens – Country Green Living
Guide to Backyard Chickens & How to Raise Chickens / admin
Just because you don’t live in the country doesn’t mean you can’t produce some of your own food. Urban agriculture is on the rise because everyone wants fresher, healthier and cheaper groceries. Your mini farm can do more than grow a few tomatoes. You can enjoy fresh eggs by keeping urban chickens. Organic, free-range eggs […]
Tips for Keeping Urban Chickens Read More »
Guide to Backyard Chickens & How to Raise Chickens / admin
The silkie chicken is a unique and highly desirable addition to any flock. She gets her name from her soft, poofy plumage which is said to feel just like silk. While the silkie chicken likely originated in Asia, this poultry breed has spread all over the world. You can expect to see them at poultry
Why Everyone Needs a Silkie Chicken Read More »
Guide to Backyard Chickens & How to Raise Chickens / admin
A rooster crowing is the quintessential symbol of dawn. Long before alarm clocks it was the rooster that called farmers from their beds in the pre-dawn darkness. Today it is a sound most Americans rarely hear, since roosters are forbidden in most urban and suburban neighborhoods, precisely because of their crowing.
Why do Roosters Crow? Read More »
Guide to Backyard Chickens & How to Raise Chickens / admin
Do you want to raise chickens for their eggs? We can help you choose the right breed. All hens lay edible eggs, but some simply excel at egg production. While there is some individual variation from hen to hen, there are specific chicken breeds that are the masters of egg laying.
Top Chicken Breeds for Egg Production Read More »
Guide to Backyard Chickens & How to Raise Chickens / admin
A broody hen is one that wants to raise chicks. At some point in your chicken raising career you’ll encounter one of these tenacious birds. A broody hen is determined to sit on her eggs until they hatch, and persuading her otherwise can be challenging. Fortunately, a broody hen can be very useful. She’ll do
So, You’ve Got a Broody Hen Read More »
Guide to Backyard Chickens & How to Raise Chickens / admin
The Livestock Conservancy lays out strict requirements for heritage chicken breeds. To be called “heritage” a chicken must be have parents and grandparents of a breed recognized by the American Poultry Association prior to the mid-20th century, they must reproduce through natural mating, live a long productive life (5-7 years for breeding hens) and have
Raising Heritage Chicken Breeds Read More »
Guide to Backyard Chickens & How to Raise Chickens / admin
Even if you’re soft at heart, name your flock, refer to them as “the girls” and just can’t bring yourself to raise chickens for meat, they are very useful as livestock. You can just raise chickens for eggs and, at the same time, make use of their poop as awesome garden and vegetable fertilizer and take advantage
Poultry Raising: 9 Tips for Raising Chickens Read More »
Guide to Backyard Chickens & How to Raise Chickens / admin
Despite your best efforts, sometimes a chicken falls ill. There are many common chicken diseases that can affect your flock, but fortunately their are simple and natural remedies you can use to prevent and treat this illnesses. Here are natural treatments for the 10 most common poultry diseases.
Natural Treatments for Chicken Diseases Read More »
Guide to Backyard Chickens & How to Raise Chickens / admin
Most chicken keepers want to feed their hens non GMO, organic chicken feed. After all, you’ll be eating their eggs and possibly their meat. Commercial organic chicken feed is a great option, but one that can easily break the bank. You can make your own chicken feed as a cost-effective way to give your hens
Make Your Own Organic Chicken Feed Read More »
Guide to Backyard Chickens & How to Raise Chickens / admin
Many backyard poultry keepers want to know how to raise chickens for eggs ethically. There is a growing awareness in America of the disturbing practices on large factory farms. Indeed, it is the desire not to participate in this harmful system that leads many of us to keep our own hens. If that is your
How to Raise Chickens for Eggs Ethically Read More »
admin – Country Green Living
Baby Chicks: The Complete Guide / admin
Chicken nesting boxes encourage hens to lay their eggs in a clean, safe place. One of the best perks of a good nest box is that you can find the eggs easily. Fortunately, you don’t have to spend lots of money on chicken nesting boxes. They can be made out of many common household items […]
5 Superb DIY Chicken Nesting Boxes Read More »
Your Guide to Organic Gardening / admin
What does it mean to grow organic? Organic gardens use natural soil amendments (compost, ash, bone meal, seaweed, mulch, etc) to promote healthy soil and good plant growth. They focus on biological processes in the garden to produce an ample harvest with no synthetic chemicals. Sound good?
