Goat Cheese and Garlic Pâté with Walnuts and Chives ~ Balsamic-Honey Drizzle
Holiday Entertaining just got a little easier with this tempting pâté – the perfect appetizer for Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations.
Servings: 24 1 1/2 T. servings
Ingredients
- 3 large garlic heads 2 will be combined in pâté / 2 will be for serving
- 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 pinch salt & pepper
- 4 small fresh thyme sprigs
- 12 ounces goat cheese softened
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup walnuts small chop
- 2 tablespoons fresh chives cut ¼”, divided (can use scallions)
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves chopped a little
- 1 recipe Balsamic Drizzle (see below)
Instructions
Goat Cheese and Garlic Pâté:
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Remove the outer paper layer of the garlic heads, still keeping the cloves attached.
- Add them to a baking dish to fit, drizzle 2 teaspoon of olive oil on top, add thyme sprigs to the dish, and sprinkle a pinch of salt & pepper. Cover tightly with heavy foil and roast in the oven until the cloves have softened, about 45 minutes. This will depend on the size of your cloves.. mine were large, and took almost one hour. Add the remaining 3 T. olive oil, and stir into the bottom of the pan (a lot of flavor there.) Set aside.
- In a medium sized bowl, add the softened goat cheese, walnuts, 1T. of chopped chives and thyme. Cream with a fork until combined. Squeeze the softened garlic from ONE garlic head on a cutting board. Mash a bit with the side of a knife. Add this garlic “puree” to the to the cheese mixture, combine well.
- Add the flavored oil from the baking dish to the mixture, mix in.
To Serve:
- Place the pâté in a decorative bowl. Top with the reserved chives. Serve the TWO reserved roasted garlic heads on a platter with the pâté. Top with a little Balsamic Drizzle. Let your guests smooth the softened garlic on each portion. Serve with your favorite toasted bread slices and crudité.
For Individual Portions:
- Smooth some pâté on toast slices (baguettes are nice) and top with some Balsamic Drizzle and chives. Arrange on a platter.
- Whole Roasted Garlic Heads can be made ahead of time, keep them in an airtight glass container for up to a week.
- The pâté can be served warmed a little in the oven as well.
Easy Balsamic-Honey Drizzle:
- In a small 6 ” skillet, add 3 T. of balsamic vinegar, 2 t. raw honey and a few gratings of freshly cracked black pepper. Bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer, stirring with a wooden spoon. Reduce by half, until thick (but still flowing glaze) about 3 minutes.
Nutrition
Calories: 73kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 7mg | Sodium: 54mg | Potassium: 18mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 0.2g | Vitamin A: 168IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 24mg | Iron: 0.4mg