33 Goat Cheese Recipes That Are Just Right for Fall (or Any Time, Really)

• Time Commitment: 10 minutes
• Why I Love It: <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, vegetarian

Creamy, buttery, sweet-tart and satisfying—yup, this handheld hits all the right spots. The key is a decadent trio of cheeses: goat, fontina and Emmentaler.

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why I Love It: Instant Pot recipe, <10 ingredients, vegetarian, crowd-pleaser

You can cook so much more than meat in your pressure cooker, including pasta. The trick to getting the ideal al dente texture is dropping the noodles in dry with the aromatics for flavor, then quick-releasing the pressure the moment they’re cooked, so they don’t get mushy.

• Time Commitment: 55 minutes
• Why I Love It: special occasion-worthy, crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly

Reason number 471 to always have a sheet of frozen puff pastry on hand. Your guests will be too busy oohing and ahhing to figure out your shortcut.

• Time Commitment: 3 hours and 10 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy

This appetizer has holiday cocktail hour written all over it. The dough is extra moist thanks to sour cream, while fresh herbs take the sweet onion filling over the top.

• Time Commitment: 10 minutes
• Why I Love It: no cook, <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, one bowl, make ahead

Mix up your usual guac with the tangy, salty additions of goat and jack cheeses. It’ll pair just right with carne asada, carnitas or ground beef.

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly, vegetarian, special occasion-worthy, crowd-pleaser

Need a fancy starter for your next dinner party? Look no further than this stone fruit stunner. Feel free to substitute plums, berries, pears or apples for peaches.

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why I Love It: kid-friendly, beginner-friendly, <10 ingredients

Bring on the Brie, Camembert and goat cheese. Once it’s served, all you’ll need is a glass of Chardonnay and a piece of baguette for wiping your plate clean.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour
• Why I Love It: make ahead, crowd-pleaser, no cook, special occasion-worthy

Cheese balls? Tacky? You’re mistaken, friend. This modern take on the party-ready fromage is as chic as it is tasty. Think everything bagel-goat, lemon dill-cheddar and pomegranate-blue.

• Time Commitment: 15 minutes
• Why I Love It: <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, vegetarian

PB&J and deli turkey pale in comparison to this sweet-and-salty sammy. Don’t sweat it if you don’t have a panini maker; a grill pan will work just fine in a pinch.

• Time Commitment: 25 minutes
• Why I Love It: <30 minutes, one pot, beginner-friendly

If you’re a self-proclaimed goat cheese hater, this dish will change your mind. Combined with pasta water and lemon, it makes for a dreamy sauce that coats the orecchiette just right.

• Time Commitment: 25 minutes
• Why I Love It: <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly, one pan

Sharp cheddar + mild mozzarella + tangy goat cheese = the most well-balanced grilled cheese sandwich you’ll ever eat. Might we suggest serving it with tomato soup?

• Time Commitment: 20 minutes
• Why I Love It: <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, crowd-pleaser

Bookmark this one under Easiest Party Appetizers of All Time. It’s practically no cook, since the prosciutto is crisped up in the microwave instead of on the stove.

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, vegetarian, beginner-friendly

A salad is only as tasty as its toppings, which makes this one next-level delicious. The crispy-on-the-outside, creamy-on-the-inside fitters are rolled in breadcrumbs and chopped pistachios.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour and 15 minutes
• Why I Love It: special occasion-worthy, crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients

It doesn’t get classier than this eight-ingredient tart, which is destined for Christmas dinner, if you ask us. Pro tip: Use a mandoline to ensure that the beets are sliced thinly and evenly.

• Time Commitment: 55 minutes
• Why I Love It: vegetarian, beginner-friendly, kid-friendly

Face it: You were tired of the usual beef filling about three Taco Tuesdays ago. This simple veggie filling is just as tasty but way more unexpected. Serve them with guacamole, refried beans, salsa and pickled onions.

• Time Commitment: 50 minutes
• Why I Love It: special occasion-worthy, make ahead, vegetarian

For those of you who are over the whole mini marshmallow thing come Thanksgiving. Fresh sage, Honeycrisp apple, pecans and dried cranberries make this side dish decidedly autumnal.

• Time Commitment: 20 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients, <30 minutes, crowd-pleaser

We’ll bring the merlot, you bring these. You only need one log of goat cheese and two sheets of store-bought puff pastry to assemble the bites. Substitute hot honey for plain for a delightful kick.

