Ingredients

4-6 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
3 large or 6 small beets, peeled and cut into chunks
1 tbsp olive oil
1 stick (300g) goat cheese, original full-fat/unflavoured
1 tsp salt

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Place beets and garlic into a parchment paper lined baking dish with a lid (you can also use a deep dish that a baking sheet can fit over like a lid). Drizzle over olive oil and give it a mix to coat beets and garlic.
3. Cover the dish with a lid (or baking sheet) and bake in the oven for 45-55 minutes, or until beets are fork tender (this may take less or more time depending on how small or large the chunks are).
4. Remove from oven, and leave the lid on to steam for an additional 5-10 minutes.
5. In a food processor or high speed blender, add roasted beets and garlic while still hot, leaving any liquid behind in the baking dish. Add in goat cheese and salt. Blend until beets are completely puréed and everything is well incorporated. You may need to stop the blender once or twice to scrape down the edges.
6. Transfer into a glass, ceramic (not white!), or metal serving dish. Allow to cool a bit before placing in the fridge. Chill overnight (or at least 4 hours) so that the goat cheese has time to harden back up for serving.

Notes:

1. Beets can stain like crazy! Opt for a plastic cutting board, a non-white baking dish, and a non-white serving dish for preparation and serving. Wash dishes as you go to make sure the pigment is in contact with surfaces for as short a time as possible. You may also want to wear disposable gloves to keep your hands and nails from being stained as well.
2. Lining your baking dish with parchment paper makes clean up a lot easier so that the beet colour doesn’t bake into the sides of the dish. There may still be some coloured water that seeps through the paper, but this is significantly easier to clean than if it is baked in.
3. This recipe makes a large amount of dip for serving a large group. If you do not think you will go through the entire recipe, you can store part of it in the freezer for later use or half the recipe.
4. I have loved eating this dip with veggies, corn chips, or (gluten-free) crackers for years, but I have recently been enjoying it as a sandwich or wrap spread, a sauce in macro bowls, and mixed up into a salad as a dressing!