# Feta instead of goat cheese? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 6, 2008, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/feta-instead-of-goat-cheese/432461 "2008-01-06T01:06:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Sycorax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a4c791/32.png) [@Sycorax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sycorax)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2008, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/feta-instead-of-goat-cheese/432461/1 "2008-01-06T01:06:32Z")
I have a recipe I want to try; it calls for goat cheese (several slices from a log). I couldn’t find it in my local grocery store, but the store does have feta. A little online research says feta is a curd cheese and frequently made from cow’s milk. I like feta, but I don’t think I’ve ever had goat cheese, so I don’t know how much difference there is in the taste and texture. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2008, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/feta-instead-of-goat-cheese/432461/2 "2008-01-06T01:22:43Z")
Most recipes that are calling for goat cheese are expecting you to use something along the lines of the classic style of goat cheese, chevre, a relatively mild, relatively soft cheese. Feta, normally made with sheep or goat milk, is a much sharper, more aged, and crumbly product; I’d hesitate to substitute it for chevre. Tho this link says you can substitute feta for chevre: [http://72.14.205.104/search?q=cache:TZ6fpqXK7jYJ:ltstexasred.com/Cheese/Cheeses.htm+chevre+substitutes&hl=en&gl=us&strip=1](http://72.14.205.104/search?q=cache:TZ6fpqXK7jYJ:ltstexasred.com/Cheese/Cheeses.htm+chevre+substitutes&hl=en&gl=us&strip=1) ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2008, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/feta-instead-of-goat-cheese/432461/3 "2008-01-06T01:24:21Z")
Agreed - cream cheese or neufchatel (aka light cream cheese) would be a better substitute if you can’t get goat cheese. ---
**Author:** ![jacquilynne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/67e7ee/32.png) [@jacquilynne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jacquilynne)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2008, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/feta-instead-of-goat-cheese/432461/4 "2008-01-06T01:33:01Z")
It depends a lot on what role the cheese is playing in the dish. Flavourwise, feta is stronger, but they both have a similar sharpness, so you might substitute feta that way – though probably less feta than you would goat cheese. On the other hand, texturally, they’re fairly different – chevre is much softer, and it clumps more than crumbles. If you’re melting it, it might not make much difference. ---
**Author:** ![PastAllReason](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f07891/32.png) [@PastAllReason](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastAllReason)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2008, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/feta-instead-of-goat-cheese/432461/5 "2008-01-06T02:50:53Z")
I agree with **Ferret Herder** on suggesting substitutes along the cream cheese line. Like **Jacquilynne** said chevre and feta have both very different textures and tastes, which could make a substitution have less than ideal results. It is possible depending on the specific recipe that you could be okay with using feta, but I think it would be a recipe by recipe kind of thing. I wouldn’t try it unless I also thought other types of cheese would be substitutable as well. ---
**Author:** ![Sycorax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a4c791/32.png) [@Sycorax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sycorax)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2008, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/feta-instead-of-goat-cheese/432461/6 "2008-01-06T04:25:28Z")
The recipe is for baked boneless chicken breasts stuffed with spinach and goat cheese. In general, I think I’d prefer the feta because I like strong flavors and prefer a crumbly texture to soft; but then again, I don’t know what they’d be like after baking. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2008, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/feta-instead-of-goat-cheese/432461/7 "2008-01-06T04:51:05Z")
Feta is a great complement to spinach; that combination is seen in dishes like the Greek spanakopita/spanakotiropita (sp?), which is those two ingredients baked in phyllo. ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2008, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/feta-instead-of-goat-cheese/432461/8 "2008-01-06T04:58:17Z")
You sure you can’t get it at your local store? Don’t try looking in the dairy aisle, try looking in the specialty/imported cheeses next to the deli. ---
**Author:** ![jacquilynne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/67e7ee/32.png) [@jacquilynne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jacquilynne)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2008, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/feta-instead-of-goat-cheese/432461/9 "2008-01-06T05:01:37Z")
You likely won’t get quite the same oozy character out of feta that you would with chevre in a dish like that, but before chevre was the trendy cheese of the moment, feta was, and a lot of recipes for stuffed chicken breasts called for spinach and feta (which are, in any case, a classic combination). I think it’ll be fine. If there’s oil in the stuffing, I’d up it about 25%, otherwise, I wouldn’t worry about it. ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2008, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/feta-instead-of-goat-cheese/432461/10 "2008-01-06T05:26:54Z")
Is it a greek recipe? Because often, in Greece, Feta is made with goatmilk. ---
**Author:** ![ThisSpaceForRent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thisspaceforrent/32/345_2.png) [@ThisSpaceForRent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThisSpaceForRent)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2008, 7:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/feta-instead-of-goat-cheese/432461/11 "2008-01-06T07:40:19Z")
Try a good Montrachet cheese, a creamy white goat cheese… You will make a fantastic Poulette’(sp) Montrachet with it… tsfr ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2008, 8:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/feta-instead-of-goat-cheese/432461/12 "2008-01-06T08:19:14Z")