• Time Commitment: 8 hours and 35 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, one pan, high protein

Don’t let the long prep time deter you: Most of that accounts for leaving the casserole in the fridge overnight, so the bread can soak up every drop of the eggy, mustardy custard.

• Time Commitment: 50 minutes
• Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, kid-friendly, one pan, crowd-pleaser

This tomato-based dish will get your picky eater to branch out beyond mozzarella, promise. The dip is as simple as making your own sauce with canned crushed tomatoes, drizzling it over a layer of goat cheese and baking until bubbly.

• Time Commitment: 2 hours
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients, special occasion-worthy

Say cheese: This vibrant handheld is ready for its closeup. Not only are there sliced Chioggia beets on the sandwich, but it’s also doused in balsamic beet purée, made from red and baby golden beets.

• Time Commitment: 50 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, make ahead, kid-friendly

Because summer does *not* have dibs on pasta salad. Ring in fall with tender butternut squash, a mustard-apple cider vinegar dressing, pine nuts, fresh thyme and a dusting of cinnamon.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour and 15 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, vegetarian, beginner-friendly, <10 ingredients

Portobello mushrooms, bell peppers and red onion are the standard, but you can easily swap in carrots, cauliflower, zucchini or corn if you’d prefer. Whatever you decide, pair the tacos with chilled rosé.

• Time Commitment: 2 hours and 30 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, high protein, special occasion-worthy

Sure, turkey may be leaner than traditional beef, but these burgers are still piled high with jammy, wine-infused onions and crumbled goat cheese. Balance is everything, no? Make the onions up to four days ahead to save time before dinner.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour
• Why I Love It: special occasion-worthy, high protein, kid-friendly

Peppers, onions, mushrooms, thin-sliced steak—the gang’s all here, except whiz has been replaced by goat cheese for a more elegant finish. (We don’t mind—it’s all about the balsamic glaze anyway.)

• Time Commitment: 1 hour and 25 minutes
• Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, vegetarian, crowd-pleaser, make ahead, special occasion-worthy

Think of this Insta-worthy masterpiece as bruschetta’s cool older cousin. Prepare the four-ingredient tart shell ahead of the meal, then fill it with the cheese and tomatoes before serving.

• Time Commitment: 10 minutes
• Why I Love It: <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, no cook, special occasion-worthy, make ahead

Tiny ruffles of tender, savory prosciutto can make basically any dish a million times tastier—and easier on the eyes. The three-ingredient goat cheese filling couldn’t be easier to prepare.

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why I Love It: special occasion-worthy, beginner-friendly, high protein

Aka warm French goat cheese salad. Don’t be fooled by its dainty appearance: Bacon, walnuts, pine nuts and goat cheese medallions make the salad more filling than you’d expect.

• Time Commitment: 50 minutes
• Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, crowd-pleaser, make ahead

We’ll be toting this to every spring potluck we ever attend from here on out. Add a splash of vinegar, lemon juice or even hot sauce for a punch of welcome acidity.

• Time Commitment: 10 minutes
• Why I Love It: <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly

A recipe with no measurements is one after our own heart, because that implies that it’s easy enough to wing. Let your gut lead the way when adding the goat cheese, balsamic and basil.

• Time Commitment: 20 minutes
• Why I Love It: one pan, beginner-friendly, <30 minutes

Yup, we’d happily get out of bed for this in the morning. Save yourself even more time and effort by using your favorite jarred pesto in the omelet instead of making your own.

• Time Commitment: 25 minutes
• Why I Love It: <30 minutes, crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients

Goat cheese, crème fraiche and Parmesan unite to create a lip-smackingly salty appetizer that will disappear in 30 seconds flat at your next shindig (even at the kids’ table).

• Time Commitment: 15 minutes
• Why I Love It: <30 minutes, beginner-friendly, vegetarian

Designed to be devoured alfresco with a crisp glass of wine in hand. Confectioners’ sugar and vanilla round out the tang of the goat cheese, as lemon juice curbs the sweetness of the strawberries and blueberries.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour and 30 minutes (plus chilling time)
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy, kid-friendly

And the crowd goes wild. This cheesecake is a refined, unexpected way to end any meal. Top the honey drizzle with macerated berries, candied oranges, torn mint leaves or lemon zest.