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39 Ways to Use Goat Cheese

October 17, 2016
Photo: Gentl and Hyers
Also known as chèvre, goat cheese is a simple, creamy ingredient that can make just about anything taste that much better. Made from goat's milk rather than cow's, it's a little bit lower in fat and calories than other traditional cheese, but still provides that slightly tangy flavor to liven up any dish. Whether spread across a dinner protein, incorporated into your cream-cheese based dessert, or smeared on a hearty piece of toast, we think you can't go wrong when it comes to using up a log of goat cheese.
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Pork Chops with Herbed Goat Cheese Butter and Green Beans

Photo: Greg Dupree; Styling: Lindsey Lower
View Recipe: Pork Chops with Herbed Goat Cheese Butter and Green Beans

Fresh thyme and lemon juice brighten this easy weeknight dinner. Kid-friendly and super quick, this can be your new go-to pork dinner. Clocking in at only $10.79 per serving, this dinner keeps in mind both your health and your wallet. You'll most likely have leftover goat cheese, but lucky for you, there's plenty of healthy, delicious ways that you can make use of what you didn't get to.

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Goat Cheese-Stuffed Chicken

Photo: Alison Miksch; Styling: Lindsey Lower
View Recipe: Goat Cheese-Stuffed Chicken

Liven up your next chicken breast dinner with this easy goat-cheese stuffed chicken that the whole family will adore. Simply cut a slit in the chicken breast to form  a pocket that will house your herbed goat cheese spread. Serve with a side salad and your weeknight dinner is ready in a flash.

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Goat Cheese Cheesecake Bites

Photo: Allison Miksch; Styling: Lindsey Lower
View Recipe: Goat Cheese Cheesecake Bites

Who says goat cheese is only for savory food. Creamy and luscious, goat cheese makes for the perfect ingredient in a thick, decadent cheesecake dessert. Mixed with Greek yogurt and a touch of powdered sugar, this adorable cheesecake bites are the perfect solution for using up leftover goat cheese. Topped with fruit preserves and served in pre-made mini-phyllo shells, this cute, crowd-pleasing dessert is ready in minutes.

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Honey-Lemon Whipped Goat Cheese

Photo: Allison Miksch; Styling: Lindsey Lower
View Recipe: Honey-Lemon Whipped Goat Cheese

Smeared on toast, pancakes, waffles, or oatmeal, this fragrant honey-lemon whipped goat cheese is the perfect light and fluffy addition to your most basic foods. Grated lemon rind adds a hint of citrus and a gorgeous pop of freshness. Top with fruit for an extra sweet kick.

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Prosciutto, Fig, and Goat Cheese Toast

Photo: Sara Tane
View Recipe: Prosciutto, Fig, and Goat Cheese Toast

Rather than using canned fig preserves, we used whole figs for this toast and paired it with a creamy goat cheese spread and thin slices of prosciutto. This combination makes for a delicious lunch, or serve it on smaller pieces of toast for a beautiful appetizer.

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Goat Cheese Crostini with Watermelon-Beet Salsa

Photo: Jennifer Causey
View Recipe: Goat Cheese Crostini with Watermelon-Beet Salsa

You can use any type of beet, or substitute chopped tomato or more watermelon. Juicy produce adds a nice balance to the tangy flavor of the goat cheese, without becoming runny or mushy. These mini crostini make for the perfect appetizer for a crowd, or a fun summertime snack.

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Zucchini and Goat Cheese Quiche

Photo: Iain Bagwell
View Recipe: Zucchini and Goat Cheese Quiche

Is there anything more French than a savory vegetable quiche? Choose fresh-looking, smooth-skinned zucchini. If you have a vegetable garden, add strips of squash blossom to the tart, as well. Crumbled goat cheese and diced ham give the tart a complex flavor. 