Why Grow Organic? Read More »
Your Guide to Organic Gardening / admin
Growing an organic garden can be daunting for a beginner. While vegetables produced without synthetic fertilizers and pesticides are much healthier, these chemicals can make up for a new gardener’s inexperience. Fortunately even someone with the brownest of thumbs can grow a beautiful organic garden.
The Easiest Organic Garden Vegetables Read More »
Your Guide to Organic Gardening / admin
If you are wondering how to begin a garden, you’re not alone. Every new gardener needs a few vegetable garden tips. There are so many different kinds of vegetables to plant, growing times for each plant to consider and many other factors that can make or break a successful garden.
Starting a Garden in Ten Steps Read More »
Your Guide to Organic Gardening / admin
Organic gardening isn’t just for country folk. That’s good news, since the latest census (2013) shows that 67.5% of the US population lives in cities on just 3.5% of America’s land area. Those of us who are part of that 67% also want farm fresh produce, free of GMOs, free of pesticides and grown in
Inspiring Examples of Urban Gardening Read More »
Your Guide to Organic Gardening / admin
Are you ready to learn how to grow a garden? There are a lot of different approaches. You could garden in containers, in raised beds, in double-dug beds, use or organic gardening or no-till methods. There are many resources on this site and others that will help you decide which style of garden will work
How to Grow a Garden Basics Read More »
Your Guide to Organic Gardening / admin
Fruits and vegetables are full of nutrients. They contain vital vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, all of which give the old phrase “an apple a day keeps the doctor away” a ring of truth. But if you’re eating conventionally grown apples, you are consuming up to 25 different chemicals along with those nutrients, even if you
Health Benefits of Eating Organic Read More »
Your Guide to Organic Gardening / admin
Even if you live in a small apartment you can grow organic vegetables right at home. Organic vegetables are healthier than conventionally farmed alternatives, plus they taste better and have the right nutrients to support a healthy body. But in the grocery store organic vegetables can be expensive and often look pretty sorry. Growing them
Growing Organic Vegetables in Containers Read More »
Your Guide to Organic Gardening / admin
So you’ve decided to grow an organic garden. Congratulations! You have taken a big step towards making yourself and your family healthier and happier. Before you can get started growing an organic garden, you need to find organic vegetable seeds. We’ll help you understand what organic vegetable seeds are, how they compare to heirloom and
Get the Best Organic Vegetable Seeds Read More »
Your Guide to Organic Gardening / admin
Organic vegetable gardening is a rewarding pastime. There are few things as satisfying as knowing that you are producing wholesome food for your family. But it isn’t always easy. That’s why we’ve compiled these organic gardening tips to make your favorite activity even more enjoyable.
7 Essential Organic Gardening Tips Read More »
Make a Natural Chicken Wormer – Country Green Living
It is important to deworm your chickens. There are many internal parasites that affect chickens, causing weight loss, poor growth, pale egg yolks, anemia, droopy combs, diarrhea and even death in severe cases. There are several options when it comes to choosing a chicken wormer. The easiest way is to make a natural chicken wormer from common garden herbs.
Natural Chicken Wormer
Many backyard chicken keeper prefer to use a natural wormer for chickens. This is the best chicken wormer for laying hens, because you can continue to eat the eggs without worrying about ingesting any chemical residues.