[QUOTE=Sycorax] The recipe is for baked boneless chicken breasts stuffed with spinach and goat cheese. In general, I think I’d prefer the feta because I like strong flavors and prefer a crumbly texture to soft; but then again, I don’t know what they’d be like after baking. [/QUOTE] Spinach and _goat_ cheese? Sounds yummy, and I insist that you post the recipe (mine uses ricotta - and no, cottage cheese is not a suitable substitute). ETA: if I’m correct in expecting that the texture of yours is supposed to be like the texture in mine, I’d recommend against using a dry, crumbly cheese such as feta. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2008, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/feta-instead-of-goat-cheese/432461/13 "2008-01-06T14:51:50Z")
[QUOTE=Sycorax] The recipe is for baked boneless chicken breasts stuffed with spinach and goat cheese. In general, I think I’d prefer the feta because I like strong flavors and prefer a crumbly texture to soft; but then again, I don’t know what they’d be like after baking. [/QUOTE] I think feta will work fine for that, myself. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2008, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/feta-instead-of-goat-cheese/432461/14 "2008-01-06T15:31:54Z")
Well if I was substituting in a cooked cheese recipe my first choice would be Fontina but I can’t imagine that you can get that where you can’t get a simple goat cheese. But it would melt best in a cooked recipe. I suppose to be a smartass you could mix it with some Marscapone, that would be close to a goat free goat’s cheese. ---
**Author:** ![Sycorax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a4c791/32.png) [@Sycorax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sycorax)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2008, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/feta-instead-of-goat-cheese/432461/15 "2008-01-06T17:05:57Z")
I didn’t have the recipe in front of me when I last posted. I got it out of our local newspaper. Not being much of a cook, the number of ingredients and time involved attracted me; also, hubby doesn’t much care for chicken because it’s “dry,” and I’m always on the lookout for a chicken recipe he might like. Anyway, here the recipe: ---
**Author:** ![Sycorax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a4c791/32.png) [@Sycorax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sycorax)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2008, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/feta-instead-of-goat-cheese/432461/16 "2008-01-06T17:18:02Z")
I’ll try this again. (Sorry, somehow I accidentally posted before I was finished.) I left out one main ingredient in previous posts. Here’s the recipe verbatim from the newspaper: Olive oil cooking spray 4 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts 10-ounce bag frozen chopped spinach, thawed 4-ounce log goat cheese, cut into 8 rounds 8 oil-packed sun-dried tomato halves Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste Preheat oven to 400 F. Line baking sheet with foil and lightly coat it with cooking spray. Carefully cut each breast almost in half horizontally, leaving about 1/2 inch of meat uncut. Peel back the top half clam shell-style. Set aside. Place the thawed spinach in the center of a kitchen towel and twist it tightly around it. Over the sink, squeeze the spinach to remove any water. Spread a quarter of the spinach over the bottom half of each breast, then top with 2 rounds of goat cheese and 2 sun-dried tomato halves. Flip the top half of the chicken breast over the fillings. Spritz the chicken with cooking spray, then season with salt and pepper. Bake for 20 minutes, then increase heat to broil. Watching carefully to prevent burning, broil the chicken for 5 minutes, or until lightly browned. I really would prefer feta, but will it work with the layering with the other two items? Thanks for the advice. ---
**Author:** ![jacquilynne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/67e7ee/32.png) [@jacquilynne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jacquilynne)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2008, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/feta-instead-of-goat-cheese/432461/17 "2008-01-06T17:27:18Z")
It’ll be fine but different. With goat cheese, you’d have got something resembling a sauce when the soft cheese melted into the remainder of the spinach water and the oil from the tomatoes, binding them together. With feta, you’ll get something more like individual layers of spinach, feta and tomato and less sauciness. ---
**Author:** ![ForumBot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ee59a6/32.png) [@ForumBot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ForumBot)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2008, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/feta-instead-of-goat-cheese/432461/18 "2008-01-06T17:31:52Z")
If your chicken is coming out dry, lower the temperature to 350 and cook for longer. Also, consider picking up a meat thermometer. ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2008, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/feta-instead-of-goat-cheese/432461/19 "2008-01-06T19:28:21Z")
To the purist, there is no other Feta except Goat Cheese Feta. Feta _is Goatcheese_. It is the original goat cheese. Between goat milk and cowmilk feta, They are both astringent and salt cured cheeses. But the goat feta is a lot creamier with some fatty roundness. It is a bit more mild and less “artificial” tasting. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2008, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/feta-instead-of-goat-cheese/432461/20 "2008-01-06T20:32:40Z")
Since Trader Joe’s is still a few hours’ north of you (in Atlanta), I’d suggest trying whatever your most upscale local grocery is. Harris Teeter? Sweetbay? I’m not familiar with NE FL, but unless you’re out in the boonies, you should have _someplace_ that has goat cheese. I think **jacquilynne** ’s probably right on how substituting feta would affect the feel of the recipe. My WAG is that the feta would give it a sharper taste than I’d want with that combination. I’d be worried that it might dominate the other flavors. With a chevre goat cheese, that’s not a concern.