Herby Meatballs with Whipped Feta + Olives

These herby meatballs with roasted garlic whipped feta, and olives are a total showstopper. Briny, savory, layered with flavor, and all served on the creamiest feta spread you’ve ever had!

The meatball recipe you didn’t know you were missing.

These herby meatballs with roasted garlic whipped feta are everything. Tender, herb-packed beef meatballs piled on top of a silky roasted garlic feta spread, finished with a warm caper and Castelvetrano olive topping. It’s a dinner party dish that somehow only requires pantry staples.

Here’s what you’ll need.

Here’s how it all comes together.

ROAST THE GARLIC: Heat oven to 350 degrees. Slice the head of garlic in half, place cut-side up on a piece of foil, and drizzle with a teaspoon of olive oil. Wrap it up tight and roast for 60 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Things I learned while testing this recipe.

• Use a block of feta, not crumbles. Pre-crumbled feta is much drier and it won’t blend as well or get quite as smooth.
• Don’t skip the panade. It sounds fussy, but that paste is what separates a truly tender meatball from one you could use as a doorstop.
• Save your caper juice. A splash of it to deglaze picks up all the caramelized bits and adds this bright, briny punch to the topping that you can’t get any other way.
• Work in batches when searing. Crowding the pan drops the temperature, and you’ll end up steaming the meatballs instead of getting that golden crust.
• The whipped feta gets better as it sits. Make it first (or even the night before!) and let it hang out in the fridge while you do everything else. The garlic flavor deepens, and the texture gets even creamier.

Prep the night before.

There’s some slightly tedious prep time involved in this delicious recipe, but good news – you can get ahead the night before, so when it’s time for dinner, it comes together quickly and efficiently!

• ROAST THE GARLIC: This part takes about an hour, so it’s a great thing to get out of the way a night or two ahead of time. Squeeze garlic from the skins when it’s still warm and store in an airtight container in the fridge.
• MAKE THE CREAMY FETA: The creamy feta will stay good in the fridge overnight, so feel free to prep it ahead of time! Just be sure to give it a good stir and season to taste before serving the next day.
• PREP THE MEATBALLS: Mix together the meat mixture and form the meatballs. Transfer to a baking sheet and cover tightly. Refrigerate overnight. Let meatballs sit out on the counter for about an hour before cooking so they can come to room temp. You may still need to add some additional cooking/baking time to account for the colder temperature.

Just in case you have leftovers.

• STORING: Transfer leftover meatballs and olive topping to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days. Store the whipped feta in a separate container in the fridge.
• FREEZING: These herby meatballs freeze beautifully. Let them cool completely, then transfer to a freezer-safe Ziploc bag or container and freeze for up to 3 months. The whipped feta and caper topping don’t freeze well, so make those fresh when you’re ready to serve.
• REHEATING: Reheat meatballs and olive topping in a 350-degree oven for 10-15 minutes until warmed through. Or in a skillet over medium heat with a drizzle of olive oil. Pull the whipped feta from the fridge about 20 minutes before serving so it softens back up to that perfect spreadable texture, and don’t forget to season to taste with salt before serving.

The perfect high-low recipe.

I have been really into making high-low dinners lately. What does that mean exactly? Well, you take something high-end, high-quality, or high effort and pair it with something low-priced, low-effort, or super convenient.

In this recipe, we’re pairing the high:

• fresh, juicy, homemade herby meatballs
• luxuriously smooth roasted garlic feta schmear
• caper + olive pan sauce

With something low:

• frozen French fries
• frozen waffle fries
• crunchy pita chips
• fresh pita bread

I love the juxtaposition of the two together, and I also find that when I serve a meal with something “familiar” like French fries, my daughter is much more likely to eat it! The “low effort” part of the recipe also helps to balance out the “high effort” part of the recipe, so it doesn’t feel too overwhelming. For example, making crispy baked fries would be delicious with these Greek meatballs, but since we’re already making homemade meatballs, creamy feta, AND a topping, that would feel like too much to do on a busy weeknight! Frozen fries are the perfect low-effort ingredient to make this dinner feel attainable on a random Tuesday night.

What I’d serve with these meatballs.

• crispy garlic bread
• cheesy Greek garlic cheese bread
• sliced garlic cheese bread
• olive garlic cheese bread
• Caprese garlic cheese bread
• house salad with avocado homemade ranch

More easy dinners for your eating pleasure.