There are a variety of ingredients you can use to make your own homemade chicken wormer:
- Oregano – This herb is a true anti-parasite powerhouse. In fact, many naturopaths recommend oregano for treating many human parasites.
- Epazote – You can find this herb in most Mexican markets. It is traditionally cooked with beans to reduce their flatulence-provoking effects, but it is also a powerful natural chicken wormer (it works on goats, horses and people too!).
- Wormwood – An herb that gets its name from its potent anthelmintic properties, wormwood is also an ornamental addition to your garden.
- Garlic – In addition to fighting internal parasites garlic boosts the immune system and wards off external mites and lice.
- Raw Fruit Vinegar – The most commonly seen is raw apple cider vinegar, though any raw vinegar works well. Simply add it to their water. Raw vinegar is also a rich source of minerals and boosts the immune system.
Image courtesy of criticolandia.com
How to Give Natural Chicken Wormer
There are many natural ways to worm chickens. You can offer herbs free choice, and add raw vinegar or a crushed garlic clove to their water. A clever way to give chicken wormer is to grow an herb garden for your hens. Cover it with a low fence and roof of chicken wire. The herbs will grow through the wire and the chickens can self-medicate as needed.
If you suspect a bad infestation you can make a tea of the herbs listed above, adding in rosemary, thyme and mint as well (these herbs also have anthelmintic properties). Add a dash of raw vinegar and dose each bird with one mL of your homemade chicken wormer each day for 5 days. Follow by feeding free choice pumpkin, squash or cucumber seeds. The seeds help flush out the dead parasites left in the intestines.
Deworming Chickens with Ivermectin
Many people use ivermectin as a chicken wormer. Keep in mind that this common dewormer is used for various livestock, but it’s use in chickens is off-label. This means there hasn’t been much research done. To be safe, you should not consume meat or eggs from chickens treated with ivermectin for at least 1 month. Organic chicken wormer made from quality herbs is more effective and safer than ivermectin.
How to Give Ivermectin Chicken Wormer
Ivermectin can be given to chickens in several ways:
- Skin – Apply one drop of 1% injectable ivermectin to the back of the chicken’s neck. Do not inject this chicken wormer, simply put one drop directly on the chicken’s skin. It will absorb into her blood stream.
- Drinking Water – Place 4-8 cc of 1% injectable ivermectin per gallon of drinking water. Do not allow chickens to drink any other water. Place treated water in the coop for two days.
- Internal – Mix one drop of 1% injectable ivermectin with 3 drops propylene glycol. Use a syringe to put down the chicken’s throat. Be sure to mix thoroughly before dosing.
With any chicken wormer, be sure to re-dose after 10 days. Any eggs inside the chicken will have hatched in this time and will be killed in the second round.
Image courtesy of ripandtan.jennikayne.com
Extended Reading
The Guide to Backyard Chickens and How to Raise Chickens
Watch as Becky shares her tips and tricks for natural chicken wormer.
5 Superb DIY Chicken Nesting Boxes – Country Green Living
Chicken nesting boxes encourage hens to lay their eggs in a clean, safe place. One of the best perks of a good nest box is that you can find the eggs easily. Fortunately, you don’t have to spend lots of money on chicken nesting boxes. They can be made out of many common household items and materials. We’ve gathered some of our favorite simple DIY chicken nesting box designs.
A Little Bit About Nesting Boxes
You can build chicken nesting boxes out of many materials. Wood, metal and even plastic can be used. The nesting boxes should be lined with soft bedding. While wood shavings work, chickens prefer to lay in hay, straw or even soft, dry moss. You’ll need one nest box for every 3-4 hens. Some people get by with fewer nesting boxes, but you risk hens laying elsewhere because the box is full when she wants to lay her egg.
DIY Nesting Boxes for Chickens
To help inspire you when building nest boxes, we’ve gathered a few examples. Here are five easy, cheap and functional homemade chicken nesting boxes.