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Mini Cheese Balls

Photo: Jennifer Causey
View Recipe: Mini Cheese Balls

Save 108 calories, 7g sat fat, and 69mg sodium per serving over a traditional cheese ball. Almond milk cream cheese is delicately nutty, with a buttery-rich texture and zero grams of sat fat. Find it at Whole Foods stores nationwide. You can substitute 1⁄3-less-fat cream cheese, which adds 1.6g sat fat to each serving.

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Can't Be Beet Tart with Goat Cheese

Photo: Hector Manuel Sanchez
View Recipe: Can't 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.

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Bacon-Goat Cheese Jalapeño Poppers

Photo: Jennifer Causey
View Recipe: Bacon-Goat Cheese Jalapeño Poppers

Salty bacon, rich goat cheese, savory-sweet jelly, and roasted jalapeño—it takes teamwork to make the dream work. If you already have the grill going, these dreamy little bites are equally easy to cook outdoors.

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Radish Salad with Goat Cheese

Photo: Iain Bagwell
View Recipe: Radish Salad with Goat Cheese

To crumble the goat cheese over this scrumptious spring salad, freeze it for 10 minutes, and then flake with a fork.

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Fava Bean and Mushroom Crostini

Photo: Jennifer Causey
View Recipe: Fava Bean and Mushroom Crostini
Tender, sweet fava beans are the ultimate signal of the spring season. They take a little extra work to prep (pulling them from their big green pods and then peeling the individual beans). But they’re well worth the effort.

Nutty fava beans get the spotlight here in this festive spring appetizer. Lemon and goat cheese balance the deep umami notes from the mushrooms.

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Bulgur Bowl with Apples, Almond Butter, and Goat Cheese

Photo: Jennifer Causey
View Recipe: Bulgur Bowl with Apples, Almond Butter, and Goat Cheese

This breakfast bowl brings about a level of decadence from the goat cheese and almond butter topping. With plenty of protein and whole grains, this balanced and lightly sweetened bowl is a perfect way to start the day.

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Cranberry-Goat Cheese White Bean and Kale Salad

Photo: Linda Pugliese
View Recipe: Cranberry-Goat Cheese White Bean and Kale Salad

Pack in the protein with white bean and kale to make a heart-healthy salad. Top it off with seasonal cranberries and crumbled goat cheese. Orange rinds and dried cranberries bring bright, fresh flavors to this perfect fall salad. The best part? It gets better with age, so don't be afraid to make a big bowl of it tonight and eat the rest with lunch tomorrow.

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Spiralized Butternut Squash Toast with Goat Cheese and Pomegranate Seeds

Photo: Rachel Johnson
View Recipe: Spiralized Butternut Squash Toast with Goat Cheese and Pomegranate Seeds

Toasted bread is a great vehicle to get veggies and protein-packed ingredients, from avocado to almond butter, into your diet. Spiralizing butternut squash makes it easy to top toast, and paired with creamy goat cheese and fresh pomegranate seeds, it makes for a supreme salty-sweet combination. Feel free to substitute whole grain bread or sprouted breads for another option.

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Quinoa-Stuffed Kale Rolls with Goat Cheese

Photo: Rob Culpepper
View Recipe: Quinoa-Stuffed Kale Rolls with Goat Cheese

Lacinato kale, also called Tuscan or dinosaur kale, is the easiest variety to stuff because of its long, pliable, flat leaves. Say goodbye to boring, sad vegetable wraps, as these rolls are packed with creamy, nutty goodness and hearty whole grains. Even the pickiest of eaters might have to confess that this is one of their favorite dinner options.

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Butternut Squash Pizza With White Sauce, Spinach, and Goat Cheese

Photo: Randy Mayor
View Recipe: Butternut Squash Pizza With White Sauce, Spinach, and Goat Cheese

This pizza pie is anything but a snooze. Sweet butternut squash and leafy greens round out this fall-inspired pizza that the whole family can get behind. Save time and energy by buying the pre-cubed butternut squash and pre-made pizza crust, and you'll be surprised at just how quickly this tasty dinner will come together. Try swapping out the goat cheese for feta or Gorgonzola to switch up the flavor profile.

