Savory Baked Brie Recipe with Pesto, Artichokes and Sun-Dried Tomatoes (2024)

FAQs

Do you take the rind off brie before baking? ›

Do you take the rind off before baking? Keep the rind on, as it will help the cheese hold its shape so it doesn't all melt out. The rind is also edible, so you can enjoy it with the melted cheese, or simply remove the top layer after baking and dunk in crusty bread like a fondue.

Be careful not to overbake the brie. The cheese can go from a melty lava-like texture to hard in the middle if it's in the oven for too long. Always bake on a piece of parchment paper as you will use it to transfer the brie from the baking sheet to your serving tray.

To avoid the rubbery texture, remove the rind of the cheese and make sure to not overbake the brie in the oven.

Yes, the soft “crust” of brie, called a bloomy rind, is edible. It grows when the beneficial molds and bacteria used in making cheese are sprayed onto the surface of the cheese before aging. The mold then produces enzymes which help the cheese ripen from the outside in (opposite of how hard cheeses ripen).

Unwrap your Brie and place your wheel on a small piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet. Note: if you have the time, take the cheese out of the refrigerator and let it sit on the counter for an hour before baking. This is optional but helps the cheese bake more evenly. Bake for 10-20 minutes in the oven.

Brie cheese is the perfect partner to jam! It pairs beautifully with jam varieties, such as: fig, apricot, blackberry, boysenberry or cherry jam.

The French will traditionally serve Brie with baguette or another crusty bread that won't compete with the cheese. Plain crackers are another convenient choice that won't detract from the cheese.

Plain saltines, whole grain and multigrain crackers all complement Brie. The cap of a wheel is often removed ( but this is not necessary) and jams or chutneys with or without seeds or nuts are poured on top. A room temperature Brie is soft enough to spread on most crackers, so it becomes a matter of taste preference.

Moderation in consumption

As brie cheese has lots of calories, don't eat too much of it. Just an ounce gives around 100 calories. To keep your weight in check, be careful about how much you eat.

What do you eat with brie cheese? ›

The French enjoy brie as its own course before dessert and honestly, brie deserves a moment. But brie can also be a great appetizer, paired with fruit, meat, puff pastry, jam, or crackers. Acidity is a lovely counterpart to this cheese's creamy, velvety nature. It spreads perfectly on bread for a quick snack any time.

The U.S. Department of Health doesn't recommend keeping any perishable food sitting out of the fridge for more than two hours — and that's certainly the case for soft cheeses, like cottage or cream cheese, brie, or fresh mozzarella.

In this baked brie recipe, I do not remove the rind because I need the surface to spread my jam and to add my beautiful nuts and toppings. The rind keeps the wheel of cheese together, and once you take it out of the oven and slice into it, all the gooey deliciousness oozes out like a nice surprise!

Most cheese experts agree that Brie is best enjoyed at room temperature. In this case, be sure to remove from the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before serving. Additionally, it's best to cut a wheel or wedge of Brie from the center point to the outer edge of the rind to get the most flavor out of it.

The long answer is when cooking brie cheese recipes, the cheese will melt but the rind won't. The rind will break down a little bit, but it won't evaporate into thin air.

When you're serving brie at home, you can cut off the rind ahead of time. Freeze the cheese for about 30 minutes, then slice off the rind with a sharp knife. Don't remove the rind if you're serving the cheese to guests, since some of them may want it.