Goat Cheese Pesto Dip

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I found this recipe on Pinterest, and it immediately caught my eye because of the words 'goat' and 'cheese' used in succession.

 

Goat cheese is one of those foods that if I see it on a restaurant menu, then I have to have it.  It doesn't matter what it is served in or on or with, I'm getting it.  I love it.  I ate goat cheese last night in fact.  So, when I saw this recipe I knew that I had to try it and its delicious, simple, fast combination of goat cheese, cream cheese, and homemade pesto sauce.  You can serve it with bread, crackers, or vegetables, or even with just the old '1, 2, straight to your mouth with a spoon' technique (not that I did that more than like 4 or 7 times).  This would also be really good spread onto a chicken sandwich, or toasted open-faced on bread and served with pasta.

I cannot stress enough that you really have to use homemade pesto.  It doesn't come out nearly as good if you use the jarred variety (although if you have to, I would recommend using Costco's Kirkland brand and adding a bit of fresh garlic).  There's nothing like homemade.  For the cream cheese, you can definitely get away with using the 'light' variety to lower the calorie and fat content of the dip/spread.  Of course, you could also go in the total opposite direction, skip the Philadelphia cream cheese, and buy the real stuff for an even creamier taste.

If you like this flavour combination, you should also check out the Goat Cheese Pesto Torte that I posted about last year.  It's a party favourite (you will get asked for the recipe), and also a time-saving make-ahead dish.

I really, really enjoyed this Goat Cheese Pesto dip, and sadly I don't think that anyone else got to enjoy it quite as much as I did because I definitely ate at least 35% more than my fair share of it.  I hope you like it too!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Cheese Cheese Cheese!!!

Goat Cheese Pesto Dip

Makes:  2 cups

Ingredients

• 4 ounces goat cheese
• 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 cup homemade pesto (recipe follows)

Directions
Place ingredients in a large bowl, and stir until combined.  Transfer to a serving bowl.  Serve with sliced vegetables, pita chips, crackers, or lentil chips.

Homemade Pesto - Makes 1 cup

• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup toasted pinenuts (or you could use walnuts)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 3 cups basil leaves, stems removed
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup olive oil

Place all ingredients into a food processor until smooth.

Recipe Source: Raised on a Roux

I am not very good at taking pictures!