Twice Baked Beets with Whipped Honey and Herb Goat Cheese
Why only roast your beets once, when you can roast them twice?! Giving your beets a second go in the oven creates the most deliciously sweet beet.
My idea for twice baked beets stemmed from love of food prep. I love to prep beets ahead of time so I can easily pop them in a salad or munch on for a sweet snack. But then I wanted to use my pre-cooked beets for a comforting and warm side dish, that’s where the idea for twice baked beets was born. I gave my pre-cooked beets another session in the oven and paired them with a glorious whipped honey and herb goat cheese. The results are a comforting and delicious side dish or even appetizer that’s perfect to make with beautiful in season beets.
Twice Baked Beets with Whipped Honey and Herb Goat Cheese
Beets
3-4 medium sized red and golden beets
2 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
2-3 sprigs fresh thyme
Kosher salt and pepper to taste
Whipped Honey and Herb Goat Cheese
4 oz chevre goat cheese
1 TBSP honey
2 sprigs fresh thyme
Kosher salt and pepper to taste
To prep the beets, wash the beets thoroughly with cool water scrubbing off any dirt and pulling off tiny roots. Leave the beets to dry on a clean kitchen towel.
Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place your beets on the baking sheet and coat them with 1 TBSP of the olive oil. Salt them lightly and bake for 60 minutes. After the hour check the beets for doneness by piecing them with a fork or paring knife. Cool the beets completely on the baking sheet in order to peel the skin off your beets. You can do this step up to a week ahead of time and store the beets in the fridge until you are ready to use them.
When you’re ready to twice bake your beets, preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Cut your beets into wedges and place in a slice layer on the baking sheet. Coat your wedges in another tablespoon of olive oil and add the leaves from the thyme sprigs, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake your beets for 20-25 minutes or until the beets look nice and roasty. Let your beets cool a bit on the baking sheet, in the meantime we can make our whipped goat cheese.
To make the whipped goat cheese, add the cheese to a food processor and pulse 2-4 times or until it is crumbly. Once crumbled, add the honey and thyme. Blend until the cheese becomes very soft and whipped, very similar to the texture of cream cheese. Salt and pepper the cheese to your taste.
Place your whipped goat cheese on a plate or bowl and spread it out. Top the cheese with your twice baked beets, fresh thyme and an additional drizzle of honey if you desire. Enjoy as is or enjoy smeared on top a toasty slice of sourdough bread.