Baked Feta Appetizer

This baked feta appetizer comes together in just minutes with only a handful of ingredients – olives, sun-dried tomatoes, fresh garlic, olive oil, and dried herbs. Bake it all together with a block of feta cheese until it’s warm and creamy then serve with crispy crostini!

Mediterranean Baked Feta Recipe

• It’s so quick and easy! The only prep work required for this baked feta is thinly slicing the garlic! Other than that it’s pretty much just throw everything in a baking dish and bake. Which is what makes it one of our family’s favorites.
• It’s feta like you’ve never had it before! We all watched as baked feta pasta took over the internet but this baked feta is a warm, decadent way to enjoy feta cheese in a whole new way! It’s got roasted olives, garlic, and sun-dried tomatoes in an olive oil marinade. The flavors are amazing, the texture is indulgent and the way it all comes together will make this your go-to appetizer recipe too! If you love this one be sure to check out my herb and garlic marinated feta recipe too!

Ingredients to Make Baked Feta

Feta 

For the best flavor and texture, buy a block of Greek feta (preferably in brine) instead of the pre-crumbled stuff. If you’re looking for a different flavor or don’t like sheep’s milk cheese, try using goat cheese or Brie instead of the feta. Stick with 8 ounces of cheese whichever you choose.

Pitted Olives  

A jar of pitted, Mediterranean olives will usually provide a convenient medley of green and Kalamata olives. If you’re not a fan of one or the other, though, just get the kind you prefer.

Sun-Dried Tomatoes  

If you can, get sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil rather than dried ones. Dry sun-dried tomatoes will need to be reconstituted for this recipe. If you’re not a fan of sun-dried tomatoes, try halved cherry tomatoes or diced red peppers instead!

Olive Oil  

Olive oil is a key player here, so get a good one — preferably cold-pressed, organic, extra virgin olive oil.

Fresh Garlic  

Freshly minced garlic always has a better, bolder flavor than the stuff in a jar. I understand that sometimes you just need the convenience of pre-minced garlic, but it’s not worth it for this appetizer.

Dried Oregano, Thyme, and Rosemary 

You can use an Italian seasoning blend in place of the dried oregano, dried thyme, and dried rosemary if that’s all you have available. You could also substitute with fresh herbs instead.

How to Make Baked Feta

Add feta to a small baking dish or rimmed sheet pan. Add olives and sun-dried tomatoes to the baking dish around the block of feta.

In a small dish combine olive oil, sliced garlic, oregano, thyme, rosemary, and a couple pinches of salt and pepper. Drizzle over the feta, olives, and sun-dried tomatoes. 

Bake for 20 minutes. Broil for 1-2 minutes. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and sliced French bread, crostini, crackers, or pita chips.

Tips for Making Baked Feta

• My favorite feta to use for this recipe is the kind that comes as a block in a brine liquid. Being stored in brine gives the feta cheese a lot of extra moisture which helps to increase the creaminess in this baked feta. Just make sure you drain the brine off before baking!
• If you can’t find a block in brine, just a regular block of feta will work as well. It will give you a very similar taste and texture as the feta that comes in brine. Honestly, crumbled feta would likely work too, the presentation will just be slightly different and you may need to bake it for less time.
• If you’re not into olives, try roasting the feta with grape tomatoes instead! Keep everything the same, just replace the olives with tomatoes! The tomatoes will become tender, roasted, and delicious! You could also just skip the olives altogether and enjoy this baked feta with the sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, and herbs!

Feta Appetizer Variations

This recipe is super forgiving so feel free to switch up the ingredients to suit the season or your family’s taste. Some of our favorite variations include:

• a squeeze of lemon juice
• lemon zest
• a drizzle of honey
• capers
• sliced red onion
• sliced shallot
• red pepper flakes
• fresh thyme
• fresh basil leaves

Make it Into Pasta!

• If you’re looking to switch things up a bit and take this dish from an appetizer to the main course, add your favorite al dente pasta!
• I like to add rotini, penne, or rigatoni but a longer cut of pasta like spaghetti, linguine, or fettuccine would work as well.
• Cook your pasta, reserve 1/2 a cup of pasta water, and add the cooked pasta directly to the baked feta after it’s come out of the oven. Mix the pasta and cheese together and add splashes of pasta water as needed to help the feta fully coat the pasta noodles in the creamy baked sauce.
• Season to taste with Kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper and enjoy!

Making Baked Feta Ahead of Time

This baked feta appetizer can be prepped a couple hours in advance which makes it one of my favorite foods to make for a party. Prep the feta according to the recipe instructions, cover it, and pop it in the fridge. About an hour before you want to bake it, remove it from the fridge and let it sit out on the counter to come to room temperature. When your guests arrive pop it in the oven for a warm appetizer that everyone will love!

Storing Leftover Baked Feta

If this tasty appetizer doesn’t get gobbled up immediately, storage is simple and easy. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. 

Reheating Baked Feta

Whether you made this cheesy appetizer ahead of time or are going in for your leftovers, the instructions are the same. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F, ensure your feta is in an oven-safe dish, and gently heat until warmed throughout. This usually takes somewhere around 20 minutes.

FAQ

Does feta cheese melt in the oven?

Feta cheese gets soft in the oven, but it does not melt, because of its relatively high acid content. When acidic cheeses like feta are heated, the proteins tighten, expelling moisture. That moisture evaporates and the cheese becomes too dry to liquefy. This baked feta recipe does give you soft, spreadable feta, but it’s not melted feta.

What can I do with a block of feta cheese?

An old marketing slogan promised us that, “everything’s betta with feta” and they weren’t wrong! A block of feta has endless potential and dresses up everything it touches. In this baked feta recipe, it’s transformed into a warm, cozy appetizer with sun-dried tomatoes, olives, and crispy crunchy crostini!

What goes well with feta?

Feta cheese originated in Greece and is associated with Mediterranean and modern Middle Eastern cuisine. That means feta goes well with other flavors and dishes from the same regions, including olives, hummus, pita, nuts, bell peppers, and roasted veggies. In this feta dip, we pair it with olives and sun-dried tomatoes along with garlic and herbs for a classic Mediterranean-inspired flavor!

How do you use feta in brine?

You can usually buy feta in a few different ways: in brine, vacuum packed, or crumbled. It’s technically all feta, but the feta in brine is going to be creamier and more flavorful. Once you’ve used the block of feta for this easy feta appetizer recipe, you can use the leftover brine as a base for dressing or to marinate veggies before roasting.

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