Baked Goat Cheese with Fire Roasted Tomatoes

If you’re looking to distract party guests with a finger food they can’t resist, this is it. In all honesty, it disappeared within about 5 minutes of shooting these photographs, though we did have help from a few friends who were along for the ride to hand-model and taste test. Something about the combination of sweet, garlic-y roasted tomato sauce and gooey baked goat cheese kept everyone coming back for more. We were inspired by a similar dish from a favorite local restaurant, which we’ve played with and made our own.

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. Recently, Muir Glen approached us to try some of their new jarred tomatoes, and we were happy to create a 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’d recommend using these tomatoes for the recipe if you can; you’ll taste the difference.

This is a great easy entertaining option for the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday (just a few days away!), as well as parties throughout the December holiday season. We hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

Last minute planning? Here’s our *Thanksgiving menu* for this year:

Thanksgiving 2014
Pomegranate Cider Spritzer
Stuffed Delicata Squash with Wild Rice, Brown Butter and Sage
Garlic and Chive Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Pecorino and Pecans
Massaged Kale Salad with Apple and Pomegranate
Poached Pears with Pecan Granola and Whipped Cream

Also, check out our Thanksgiving Pinboard for more ideas, and our *new gift shop* for Thanksgiving cooking tools and holiday gift ideas!

This post is sponsored by Muir Glen. Product opinions are our own. Thank you for supporting the sponsors of A Couple Cooks! 

Baked Goat Cheese with Fire Roasted Tomatoes

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(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 1)

5 from 1 reviews

• Author: a Couple Cooks
• Yield: 8

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Ingredients

• 3 cloves garlic
• 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).

About the Authors

Sonja Overhiser

Cookbook Author and writer

Sonja Overhiser is an acclaimed vegetarian cookbook author and cook based in Indianapolis. She’s host of the food podcast Small Bites and founder of the food website 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 food 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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