1. 5 Gallon Bucket Nesting Boxes
Buckets make great nesting boxes. It is best if you place a bar across the bottom to prevent the eggs from rolling out.
Image courtesy of communitychickens.com
2. Wheel Rim Chicken Nesting Boxes
This is a creative use for old wheels. Really, anything that can hold a nice pile of straw bedding will make cozy chicken nesting boxes although some hens prefer a nest box that is covered for extra privacy.
Image courtesy of wonderfuldiy.com
3. Wooden Nesting Boxes
All you need for these custom chicken nesting boxes is a little lumber and a few tools.
Image courtesy of henbogle.wordpress.com
Milk Crate Nesting Boxes
If you aren’t keen on sawing or hammering, use milk crates to build quick chicken nesting boxes. You can hang them creatively as shown in the image above, or you can simply set them on the floor of the chicken coop filled with bedding.
Image courtesy of pinterest.com
A Frame Nesting Boxes
Chicken nesting boxes can be simple. This easy design can be made with a few pieces of scrap lumber.
Image courtesy of farmnatters.blogspot.com
Chicken Nesting Boxes for Sale
If you don’t feel up to building your own chicken nesting boxes, you can find a number of beautiful nesting boxes for sale.
You may also like Mobile Chicken Coop that comes with some nesting box at www.thechickentractor.com.au.
Essential Secrets for Raising Chicks – Country Green Living
Raising chicks is a fun and rewarding process for the whole family. There is a lot of information out there about how to raise chicks, but there are a few things most articles leave out.
Secrets to Raising Strong Chicks
If you pay attention to these special tips about raising chicks you will end up with a healthy, productive flock.
How to care for chicks, what you really need to know:
1. Temperature in the Brooder is More Important than You Think
It really is essential that you keep the brooder at 95°F during the first week, and gradually reduce it by 5°F each week thereafter. Equally important when raising chicks is to give them the option to be warmer or cooler. Do this by placing the heat source (usually a light bulb) at one end of the brooder to create hot and cool pockets.
2. Clean Water at ALL Times is Essential for Health
Chicks make a mess of their water, but keeping a clean supply constantly available is essential. They won’t drink dirty water. Dehydrated chicks chill easily, are apt to get sick and lose their appetite which causes them to grow more slowly. A good chick waterer will make your job much easier.
3. Raising Chicks in a Large Group is Better
If you are raising chicks you should have more than three. Larger groups of chicks encourage curiosity. They eat and drink more and are more energized. Just make sure that small or weak chicks are able to get to the food and water.
4. Raising Chicks with Probiotics
Until hatching, chicks were protected in a sterile environment inside the egg. Help them cope with the stresses of being exposed to all the organisms in the brooder by feeding them a little yogurt at least once a week. Yogurt or another probiotic will also help the chicks fend off coccidiosis, a potentially fatal infection that anyone raising chicks must work to avoid.
Learn all about what to feed baby chicks here.
5. Keep Chick Saver on Hand
A chick saver product like Save-a-Chick Powder will make raising chicks much less stressful. Simply add this vitamin supplement to their water when you have weak or dull chicks. Chick savers are high in Vitamin B that will revitalize a sick chick and encourage her to eat. It also works wonders on older chickens that fall ill.
6. Make Sure Very Young Chicks Eat and Drink
You have to be the mother hen if you are raising chicks hatched from an incubator. They need you to show them how to eat and drink. Gently dip each chick’s beak into the food and water. Keep a close eye on them and repeat the process if they don’t start eating on their own.
Related: Raising Baby Chicks Week by Week
Image courtesy of ferrinbrookfarm.com
Secrets for Raising Chicks in Winter
While it is easier raising chicks during the rest of the year, it can be done in the frigid snowy months as well.
