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!