14 Healthy Recipes Featuring Beets & Goat Cheese

Cooked beets are lightly pressed and pan-fried for a charred, crispy outer crust--similar to that of smashed potatoes. The herbed goat cheese dip makes this healthy appetizer or easy side dish even more delicious.

Use every part of the vegetable in this healthy quesadilla recipe that includes the beet greens as well as the beets. Serve with a green salad topped with pepitas.

Roasting small multicolored beets makes a gorgeous topping for this healthy open-face sandwich recipe. For a flavor boost, try stirring fresh or dried herbs, such as thyme or rosemary, into the goat cheese spread. Serve with roast chicken and a green salad to make it a meal.

This stunning winter salad gets its sweet, earthy flavor from roasted beets and balsamic vinegar. Creamy goat cheese and peppery arugula add color and balance, while toasted walnuts add crunch. A mandoline is the best way to get thin, even slices from the roasted beets.

Red beets give this healthy mac and cheese recipe a pink hue. If that's a little too much for you, try using yellow beets instead.

Real maple syrup--not the "maple-flavored" fakes that line the supermarket shelves--is the key to the richly flavored dressing on this elegant salad. In this case, the darker the syrup the better; choose Grade B syrup if it's available, or the darkest "Grade A" that you can find.

A little lemon zest perks up this healthy toast with beets and goat cheese.

This beautiful strawberry and beet summer salad is perfect for a picnic or lunch on-the-go--just pack the dressing on the side!

The entire beet plant--roots, stems and greens--can be used in this stunning appetizer. The beets are roasted then pureed with goat cheese for a creamy ruby-red spread. The greens and stems are sautéed with olive oil and garlic for the topping.

Earthy and smoky have a natural affinity in this colorful and healthy side dish. The beets soften and take on flavor over the heat and then, in the last few minutes, an herby raspberry glaze adds a sweet sheen. A schmear of tangy goat cheese paired with the sweet and savory roots is the final piece of this well-balanced side.

This healthy and pretty beet salad recipe is dressed with a tangy-sweet maple-mustard vinaigrette. Use the leftover dressing for any salad later in the week.

This quinoa and roasted vegetable salad is an excellent side for chicken or steak, or skip the meat entirely and you've got a delicious vegetarian main dish. Leftovers are a perfect choice for lunch--just make an extra batch of dressing and add a touch to the cold salad before eating the next day.

Peppery radicchio mellows a bit on the grill and is offset wonderfully by the sweet beets and earthy goat cheese dressing. Rib-eye or filet mignon would also be a delicious choice in this recipe.

Sweet, quick-pickled beets, peppery watercress and the delicate licorice flavor of crunchy fennel make a healthy salad that artfully balances flavor, texture and color.