Goat Cheese Is The Tangy Addition Your Garlic Bread Deserves
Cheesy garlic bread has long been graced with mozzarella's mild nature, but it truly is a blank canvas when experimenting with cheese. With over 100 varieties of goat cheese available, what better way to explore this diverse and compelling type of cheese than with garlic bread? Goat cheese opens the door to more tangy and earthy flavor profiles. Unlike mozzarella, which is springy, or cheddar, which is dense, goat cheese's texture is gloriously soft and smooth once it reaches room temperature, perfect for spreading onto crunchy bread.
There are multiple ways to add goat cheese to garlic bread. Try spreading a layer of it over the garlic butter and finishing it in the oven, or perhaps crumble it over when the garlic bread comes out. You could even blend goat cheese with garlic and herbs before spreading it on the bread. And, incorporating goat cheese into your garlic bread recipe doesn't mean that mozzarella has to step aside. They can both be included if you still want stringy, melted cheese.
How to combine goat cheese and garlic
Blending goat cheese with garlic and herbs before spreading it on the bread is a great way to soften the texture. If you're using crumbly or aged goat cheese, you may wish to incorporate butter or cream cheese. This will help the spreadability of the cheese while slightly subduing its particularly tart flavor. In terms of fresh herbs, you can experiment with earthy thyme or tangy parsley, but for an Italian vibe, sweet basil, and spicy oregano would complement the garlic well.
Both garlic and goat cheese have bold flavor profiles. If you want a more mellow appetizer, there is a simple way to soften the harsh flavor of garlic. By undergoing a slow-roasting process, confit garlic develops a delicately sweet and more subdued flavor compared to its fresh counterpart. Slow-roasted whole cloves of garlic are not only incredibly spreadable and buttery, but they wonderfully complement the tart taste of goat cheese. Try blending the goat cheese and roasted garlic together, and spreading it on the crusty bread. Deliciously creamy and gloriously infused with soft garlic undertones, it's heaven in each bite.
Other bread and goat cheese pairings
Garlic bread is a natural choice for incorporating goat cheese, but multiple other dishes also deserve attention. For instance, the savory notes of goat cheese balance beautifully with the sweet and complex aromas of strawberries, pears, or figs. A drizzle of balsamic glaze over the top would elevate this to a gourmet presentation, creating a fusion of exquisite flavors. Tart, sweet vinegar, creamy cheese, and juicy fruit — it's hitting all the taste boxes.
Cured delicate meats like prosciutto also nicely complement goat cheese and crusty bread, as the rich saltiness of the meat enhances the other flavors. Another idea is to include crunchy walnuts and a drizzle of honey. Whether you wish to introduce earthy aromas, a sweet touch, sliced fruit, or an acidic tang, goat cheese and toasted bread are exceptionally versatile when working together as a base.