Creamy, tangy, and topped with perfectly roasted tomatoes, this Baked Goat Cheese Tomato Dip makes the perfect appetizer for any occasion. Serve it bubbling hot straight from the oven with little toasts or pita chips.
A delightful overabundance of fresh cherry or grape tomatoes means being faced with the wonderful problem of deciding what to do with them. One excellent solution is to take those lovely tomatoes and make Baked Goat Cheese Tomato Dip.
It sounds and looks sophisticated, but it couldn't be easier to prepare.
The tang of goat cheese against the slightly sweet roasted tomatoes is perfect when spread on top of a perfectly toasted baguette. Since goat cheese isn’t prized for its melting properties (or lack thereof) cream cheese and Monterey jack push this into creamy, melty dip territory.
This decadent dip was inspired by the Tiktok viral recipe Baked Feta Pasta - of which I created a zesty version with chorizo and hot peppers (Baked Feta Pasta with Chorizo).
Baked gooey cheese and roasted tomatoes just belong together. Let’s get to what you’ll need to make this Baked Goat Cheese Tomato Dip.
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Ingredients
For this Baked Goat Cheese Tomato Dip you will need 3 different kinds of cheeses, cherry or grape tomatoes, olive oil, and garlic powder. And whatever dipping accompaniment you'd like to use to transfer the cheesy tomato dip into your mouth.
- goat cheese
- cream cheese
- Monterey jack cheese
- grape or cherry tomatoes
- olive oil (to toss tomatoes in)
- garlic powder
- salt and black pepper, to taste
- French baguette, prepared as little toasts, or pita chips for serving (optional)
Note: This recipe was inspired by Food Network’s Baked Goat Cheese Dip.
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Add the goat cheese, cream cheese, Monterey jack, and garlic powder to a food processor.
Puree until smoothish, around 30 seconds.
Brush a baking dish with olive oil, then add the cheese mixture.
Add the tomatoes to a bowl and drizzle with olive oil. Add a few pinches of salt and pepper (optional), and toss until the tomatoes are well coated with olive oil.
Pour the tomatoes on top of the cheese mixture, arranging in an even layer.
Add the baking dish to the oven and bake for 40 minutes. You want the tomatoes to be near bursting/burst before you remove it from the oven.
While it bakes, cut the French baguette into little slices for dipping. I like to arrange them on a baking sheet and toast them alongside the dip. You don’t need to do this, but the oven’s already on, so why not?
Remove the dip from the oven and serve while it’s hot and bubbly. Enjoy!
What should I serve with Baked Goat Cheese Tomato Dip?
Sliced pieces of bread from a mini French baguette are perfect with this Baked Goat Cheese Tomato Dip, either toasted or untoasted. This cheesy baked dip is also fantastic with pita chips and crackers - try Triscuit or Ritz.
Substitutions for Baked Cheese Tomato Dip
If you’d like to make a few tweaks to this Baked Tomato Goat Cheese Dip, try these suggestions.
- Goat cheese - It’s in the name of the recipe, but if you really, really don’t like it (even though I promise the tang is muted here!), you could sub in an equal amount of feta cheese in brick form.
- Cream cheese - Use a lower fat version if you’d like to trim down the calories.
- Monterey jack cheese - Swap in any good melting cheese you wish! I’d opt for a lighter color cheese like mozzarella or white cheddar.
- Tomatoes - Use any type of small cherry or grape tomato variety you wish! Or even go for a lovely mix containing a few different types. I used 12 ounces of tomatoes here, but you could easily use a full pound.
- Garlic powder - Leave it out or add in a clove or two of minced fresh garlic. You could also use an equal amount of onion powder instead.
Baked Goat Cheese Tomato Dip Variations
- Spicy - Trader Joe’s has this wonderful Italian Bomba sauce that is the bomb eh! It’s made of fermented crushed Calabrian chile peppers and is my go-to when I want to add some heat. When you’re preparing the tomatoes, add a teaspoon or two of the Italian Bomba sauce. Other fantastic mix-in ideas include harissa and chili crisp. If using chili crisp, you can forgo the olive oil called for.
- Herbaceous - You should 100% garnish with fresh herbs like chives, oregano, basil, thyme, or parsley. You might also consider mixing in some dried herbs as you prepare the cheese-y base layer.
- Flavored cheeses - There are a lot of fun cheese flavors out there; mix it up with an herbed goat cheese or a pepper Jack cheese.
Equipment
Storing Leftover Dip
Store leftover Baked Tomato Goat Cheese Dip in a lidded container in the refrigerator. Or you could just cover the top of your baking dish with aluminum foil or plastic wrap and refrigerate. For best results, use within 3 days.
To reheat, cover and bake for 15-20 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit until heated through.
Hot Tip
If some of the tomatoes don't burst, give them a poke with a sharp knife before serving. The molten juices inside the baked tomatoes are no joke!
Dip It, Dip It Real Good!
If you’re a dip fan, give these a whirl!
- Spicy Cream Cheese Pickle Dip - pickle-forward cream cheese perfection, spiced up with Frank’s Red Hot.
- Spinach Dip - This dip is cool and creamy and contains NO MAYO!
- Roasted Pepper Dip - Eat your veggies in fun, delicious, dippable fashion.
- Creamy Green Sauce - Use it as a dip or drizzle it over roasted proteins and veggies.
Baked Goat Cheese Tomato Dip
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 ounces goat cheese (at room temperature)
- 8 ounces cream cheese (at room temperature)
- ¾ cup Monterey jack cheese (shredded)
- 12 ounces grape or cherry tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (to toss tomatoes in)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- French baguette, prepared as little toasts, or pita chips for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Add the goat cheese, cream cheese, Monterey jack, and garlic powder to a food processor. Puree until smoothish, around 30 seconds.
- Brush a baking dish with olive oil, then add the cheese mixture.
- Add the tomatoes to a bowl and drizzle with olive oil. Add a few pinches of salt and pepper (optional), and toss until the tomatoes are well coated with olive oil.
- Pour the tomatoes on top of the cheese mixture, arranging in an even layer.
- Add the baking dish to the oven and bake for 40 minutes. You want the tomatoes to be near bursting/burst before you remove it from the oven.
- While it bakes, cut the French baguette into little slices for dipping. I like to arrange them on a baking sheet and toast them alongside the dip. You don’t need to do this, but the oven’s already on, so why not?
- Remove the dip from the oven and serve while it’s hot and bubbly. Enjoy!
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