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Looking for a delicious and easy-to-make appetizer that's sure to impress your guests? Look no further than this mouth-watering baked goat cheese dip with marinara, a creamy and tangy dish that's perfect for any occasion. With just a few simple ingredients and minimal prep time, this recipe is a must-try for any goat cheese lover.
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⏲ About this recipe
This recipe was created from an appetizer I frequently eat at a local Italian restaurant. It's so ridiculously delicious that it's hard to believe it's so easy to make! I love that it's so easy to whip up at home with a few minimal ingredients.
🥘 Ingredients to make this Baked Goat Cheese Dip with Marinara
I like to eat this dip with seasoned, toasted crostini, which adds a few extra ingredients to the list. If you want an even easier recipe, just use warm bread, or plain toasted crostini.
- small baguette - fresh is best!
- butter - salted is my preferred choice here. If you use unsalted, you will need to add a little bit of salt to the melted butter.
- garlic powder - fresh garlic will work also.
- fresh Italian parsley (flat, not curly) - fresh gives the best flavor, but if you aren't able to find any, dried parsley will work also.
- marinara sauce - use your favorite jarred marinara sauce, or if you want to go all out and make homemade, my 10 Minute Marinara Sauce is perfect for this recipe.
- goat cheese - plain or herb chèvre goat cheese is preferred. If you haven't tried goat cheese before - please give it a try. It's decadent and delicious! Read all about all types of goat cheese if you want to educate yourself on this ingredient!
- fresh basil - used for garnish and extra flavor.
🍽 Equipment
I used the below kitchen items to make this recipe.
- serrated knife - makes cutting bread SO much easier and doesn't smash the bread.
- cutting boards - I prefer bamboo boards for fruits, veggies and breads. I use plastic boards for meats and cheeses, to prevent cross contamination, and I don't want any possible bacteria getting into my wood boards.
- baking sheet - used to bake the crostini.
- silicone mat- I use these combined with my baking sheet. Food does not stick and they make clean up a breeze!
- shallow baking dish - any shallow baking dish will work. If yours is smaller, you can divide this up between a couple of dishes.
🔪 Step by Step instructions for making this Baked Goat Cheese Dip
Preheat oven to 375°F.
Slice baguette into thin rounds, about ½" in width.
Mix melted butter with garlic powder and parsley. Add baguette slices to a large bowl and mix with melted butter mixture until are bread slices are coated.
Bake in the oven for approximately 10 minutes until bread is toasted and crisp.
In a shallow baking dish, add marinara sauce and slices of fresh goat cheese. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes until bubbly.
Top with fresh chopped basil and serve with toasted baguette slices.
📋 Recipe Tips
- Fresh warm bread can be used instead of the crostini. This will save on prep time.
- If you're not a fan of goat cheese, you can substitute cream cheese. Plain or any flavored cheese that goes well with marinara will work.
- To make this recipe a little spicy, add some red pepper flakes to the marinara before baking.
- This dip can be prepared in advance, up until baking time. Reheat the crostini in a warm oven. This won't take long, since they are already toasted. You just want to put them in long enough to get warm again.
🥘 Storage and leftovers
If you have leftovers, store in a sealed container in the refrigerator. It should last for about three to four days sealed in the fridge.
❓Frequently asked questions
Two days would be the most I would do, although one day is best. You want all of the ingredients to be as fresh as possible. For the crostini, you can make these up to the point of baking also. These are best when baked the day you want to serve them.
I would not recommend freezing this dip since you would need to stir during the reheating process, which would combine the goat cheese and marinara sauce. You would just end up with creamy marinara sauce.
🥗 Love all the dip recipes? Try these below!
- Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Dip
- Pretzel Dogs with Beer Cheese Dip
- Roasted Tomatillo Avocado Salsa
- Crab and Artichoke Dip
📋 Recipe
Baked Goat Cheese Dip with Marinara
Ingredients
- small baguette
- 4 tablespoons salted butter melted
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons Italian parsley chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 16 ounces marinara sauce
- 4 ounces goat cheese
- fresh basil chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Slice baguette into thin rounds (about ½") and add to a large bowl.
- In a small bowl, mix together the melted butter, garlic powder, chopped Italian parsley and salt. Pour over the baguette slices and toss bread until all are coated with the butter mixture.
- Place baguette slices on a baking sheet (preferably with a silicone mat, or you can use aluminum foil). Bake in oven for 10 minutes until toasty and slightly brown.
- Pour marinara in a shallow baking dish (or a few, depending on how small yours are). Slice goat cheese into rounds and add to the dish with the marinara sauce. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until dip is hot and bubbly.
- Garnish with chopped fresh basil and serve with the toasted baguette slices.
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