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Strawberry, Pistachio, and Goat Cheese Pizza

Photo: Randy Mayor
View Recipe: Strawberry, Pistachio, and Goat Cheese Pizza

This dish is a refreshing departure from traditional pizza. Substitute your favorite soft cheese or greens.

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Goat Cheese and Cremini Oatmeal

Photo: Randy Mayor
View Recipe: Goat Cheese and Cremini Oatmeal

For a savory start to your morning, try one of our favorite combinations—cremini mushrooms, creamy goat cheese, and chopped fresh thyme. Creminis, more mature than your basic white mushroom yet still younger than a portobello, are the ultimate counterpart to soft goat cheese in this bowl of oats. If you can't find cremini, however, your favorite mushroom variety will do. Thyme adds a fragrant, herbaceous aroma that makes this dish super fresh.

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Caramelized Onion and Olive Pizza with Goat Cheese

Photo: Randy Mayor
View Recipe: Caramelized Onion and Olive Pizza with Goat Cheese

Sweet caramelized onions form a creamy pizza “sauce.” Intense spices make chicken kicken’. Peppery arugula dressed with lemon vinaigrette complements this rich pizza. Toss 4 cups arugula, 1 cup rinsed and drained unsalted canned chickpeas, and 1 shaved carrot with 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1½ tablespoons lemon juice, and 1/8 teaspoon each of salt and pepper.

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Two-Tomato, Basil, and Goat Cheese Frittata

Photo: Randy Mayor
View Recipe: Two-Tomato, Basil, Goat Cheese Frittata

The addition of both grape and plum tomatoes gives this vegetarian frittata a boost of fresh flavor. With creamy goat cheese scattered throughout, every bite engulfs a pillowy cloud of light, tangy flavor. Make it for a crowd, or an at-home weekend brunch. Either way, eggs and goat cheese is a healthy, protein-packed combination that is hard to rival.

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Pasta and Grilled Vegetables With Goat Cheese

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View Recipe: Pasta and Grilled Vegetables With Goat Cheese

This vibrant vegetable entrée is light and delicious. To ensure even grilling, cut the vegetables into large, similar-sized pieces. After they're cooked, they're chopped into bite-sized pieces. You can substitute yellow squash for zucchini.

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Arugula Salad with Goat Cheese, Bacon, and Balsamic-Fig Dressing

Photo: Oxmoor House
View Recipe: Arugula Salad with Goat Cheese, Bacon, and Balsamic Fig Dressing

If you’re lucky enough to harvest or happen upon the freshest of arugula greens, you’ll want to eat an entire salad of them. The sweet figs in the balsamic dressing and the tangy goat cheese are a strong pairing with the peppery greens and the salty bite of bacon. Make the dressing up to three days ahead, and refrigerate. This will be your go-to green salad in season.

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Goat Cheese and Roasted Corn Quesadillas

Photo: Randy Mayor
View Recipe: Goat Cheese and Roasted Corn Quesadillas

Browning the corn caramelizes its sugars and deepens the taste of this dish. If you have fresh cilantro on hand, chop two tablespoons and stir it into the salsa.

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Grilled Goat Cheese Sandwiches with Fig and Honey

Photo: Randy Mayor
View Recipe: Grilled Goat Cheese Sandwiches with Fig and Honey

These grilled cheese sandwiches are equally good for breakfast or dinner. Mixing honey with the goat cheese makes it easier to spread over the cinnamon-raisin bread plus it adds a delectable sweetness that won't overpower the palate. This warm, ooey-gooey goodness is exactly what you're in the mood for.

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Artichoke and Goat Cheese-Stuffed Chicken

Photo: Randy Mayor
View Recipe: Artichoke and Goat Cheese-Stuffed Chicken

This stuffed chicken is sliced and served over a bed of dressed greens to create an elegant and delicious dinner salad. Salty artichokes and tangy goat cheese bring vibrant flavor to your chicken breast, without adding excessive calories and fat.

