The Holidays are HEEEEEEEEEEEEERE peeps! And there are only a couple more weeks to get your menus together for the festivities, whether it’s Christmas, Haunakah, Kwanzaa, or just general Holiday cheer!
As with any gathering, being able to prep and make things ahead of time is key. This Garlic & Herb Whipped Goat Cheese requires only FOUR INGREDIENTS. Four. It’s fool proof – fast – and your guests will be licking the bowl. You literally throw the goat cheese in your food processor, add a little cream cheese and some garlic – whip into oblivon and then fold in your chives. Chill til’ party time.
The Bagel Chips – could you buy them at the store? Sure. But I betcha you’ve got a few lone bagels that didn’t make the breakfast cut and they’re just looking for a purpose in life. Give them purpose by slicing them, brushing them with olive oil, and baking them into the perfect crunchy bagel chip. To pair with the whipped goat cheese I would recommend an onion/everything or even just plain/sesame. But you could get so creative with the bagel chip combos.
Happy holiday menu planning!
- 1 8oz log of goat cheese
- 3 tablespoons whipped cream cheese (you could use non-whipped too)
- 2 small garlic cloves, minced (I would recommend microplaning)
- 2-3 tabelspoons chopped chives, depending on how chive'y you want the goat cheese
- 2-3 bagels of your choice (I recommend onion or plain)
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
- Slice your bagels thinly, about 1/8", trying to make each slice as even as possible. If they're a little off, that's ok. Lay them out on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, brushing each side lightly with olive oil.
- Bake in preheated oven for 12 minutes - remove from oven, turn over, and bake for another 10-12 minutes until they start to turn golden brown. Some people like their chips a little more/less underdone so just keep an eye on them in the oven until they reach your desired brown'ness.
- While you're bagel chips are cooking, prepare your goat cheese by placing your goat cheese, cream cheese and garlic in a food processor. Whip for 1-2 minutes until the mixture becomes light and fluffy. Transfer you goat cheese into a small bowl and gently fold in the chopped chives. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for an hour up to overnight. The longer the chill time, the more time the flavors have to meld together, but it can certainly be served right away.
- Serve with bagel chips warm or stored in a plastic zip lock bag.