Skillet Goat Cheese Bites with Basil and Honey
Panko-crusted goat cheese, fried in a pan at camp, finished with honey. A car-camping appetizer that fits in a cooler.
- calories
- 330
- weight
- 3.5 oz
- cal / oz
- 94
- protein
- 13 g
- serves
- 4, scales
- prep
- 15 min
- cook
- 8 min
- total time
- 23 min
- water
- none
- cost
- $$
Calorie and protein figures are my own estimates, good enough for planning a food bag and not meant as precise nutrition data.
- Snack
- Canister stove
- Liquid fuel
- Car camping
- Basecamp
- Canoe / raft
- Vegetarian
- Nut free
- One pot
- Pre-mix at home
- Needs a cooler
- Basic
Ingredients
| Soft goat cheese | 8 oz | log style, kept cold until it goes in the pan |
|---|---|---|
| Dried basil | 2 tsp | fresh if you brought it, about 2 tbsp chopped |
| Honey | 2 tbsp | 1 tbsp mixed in, 1 tbsp drizzled over |
| Kosher salt | 1/4 tsp | |
| Black pepper | 1/4 tsp | |
| Egg | 1 | or 1 tbsp powdered egg plus 2 tbsp water |
| Panko bread crumbs | 1 cup | |
| Extra virgin olive oil | 3 tbsp |
Method
- At home: mash the goat cheese with the basil, 1 tbsp honey, salt, and pepper. Roll into 16 balls, freeze solid on a tray, then bag them and pack them in the middle of the cooler.
- In camp, beat the egg in a mug. Put the panko in a second bag or bowl.
- Roll each ball through the egg, then through the panko. Press the crumbs on.
- Heat the oil in a skillet over a low flame. Lay the balls in and leave them alone for about a minute per side, turning until browned all around. Eight minutes total, tops.
- Pull them out, drizzle the second tablespoon of honey over the top, and eat them while the crust is still crisp.
Goat cheese collapses the second it gets warm, which is the whole problem with cooking it. Freezing the balls solid at home buys you the minute or two it takes for the panko to brown before the inside turns to a puddle. Skip the freezer and you will be eating crumb-flecked cheese sauce out of the pan.
The original bakes these in an oven. A skillet over a low flame does the same job with less gear, but it needs your attention: the oil browns panko fast, and low heat is the difference between a crust and a scorch. This is a cooler recipe and a first-night recipe. Goat cheese does not keep past that.
Packing
The balls have to travel frozen. Bag them flat, sit them against a block of ice, and cook them the first night. Panko, salt, and pepper ride together dry; honey goes in a squeeze tube.
Variations
- Swap dried basil for dried oregano and thyme if that is what the spice kit has.
- No egg? Brush the balls with olive oil and press the panko on. The crust is patchier but it holds.
- A pinch of chili flakes in the honey cuts the sweetness.
https://www.bowlofdelicious.com/oven-baked-goat-cheese-balls-with-fresh-basil-and-honey