Garlic Herb Goat Cheese Toast

A simple goat cheese appetizer that packs so much flavor. It’s also great as a side to salad and soup. These pair especially well with roasted beets, a mushroom frittata, tomato soup or a simple Mediterranean salad.

I admit, I’m not always a goat cheese lover. But I do love it when paired with the right foods, and especially with garlic and herbs. We’ve been loving the brand Vermont Creamery, I find the flavor is smoother than other brands.

This recipe for Garlic Herb Goat Cheese Toast is super easy, it’s almost not a recipe (which is kind of how I cook anyways). I want to dig into some common questions about goat cheese first, but feel free to scroll down to the recipe below!

Goat Cheese Q&A

Is Goat Cheese Healthy?

Quality is really important when it comes to any animal based product. The biggest factor is whether it comes from conventionally, factory raised animals, or those raised outdoors, on a pasture. Organic is typically a safe choice, but doesn’t always mean the animal is raised outdoors. Labeling is confusing! Basically look for labels like grass fed, pasture raised, free range or Certified Humane.

The label might not always tell you. In these cases, I’ll look the company up before purchasing. It might seem like a lot of work, but once you find good brands, the work is done.

Is Goat Cheese Better Than Cow’s Milk Cheese?

There’s a few reasons why cow’s milk dairy might be less healthy for certain people, one being the proteins. Traditional cow’s milk dairy has A1 proteins, which can be harder to digest. You can find A2 cow’s milk dairy from certain brands (like Maple Hill), which is easier to digest. Goat cheese contains A2 protein, and significantly less to none of the A1 protein, so it’s easier to digest for those with a sensitivity.

If you’re lactose intolerant, you should avoid goat cheese. The fat content is another thing to consider in terms of health. Goat cheese can be higher in fat like most cheeses. When the goat cheese is made from goats raised outdoors, that are mostly grass fed, the fat content is healthy and more nourishing.

Does Goat Cheese Contain Lactose?

Yup! If you’re lactose intolerant, you’ll have difficulty digesting goat cheese.

How Long Does Goat Cheese Last After Opening?

In order to make it last longer, I wrap it tightly in its packaging or plastic wrap, and then in a baggie with the air squished out of it. It keeps about a week in the refrigerator after opening. I’ve frozen it too, and it’s defrosted well.

Can You Eat Goat Cheese with the Mediterranean Diet?

The Mediterranean Diet is inclusive and freeing, rather than restrictive like other diets. Goat cheese definitely fits into the Mediterranean Diet, and is a satisfying choice to provide both protein and fat.

Recipe

for Garlic Herb Goat Cheese Toast

Ingredients

• Toast of choice

  • Your favorite baguette, sliced thin

  • A good wheat bread

• Herbed goat cheese

• Raw garlic clove, peeled

• Flaked sea salt (love Maldon, but a local, small brand would be great too)

• Olive oil to drizzle

Directions

1. Toast your bread (I used a toaster to make it easy). Some might opt to drizzle with olive oil and heat in a pan or the oven, this is perfectly fine. But you get more health benefits from fresh/unheated olive oil, which is why I choose to drizzle it after toasting.

2. Rub the toast with raw garlic. Important tip: the harder you press the garlic on the bread, the stronger the garlic flavor will be. You can press very lightly to get the hint of garlic.

3. Top with desired amount of goat cheese and spread to cover the toast.

4. Drizzle olive oil over the toast.

5. Sprinkle a small pinch of flaked sea salt on top.