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Herb and Goat Cheese Omelet

Photo: Randy Mayor
View Recipe: Herb and Goat Cheese Omelet

A tender omelet gains a salty boost from goat cheese without adding too much sodium. Serve with seedy whole-grain toast and fresh fruit for a hearty breakfast.

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Grilled Turkey Burgers with Goat Cheese Spread

Oxmoor House
View Recipe: Grilled Turkey Burgers with Goat Cheese Spread

A small amount of tangy goat cheese flavors the creamy spread. This low-calorie condiments adds a ton of flavor and soft texture to your next summer grill out. Double the spread and use it on grilled chicken or turkey sandwiches, or sub it as a dip for your party tray of chips and veggies.

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Smashed Potatoes With Goat Cheese and Chives

Becky Luigart-Stayner
View Recipe: Smashed Potatoes With Goat Cheese and Chives

If you want to make the potatoes ahead, chill them and reheat just before serving, adding extra liquid to desired consistency. Stir in the chives just before serving. For a nice presentation, sprinkle additional chives over the top.

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Creamy Wild Mushroom and Goat Cheese Cups

Photo: Johnny Autry
View Recipe: Creamy Wild Mushroom and Goat Cheese Cups

The filling can be made and refrigerated up to a day in advance, then brought to room temperature before filling the cups. Phyllo shells come conveniently prebaked, so they're ready to fill once thawed.

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Apple, Goat Cheese, and Pecan Pizza

Photo: John Autry
View Recipe: Apple, Goat Cheese, and Pecan Pizza

Pungent goat cheese, peppery arugula, and slightly sweet apples transform this token finger food into a gourmet autumn dinner.

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Wheat Berry Salad with Goat Cheese

View Recipe: Wheat Berry Salad with Goat Cheese

Taking a cue from traditional tabbouleh, this dish uses lots of peak-season vegetables, tart lemon juice, hearty whole grains and pungent fresh herbs. Serve with toasted pita wedges, this is a healthy weeknight side dish that serves beautifully with a protein of choice.

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Grilled Portobello-Goat Cheese Pitas

Photo: Randy Mayor
View Recipe: Grilled Portobello-Goat Cheese Pitas

Each element of this dish contributes unique elements. Crispy and chewy texture come from the grilled pita; tanginess and cooling creaminess from the goat cheese; sweet, juicy freshness from the tomato; and earthy smoky flavors and meaty texture from the portobellos. It's a great summer combination with a simple fruit salad made from whatever you have on hand.

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Roasted Butternut Soup with Goat Cheese Toasts

Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner
View Recipe: Roasted Butternut Soup with Goat Cheese Toasts

Most any winter squash will work in this recipe. We like butternut for the nutty, slightly sweet flavor it lends to the soup. Serve this paired with a hearty salad studded with nuts and seeds for a more filling entrée.

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Endive Spears with Spicy Goat Cheese

Photo: John Autry
View Recipe: Endive Spears with Spicy Goat Cheese

You can make the cheese mixture up to a day ahead. It also makes a great sandwich or bagel spread or a thick dip for crudites.

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Spinach Pie with Goat Cheese, Raisins, and Pine Nuts

Photo: Ellen Silverman
View Recipe: Spinach Pie with Goat Cheese, Raisins, and Pine Nuts

This savory pie is full of flavor. Make it as a filling vegetarian option to serve with your holiday meal or let it stand alone as the main star on your dining room table.

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Chiles Rellenos

Photo: Oxmoor House
View Recipe: Chiles Rellenos

Unlike traditional stuffed chiles, these peppers are cooked on the stovetop with a small amount of oil and then baked instead of deep-fried. The result is a crispy exterior that rivals that of the fried version, but with significantly less fat and calories.

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Phyllo Cups with Ricotta, Chèvre, and Thyme

Photo: John Autry
View Recipe: Phyllo Cups with Ricotta, Chèvre, and Thyme

Start making the phyllo stacks about 30 minutes after you put the cheese mixture in the refrigerator. Or make the cheese mixture a day ahead, and assemble before guests arrive.