Baked Feta Cheese and Olives

Why This Recipe is a Keeper!

Whether you’re hosting a gathering, planning a cozy night in, or just looking for a quick appetizer recipe to have in your arsenal that wows, Baked Feta Cheese and Olives is the perfect choice.

This Mediterranean-inspired appetizer celebrates simple, high-quality ingredients that come together quickly and easily. It’s perfect for any occasion, from casual get-togethers to elegant dinner parties.

Start with a block of feta cheese packed in brine. That liquid helps maintain the cheese’s moisture and texture and infuses it with a salty, tangy richness. Then, add simple, purchased pantry ingredients like olives, caper berries, sun-dried tomatoes, and a few fresh ingredients like lemon juice, garlic, and herbs.

This baked feta recipe is:

• Super simple with barely any prep.
• Make-ahead! Assemble the baked feta appetizer and refrigerate. The cheese will only get more flavorful by marinating in olive oil, lemon juice, and other seasonings.
• Just delicious! This luxurious feta cheese appetizer is infused with bold Mediterranean flavor and is the perfect addition to any appetizer or charcuterie spread!

Recipe Ingredients:

Here’s everything you’ll need to make this baked feta appetizer recipe and instructions for preparing the ingredients. The recipe card below has the exact quantities.

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions:

• Feta Cheese: Because feta cheese is the most important ingredient in this appetizer recipe, use good Greek feta cheese, preferably packed in brine, which is salt water. Drain and pat dry before using. The package weight is often 11-12 ounces, and drained is 7-8 ounces.
• Extra-Virgin Olive Oil: Use a good, flavorful extra-virgin olive oil.
• Caper Berries: Capers and caper berries come from the same plant, a prickly bush, and the time they’re harvested differentiates them. Caper bushes produce tiny flower buds (capers) that, when left to blossom, will eventually turn into fruits (caper berries) similar in flavor to green olives. Depending upon the brand, they can be quite salty–more salty than olives, so I don’t advise using many. A few in this baked feta cheese recipe provide a delicious salty bite and crunch from the seeds.
• Kalamata Olives: Kalamata olives are almond-shaped and have a deep purple-brown hue. If using pitted Kalamata olives, check them for pit fragments as they’re mechanically pitted.
• Castelvetrano Olives: This trendy olive from the Valle del Belice region of Sicily has a mild, buttery flavor that perfectly complements the salty feta. Castelvetrano olives have a PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) seal, so they are a little more expensive than regular green olives.
• Sun-Dried Tomatoes: Use oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes. Julienned will save you a little prep time.
• Fresh Herbs: Use fresh oregano, rosemary, and thyme. You can substitute dried oregano, but I recommend using fresh rosemary and thyme.

Step-By-Step Instructions:

• Gather and prep all the ingredients.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Place the drained feta cheese in a small baking dish.
• Pour the olive oil and lemon juice over the cheese.
• Place the crushed red pepper flakes, garlic, and sun-dried tomatoes around the feta cheese in the baking dish so it’s submerged in the olive oil.
• Top with olives and caper berries.
• Top with herb leaves.

• Bake for 25 minutes or until the oil is gently simmering and the cheese is 145 degrees in the center. (Not a food safety issue; it just means the cheese is heated through in the center.)

Storage:

• Store any leftovers in the refrigerator for up to five days. Use the leftover feta cheese on salads.

Serve as part of a Mediterranean-themed appetizer spread with:

• Artichoke Tapenade
• Caponata
• Garlic Confit
• Loaded Roasted Eggplant Dip

Get all my appetizer and snack recipes at Appetizer and Snack Recipes – From A Chef’s Kitchen.