Here are some tips on how to raise chicks in the winter:
- Prepare a Warm Place for the Brooder
In the Southern states it is actually easier to keep the brooder warm in the winter than it is to keep it cool in the sweltering heat of summer. - Make Gradual Changes
The chicks can go out to the coop when they are fully feathered, but make the transition slowly so they don’t become shocked by the cold. - Use Deep Bedding
Raising chicks after the first few months is usually straightforward as they join the rest of the flock. But in the winter they will need extra help. Use extra deep bedding in the coop and be prepared to provide a supplemental heat source like a lamp or heating pad if the weather turns especially nasty.
Raising chicks in the fall might be the best option of all. Changes in daylength will postpone the onset of laying by a month or two, allowing the hens to finish growing before spending energy making eggs. By raising chicks in the fall you’ll end up with hens that lay larger, stronger eggs throughout their lifetime.
I am pretty sure they will grow to be chickens and it would be a great idea to put them in one of these: Chicken tractors
Extended Reading
Baby Chicks: The Complete Guide
Learn how to make a simple DIY chick waterer and feeder out of household items:
Delicious and Delectable Baked Goat Cheese Recipe – Country Green Living
Sometimes, appetizers are best served warm. We love apps that can be tossed in the oven right when our guests arrive, filling the house with aromas that will get everyone’s mouth watering. As soon as you pull this dish from the oven, make sure everyone has a glass of something and a napkin, and serve it right from the roasting dish. This baked goat cheese dip is great because it becomes an instant gathering place for everyone before the meal. Is there any better way to socialize than over a shared plate? Inspired by one of our favorite tapas, this baked goat cheese dip recipe will be a surefire hit at your next party.
Read more for our favorite baked goat cheese dish!
Our Favorite Hot Baked Goat Cheese Dip
Image courtesy of Yelp User Tom M.
We’re recommending this warm goat cheese appetizer because it’s everything your guests love (colorful, flavorful, savory, and satisfying) and everything that a social cook loves along with it (easy, quick, simple, tasty, low maintenance). A fantastic goat cheese appetizer that takes almost no prep or cooking time, and that can be served right from the pan is a fabulous choice for dinner parties or informal gatherings of friends and family . Make it a dinner for two, and serve with a salad and a veggie on the side (we like roasted asparagus or buttery green beans).
Inspired by the hearty Spanish dish, Queso de Cabra con Tomate, this easy-to-make goat cheese dip is simple enough for any beginner, and will impress and satisfy any foodie. The key? High quality marinara sauce. Buy it or make it yourself. Skip the cheap stuff in a jar or this baked goat cheese app will just not have the kick it deserves.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces goat cheese, softened at room temperature
- 1 cup rich, hearty marinara sauce
- 1/2 cup chiffonade of basil leaves (or basil leaves cut into tiny “ribbons”)
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Place goat cheese in a shallow baking dish. (A ceramic tart pan will do nicely.) Flatten the cheese to 1/2 inch, leaving a shallow border around the edge of the dish. (This will vary depending upon the size of the dish you use.)
- Pour the marinara sauce on top.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, until sauce bubbles and goat cheese is hot.
Want to Try some Variations on this Baked Goat Cheese Dish?
In lieu of marinara, try your favorite roasted tomato salsa (or roasted anything salsa; we like the earthy flavors). Swap out cilantro for basil and serve with tortilla chips instead of the garlic bread or crostini. This is a queso dish that everyone will talk about for weeks and is just as easy to make.
What to Pair with your Baked Goat Cheese
Photo courtesy of The Peregrine Reads (c) January 2015
Because this is so hearty and rich, we think a hearty red is best. It can stand up to a rich, earthy cabernet. Any Napa variety will likely do, but we also really like the 2009 Columbia Crest cab. A nice Spanish Rioja red will also match this dish beautifully, as will any standard sangiovese or hearty chianti.
If you want to play with textures, feel free to mix in sundried tomatoes, toasted walnuts, and maybe a pinch of red pepper flakes to give this baked goat cheese a little kick.
Extended Reading
The Ultimate Guide to Goat Cheese