Baked Goat Cheese Appetizer with Tomatoes

This baked goat cheese appetizer is one of the best party appetizers out there! Creamy goat cheese and tangy fire roasted tomatoes make magic together.

This post was created in partnership with Muir Glen. All opinions are our own.

If you’re looking to distract party guests with a finger food they can’t resist, this is it. In all honesty, this baked goat cheese appetizer disappeared within about 5 minutes of shooting these photographs! Although, we did have help from a few friends who were along for the ride to hand-model and taste test. Something about this sweet, garlic-y roasted tomato sauce and gooey baked goat cheese appetizer kept everyone coming back for more. Keep reading for the baked goat cheese appetizer recipe and a bit more about fire roasted tomatoes.

How to make this baked goat cheese appetizer

We were inspired to make this baked goat cheese appetizer by a similar dish from one of our favorite local restaurants called Napolese. We played with the concept of their recipe, and ended up creating our own version that we make all the time. And every time we make it, it’s a huge hit! The main concept is to cook your own tomato sauce with fire roasted tomatoes, then place goat cheese right into the sauce and bake it until it’s creamy and melty. If you’d like, you can broil the top of the baked goat cheese appetizer to get some golden char marks. Typically we just eat it right away and don’t worry about broiling! Another nice addition would be a sprinkle of chopped basil over the top of the baked goat cheese appetizer.

What are fire roasted tomatoes?

What are fire roasted tomatoes, and why use them in this recipe? Fire roasted tomatoes are canned tomatoes that have been fire roasted over an open flame to accentuate their sweet flavor. The reason we love fire roasted tomatoes is that you can absolutely taste the difference. Where tomatoes straight out of the can are typically a little bitter and acidic, fire roasted tomatoes are sweet and juicy straight out of the can. This means you don’t have to cook them as long. Shorter cook times are always better, right?

With canned tomatoes, quality is key (low quality can be borderline catastrophic in some recipes, like pizza!). We usually go with imported Italian tomatoes, or organic Muir Glen tomatoes. Muir Glen asked us to try some of their new jarred tomatoes, and we were happy to create this baked goat cheese appetizer recipe with them to share with you. The tomatoes are organic, and the new glass jars are BPA-free and easily recyclable. And the taste: sweet and juicy, perfect for pizzas, red sauce, and goat cheese smothered in tomatoes. We are literally obsessed with fire roasted tomatoes, and use them all the time. Use fire roasted tomatoes for the baked goat cheese appetizer if you can; you’ll taste the difference!

Looking for party appetizers? 

This baked goat cheese appetizer recipe is perfect as a game day recipe or a party appetizer! (Though really, we’ve been known to eat it by ourselves for dinner for the two of us!) A few of our top party appetizers:

• Skillet Mexican Cheese Dip
• Pesto Grilled Cheese Dippers with Marinara
• Vegetable Hummus Tortilla Rollups
• Loaded Tater Tot Nachos
• Easy Mango Salsa & Homemade Tortilla Chips

This recipe is…

This baked goat cheese appetizer recipe is vegetarian and gluten-free.

Baked Goat Cheese Appetizer with Fire Roasted Tomatoes

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(2 votes, average: 5.00 out of 1)

5 from 2 reviews

• Author: a Couple Cooks
• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Total Time: 25 minutes
• Yield: 8
• Category: Appetizer
• Method: Baked
• Cuisine: Italian

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Description

This baked goat cheese appetizer is one of the best party appetizers out there! Creamy goat cheese and tangy fire roasted tomatoes make magic together.

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Ingredients

• 3 garlic cloves
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• ½ teaspoon dried basil
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 23-ounce can Muir Glen diced fire-roasted tomatoes
• 8 ounces goat cheese
• 1 baguette

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Mince 3 cloves garlic. In a medium skillet, combine 2 tablespoons olive oil, garlic, 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, ½ teaspoon dried basil, ½ teaspoon dried oregano, and ½ teaspoon kosher salt. Over medium high heat, stir and sauté for around 45 seconds until the garlic sizzles but before it starts to brown. Stir in the tomatoes and heat at a gentle simmer for 5 to 10 minutes, until the sauce starts to thicken. Remove from the heat.
3. Pour the tomato mixture into an oven-proof baking dish, then add goat cheese mounds on top. Bake for 15 minutes.
4. If desired, broil on high for 3 to 5 minutes, watching carefully, until the goat cheese is golden brown. Serve with baguette slices (or to make crostini, toast baguette slices at 375°F for 15 minutes).

Keywords: Baked Goat Cheese Recipe, Baked Goat Cheese Appetizer, Fire Roasted Tomatoes, Party Appetizers, Party Recipe

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About the Authors

Sonja Overhiser

Cookbook Author and writer

Sonja Overhiser is author of Pretty Simple Cooking, named one of the best healthy cookbooks of 2018. She’s host of the food podcast Small Bites and founder of the food blog A Couple Cooks. Featured from the TODAY Show to Bon Appetit, Sonja seeks to inspire adventurous eating to make the world a better place one bite at a time.

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Alex Overhiser

Cookbook Author and photographer

Alex Overhiser is an acclaimed food photographer and author based in Indianapolis. He’s host of the food podcast Small Bites and founder of the recipe website A Couple Cooks. Featured from the TODAY Show to Bon Appetit, Alex is author of Pretty Simple Cooking, named one of the best vegetarian cookbooks by Epicurious.

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