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Baked Goat Cheese Balls

I’m totally crushing on all things goat cheese right now.

It’s one of my favorite cheeses this time of year since I can roll it into logs topped with cranberries, walnuts, and pecans, stuff it into mushrooms drizzled with balsamic glaze, pipe it into tomatoes, and so. much. more.

This creamy, dreamy, cheese is crazy flavorful and ideal for the appetizer-palooza that’s about to ensue.

Are you ready to learn how to set up a beautiful cheese board set up for the holidays? Scroll down to read through my tips and tricks as well as the recipe for Baked Goat Cheese Balls.
These warm inside and crunchy outside appetizers are my go-to recipe whenever I entertain.  Coated with herbs, dipped in an egg-mustard mixture, and then rolled in toasted crumbs, they can be prepped ahead of time, kept in a plastic bag, and frozen until you are ready to use.

There are a few tasty ways you can serve these baked goat cheese balls.

First up, they make an amazing salad topper! I absolutely adore them on my Blueberry Spinach Salad with Lemon Poppyseed Dressing as well as on my Strawberry Kale Salad with balsamic dressing. SO GOOD!

Next up, serve them as mini cheese balls as a party appetizer. Drizzle them with honey and serve with an assortment of crackers. Guests will get their own personal cheese ball to spread on crackers – no double dipping here!

You can also serve them on a cheese board with an assortment of sliced cheeses, charcuterie, fresh fruit, and veggies with crackers, flatbreads, and crusty bread.
Well hello there. Are you ready to get your cheese on? If so, you are in for a treat because we are talking about one of my favorite kinds of cheese today: goat cheese.


With Christmas and New Years Eve approaching, I thought why not put together a cheese board that will give you some inspiration as you plan for all your gatherings. So I partnered up with my cheese friends, Vermont Creamery, to bring you this scrumptious set up.

When it comes to entertaining (especially for the holiday season), I believe there is nothing better than welcoming everyone with a signature cocktail and a beautiful cheese board. It not only breaks the ice, but also serves as a great conversation starter if there are people at your party who are meeting for the first time. Because as you know, most everyone loves alcohol and cheese. And in my many years of entertaining, I learned that most everyone has a favorite story to share when it comes to cheese.

Ingredients


  • 1 log goat cheese (honey variety or plain), slightly frozen
  • 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1 TBS basil, chopped
  • 2 tsp fresh cracked pepper, divided
  • 1.5 TBS honey (you can be more liberal here if you like)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 475 degrees.
  2. In a bowl, place the goat cheese log, basil, 1 tsp pepper, 1/2 TBS honey. Mix together with a fork until well combined. Using a TBS measuring spoon, spoon out little balls and roll in hands to form balls. Once all the balls are formed, set aside.
  3. Beat the egg in a medium bowl and set aside. In another medium bowl place panko bread crumbs.
  4. Dunk the cheese balls into the egg wash, then coat them in the breadcrumbs and set on slipmat on baking sheet. Continue until all balls are coated.
  5. Place the baking sheet in to freezer and freeze them for 30 minutes. Remove and then brush the tops with olive oil to prevent from drying out while baking.
  6. Bake for 8 minutes, checking at 6 minutes and every 30 seconds after to prevent burning.
  7. Drizzle remaining honey over cheese balls and then sprinkle remaining pepper over top.