I was a little skeptical when a friend introduced me to this baked feta cheese appetizer at a recent party. Unlike the gooey and runny baked brie concoctions I was used to, baked feta comes out of the oven kinda dry looking with barely a hint of melt. Don’t let looks fool you – baked feta is absolutely delicious, easy to make, and always one of the first things to go. Feta is a tangy and salty brined white cheese from Greece made traditionally from a blend of sheep’s and goat’s milk. It’s great crumbled on salads and is a key ingredient in the famous Greek spinach pie “spanakopita”. Feta is typically sold in slabs, is readily available, and is typically less expensive than “fancier” cheeses, making it the perfect centerpiece for this easy to make 25 minute dish. This version uses the zest and juice of an orange which helps to cut the saltiness of the feta, Kalamata olives, and some fresh mint and fennel fronds we had growing in the garden.
Baked Feta with Kalamata Olives, Orange & Herbs
There are only a handful of ingredients needed for this awesome appetizer
Ingredients
- 1 – 8 oz. block feta cheese (we like the packaged, full-fat version from Trader Joes)
- 1 orange – zest and juice of 1/2
- 1/4 cup Kalamata olives – pitted and halved
- Extra virgin olive oil for drizzling (you can use blood orange olive oil if you like the flavor)
- Fennel fronds – finely chopped handful (substitute parsley)
- Mint leaves – 4 0r 5 finely chopped
- Cracked black pepper
Ready for the oven…350 degrees for 20 minutes
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Drizzle bottom of medium baking or pie dish with olive oil and place block of feta in the middle – carefully cut into 1/4’s, leaving a little room in the center for stuffing
- Zest orange and sprinkle evenly over the feta. Cut orange in 1/2 and squeeze juice over cheese as well – be careful of seeds
- Sprinkle halved olives over and around the feta and stuff some in the middle
- Drizzle top with olive oil and season liberally with fresh cracked pepper
- Bake 20 minutes or until feta starts to just brown on the edges
- Remove from oven and sprinkle with fresh fennel fronds and chopped mint and top with some more cracked pepper, another drizzle of olive oil and a fresh spritz or orange juice
- Serve hot with mix of crackers and nice crusty bread. Eat quickly, since feta doesn’t stay soft for too long.
