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November 30, 2020

Baked Feta with Olives and Tomatoes

Name: Baked Feta with Olives and Tomatoes
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: PT-462326H36M16S
Total time: PT-462326H36M16S
Ingredients: 1-6 ounce block feta, drained; 1 cup assorted olives, pitted or with pits; 1/3 cup chopped marinated roasted tomatoes; 1 garlic clove, thinly sliced; 1/4 cup olive oil; 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano; Pinch of red pepper flakes; 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt; 1/4 teaspoon black pepper; Chopped fresh parsley and oregano leaves; Toasted baguette slices or crackers for serving

Looking for an easy appetizer? Serve this baked feta with tomatoes and olives warm from the oven with toasted baguette slices or crackers. It is guaranteed to be a hit.

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Looking for an easy appetizer? Serve this baked feta with tomatoes and olives warm from the oven with toasted baguette slices or crackers. It is guaranteed to be a hit.

There are so many things to love about feta. With its wonderfully salty flavor and crumbly consistency, this cheese is one of my first choices for salads like this crispy chickpea Greek salad.

But it’s pretty amazing baked too! Because of its high moisture content, feta doesn’t melt like mozzarella and cheddar when it’s warmed.

Feta in the oven will hold its shape. It’s only when you drag a cracker, hunk of bread or knife through it that you discover how it becomes scoopable and spreadable.

And what’s there not to like about a simple cheese appetizer that just involves the assembly of store-bought ingredients instead of a lot of involved cooking?

What goes with Feta?

Hailing from Greece, you can’t go wrong with Mediterranean flavors. That’s why I venture to the olive bar at the grocery or the jarred antipasti in the Italian food section.

For this baked feta recipe, I use roasted tomatoes and a blend of olives. Roasted peppers would be a great addition too.

Of course, I also include garlic in the mix of accompaniments to go with the cheese.

Block of feta in a dish with olives tomatoes, garlic and olive oil before it goes in the oven

The Ingredients

This is what you need to make this appetizer:

Feta: On its own, this cheese made from sheep milk is full of flavor and kind of salty. When you bake it, these cheese gets smooth and tastes even more intense. Feta doesn’t melt, so it will hold its shape:
Olives: I like using a Greek olive mix. It is up to you if you use olives that are pitted or still have their pits.
Tomatoes: I crack open a jar of roasted marinated tomatoes. You can find these at the olive bar at the grocery or in the Italian food section with the jarred roasted peppers, which would make a good substitution.
Garlic: Because I’m a big fan of garlic, I slice a clove and stir it with the tomatoes and olives.
Olive oil: My preference is extra virgin olive oil.
Dried spices This seasoning mix is a combination of dried oregano, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper.
Fresh herbs: Garnish the final dish with chopped parsley or fresh oregano leaves before serving.

How To Make Baked Feta with Olives and Tomatoes

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Put the block of feta cheese in the middle of a small oven safe dish. It’s important that there’s room around the cheese for the olives and tomatoes, but you don’t want to be swimming in too much space.
Stir together the olives, tomatoes and sliced garlic in a bowl. Since things end up being snug in the baking dish, I like mixing the olives, tomatoes and garlic in a separate bowl, so I get an even distribution of ingredients.
Spoon the olive and tomato mixture around the cheese.
Stir together the olive oil, dried oregano, red pepper flakes, salt and black pepper in a small bowl.
Pour the seasoned olive oil over the cheese, olives and tomatoes in the dish.
Bake the feta until it starts to brown at the edges, about 15 minutes or so.
Broil the cheese to finish browning it.
Sprinkle with chopped parsley.
Serve with toasted baguette slices or crackers.

How Long To Bake Feta

I bake the cheese for 15 minutes or so, and then I switch on the broiler for a few minutes to brown the cheese.

It’s helpful to have the dish on a top rack in the oven that’s 4-6 inches from the broiler.

Once the feta is golden brown, sprinkle it with chopped parsley and oregano leaves. Then serve it with crusty bread or crackers. You can even do pita chips.

Recipe Tips

Use high-quality ingredients: Since this recipe doesn’t involve much cooking, the flavor of the feta and the extra-virgin olive oil make a difference. I use feta all the time, so I like to try different brands to find my favorites.
Watch the cheese under the broiler: No surprise, the boiler is hot! Make sure to keep an eye on the feta because it will brown quickly under the flame.
Serve it warm or hot: This is a great appetizer to assemble right before your guests arrive. Then bake it when they are there, so you can dive into it right when it’s out of the oven. The smell is irresistible as it bakes.

What To Do With Leftovers

If for some reason you end up with leftovers, break up the feta and toss it in al dente pasta, on a pizza or with cooked grains. It’s good on a sandwich, too.

You can stir it in warm or at room temperature into a bowl of spaghetti or pearl couscous. For pizza, you can top it with crumbled feta before or after you bake it.

The cheese is wonderfully garlicky and herby. Make sure not to miss those roasted garlic slices. Wow.

More Feta Recipes

Sheet Pan Baked Feta with Vegetables
Mushroom Pepper Feta Crustless Quiche
Tomato Arugula Feta Biscuits
Roasted Tomato Olive Couscous

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