Name: Warm Goat Cheese Salad
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 57 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 cup Panko Bread Crumbs; 1 teaspoon pepper; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 2 large eggs; 1 tablespoon dijon mustard; 1 teaspoon honey; 2 tablespoons dried tarragon; 8 ounces goat cheese; 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar; 1 tablespoon dijon mustard; 6 tablespoons olive oil; 1 teaspoon dried tarragon; 1/4 cup pomegranate seeds; 1/4 cup candied walnuts; 8 ounces mixed salad greens , (about 7 cups)

Warm Goat Cheese Salad is an easy elegant offering for any entertaining. Baked Crispy Panko crust surrounds a tangy, herb coated cheese over simple salad greens. A perennial favorite your guests will ask for again and again!

Close up of Warm Goat cheese Salad rounds on a grey plate with a glass of Riesling behind it

Today’s Recipe for Warm Goat Cheese Salad is a recipe that I like to call easy elegant and is perfect for holiday entertaining. I’d like to thank the Grocery Outlet for sponsoring today’s post, its always fun to be introduced to new things and have I got something to share with you.

I’d never been to a Grocery Outlet before but I can honestly say that I will absolutely be going back again and again. (You can find store locations nearest to you here.). Its a grocery store that has all of the basics that you already are shopping for but at lower prices. Fresh fruits, vegetables, meats, staples…. and wine. All less than what you normally pay.

A lot of the brands are one’s you’ve seen before, but there are also some private label brands. I had to find the store manager when I walked into the wine department. They had all of the signage with considerable price savings such as $6.99 normally $19.99. And a lot of the wines were labels I knew and purchased for higher prices.

When I spoke to him he pointed out that a lot of wineries have left over juices and need to find a source to sell it so their buyers go in and buy them at good prices. Or they had an amazing crop of grapes and had such a good crop they were able to get more cases of wine than they had planned. Their buyers know their stuff living in Napa and knowing all the ins and outs they can get some great wines at amazing prices..

Close up of Warm Goat Cheese Salad disks on a plate.

Today’s recipe for Warm Goat Cheese Salad I found all the ingredients for at the Grocery Outlet. The goat cheese, the pomegranate seeds, the salad greens and all of the ingredients for the dressing. I selected a Riesling to pair with it.

I had so many wines to choose from but the Riesling had a slight effervescence that went so well with the tangy goat cheese. It sure makes it easy entertaining when you can get great prices on everything and only have to make one stop to get everything!

WHY CHOOSE GOAT CHEESE?

Goat Cheese is a popular cheese made from goat’s milk. It has a lot of moisture and has a tangy flavor that is very distinct. I started eating goat cheese because it is lower in fat so I felt better about eating a lot of cheese.

I have friends who eat goat cheese because they have some issues with dairy, and the goat’s milk cheeses are easier for them to digest. Cheese.com has a lot more information if you are interested in learning more.

Warm goat Cheese salad| cutting the goat cheese into rounds with dental floss on a cutting board

The Warm Goat Cheese Salad is easy to make. You just cut the goat cheese into equal pieces (I used dental floss to cut it here.)

You can absolutely use a knife, but I’m so used to cutting goat cheese this way when trying to keep the cheese intact I always cut it this way. And it’s kind of cool if you’re making this with your guests around. (Silly yes, but if you’re cooking a gourmet meal, this is a fun presentation!)

Warm Goat Cheese Salad| Making the dipping stations to coat in herbs, egg wash then panko.

Then you set up a dipping station for the goat cheese balls. You roll them in the herbs, then the mustard egg wash and finally the crispy panko. If you set up the stations in the order you do them in it makes it very efficient. I put my baking tray at the end so after coating them you can place them right on the tray.

Warm Goat Cheese Salad| Pressing the coated rounds into a disk on a tray for going into the freezer.

PRO TIP: THE SECRET FOR SUCCESSFUL WARM GOAT CHEESE SALAD: FREEZING THE DISK BEFORE FRYING

The last thing you need to do is press the goat cheese ball to a flat disk then pop it into the freezer for at least 30 minutes. By freezing the round, it allows the panko to get golden crispy and warm the goat cheese but not allow the goat cheese to ooze into a puddle. I mean the goat cheese all melty and gooey would taste great, but it wouldn’t be a great presentation!

The rest is simple, you bake them then place them on a salad and serve them with a great wine. How easy is that? You could also serve these as an appetizer alone and have a wine tasting party with all the different wines from the Grocery Outlet like I did here!

Warm Goat Cheese discs served alone instead of in a salad with all the wine bottles and glasses for serving at a party.

Try my Holiday Cranberry Orange Cheese dip or these Cranberry Pistachio Spread treats if you need other ideas for entertaining or are looking for a great appetizer to pair with wine!

Are you looking for other great recipes to make for entertaining guests during the holidays? Or for some time-saving tricks for your next get together? Follow me on Facebook and Pinterest for all things for entertaining with confidence and ease.

Yield: 4 servings