Why We Love Cooking with Goat Cheese Recipes

Goat cheese brings a unique flavour and creamy texture to every dish it touches. Whether it’s soft and spreadable or crumbly and tangy, adding goat cheese to a recipe lifts it to another level. We find it’s especially great with fresh produce, crusty bread and savoury herbs. Plus, it works beautifully in both cold and warm dishes, perfect for snacks, starters, or full meals.

One great thing about goat cheese is how many styles there are to try. At Cheese Shop Nantwich, we stock a variety of hand-selected goat cheeses, from soft and creamy options to aged and crumbly choices. There’s something for every recipe and taste.

Let’s take a look at how you can add goat cheese to your dishes in easy and tasty ways.

Simple Cheese Board with a Goat Cheese Twist

A cheese board is a simple way to showcase great cheese, and goat cheese is a natural star. Start with a selection of textures and flavours to create a balanced board. Try:

• Capricorn Goat: creamy, mild, and great with a drizzle of honey or some dried fruit.
• Ticklemore Goat: firm with a more complex flavour, it pairs well with crusty bread and olives.
• Crottin AOC: a small, aged cheese with a nutty bite, delicious with apple slices.
• Cheese With No Name: a strong and creamy option that’s bursting with character.

Add fresh figs, raw nuts, olives, and a rosemary cracker mix. A little pot of fig chutney works brilliantly too!

To serve, slice the cheeses just before guests arrive. Let everything come to room temperature for the best flavour.

Fresh Goat Cheese Salads You’ll Want to Eat Every Day

Goat cheese adds creaminess and tang to fresh salads. It pairs beautifully with greens, roasted veggies and sweet fruit.

Here are two of our favourite salad recipes:

1. Warm Goat Cheese and Beetroot Salad

You’ll need:

• Mixed leaves
• Roasted beetroot
• Inglewhite Goat (aged and crumbly)
• Walnuts
• Balsamic glaze

Crumble the Inglewhite Goat over the beetroot and roasted walnuts. Add the balsamic glaze and toss gently.

2. Strawberry and Cheese Salad

Try a warm-weather classic using:

• Sliced strawberries
• Mixed baby spinach and rocket
• Rachel Cheese (light and nutty)
• Toasted pine nuts
• A splash of olive oil and lemon juice

This salad looks as good as it tastes. The sweet strawberries balance the nutty Rachel Cheese perfectly.

Quick & Tasty Starters with Goat Cheese

We love using goat cheese for easy appetisers. Here are a couple that are quick to prepare and go down a treat at any gathering.

1. Goat Cheese Crostini

Toast a sliced baguette, then spread with Driftwood goat cheese. This has a soft texture and ash-covered rind, which adds colour and flavour. Top with cherry tomatoes and a sprinkle of fresh basil.

2. Stuffed Peppers with Goat Cheese

Cut sweet mini peppers in half, remove the seeds, and fill with Capricorn Goat. Add chopped herbs like thyme or parsley, and bake for 10 minutes at 180°C. They come out creamy, warm and fragrant.

Baked Dishes for Weekend Cooking

Goat cheese melts beautifully in the oven and works really well in tarts, pasta bakes and savoury pies. One of our go-to dishes is a roasted vegetable tart with goat cheese.

Veggie Tart Recipe

Ingredients:

• Puff pastry sheet
• Courgette, red pepper and onion (roasted)
• Driftwood
• Thyme and a pinch of black pepper

Line a baking tray with pastry. Layer the roasted veg and crumbled cheese, and bake for 20 minutes at 200°C until golden.

Baked Goat Cheese Pasta

Mix cooked pasta with spinach, garlic, and pieces of Rachel Cheese. Top with a sprinkle of breadcrumbs and bake in the oven until bubbling.

These recipes are perfect comfort food for sharing, simple to make at home, yet full of flavour.

Goat Cheese for Breakfast and Brunch

That creamy texture of goat cheese works well in morning recipes, too. Here are two breakfasts we like to make on slow weekends.

1. Goat Cheese and Herbs Omelette

Beat eggs, then cook with a handful of chopped chives and parsley. Crumble in Ticklemore Goat just before folding your omelette. It melts gently and gives a lovely savoury flavour.

2. Breakfast Toast with Goat Cheese and Honey

Take sourdough toast, and spread it with soft Capricorn Goat. Drizzle with local honey. You can top it with strawberries or blueberries for a sweet and salty twist.

Recipes with a Bold Twist: Blue & Caramel Goat Cheeses

For those who like stronger flavours, there are some exciting options. One that stands out is Picos d’Europa, a blue cheese made from a blend of goat and cow’s milk. It’s strong, salty, and amazing crumbled onto a steak salad or folded into mashed potatoes.

Then there’s Gjetost, a sweet, caramel-like cheese made from whey. This one is very different. We love it shaved onto rye bread or melted into breakfast oats with apple slices.

These cheeses aren’t your everyday choices, but they’re full of character and worth trying if you like bold tastes.

Storing and Serving Goat Cheese

Goat cheese is often best served at room temperature. Take it out of the fridge 30 minutes before eating to enjoy the full flavour. Store it wrapped in wax paper or baking parchment inside a container without a lid, allowing it to breathe.

Soft goat cheese usually lasts a week after opening. Harder options like Inglewhite Goat last longer if well stored in the fridge.

If you have leftovers, try stirring them into soups or adding them to fresh pizza before baking.

FAQs

Q: Can I freeze goat cheese?
A: It depends on the type. Hard goat cheeses freeze quite well. Soft varieties may be crumbly after defrosting, but still fine in cooked dishes.

Q: Is goat cheese good for those with lactose sensitivity?
A: Many people find goat cheese easier to digest than cow’s milk cheese. Everyone’s tolerance differs, though, so try a small amount first.

Q: What’s the difference in flavour between soft and hard goat cheese?
A: Soft goat cheese is usually creamy with a fresh tang. Hard goat cheeses like Inglewhite Goat or Ticklemore Goat are more intense and crumbly with nutty or grassy tones.

Try Goat Cheese in Your Cooking

Goat cheese offers lots of ways to make food more tasty, whether you’re layering it on toast, crumbling it into a salad or melting it into dinner.

We’re proud to share a selection of goat cheeses at Cheese Shop Nantwich, all chosen for their quality and flavour. From creamy Capricorn Goat to bold Picos d’Europa and sweet Gjetost, there’s something for everyone.

Try out a few of these recipes, or build your own cheese board with our hand-picked choices.

Let goat cheese inspire your cooking this week. Visit us today and see what goat cheese can do in your kitchen.