This Easy Baked Feta Recipe is the perfect appetizer for a crowd. A block of feta cheese is baked with cherry tomatoes, olive oil and fresh herbs. You will love the creamy, tangy feta paired with the sweet tomatoes. Serve with crostini, baguette or pita chips! 

EASY BAKED FETA RECIPE

If you have been hanging around here for a while you know I love feta cheese and I love an easy appetizer.

Today I am sharing one of my favorite mediterranean recipes for this Easy Baked Feta Recipe.

I use it in so many recipes like this Lemon Whipped Feta Dip, Chickpea Pasta with Feta, Tomato Cucumber Feta Quinoa Salad to these Roasted Carrots with Pistachios and Feta.

Today I am excited to be partnering with the American Dairy Association Mideast to bring you this Easy Baked Feta Recipe. 

Cheese can help fill the protein gap in your daily diet and this dip would be perfect for a protein filled snack or appetizer!  

It can help contribute to high-quality protein as well as calcium, phosphorus and vitamin A in our diets.

I love making this creamy spread when I am having a get together. It comes together so easily but is beautiful and delicious. It pairs great alongside a greek salad or grilled greek chicken.

A warm block of cow’s milk feta cheese is roasted with cherry tomatoes, extra virgin olive oil and fresh herbs. 

The flavors work so nicely together and make a nice dip with crostini or pita chips. 

It is also a great way to use up an abundance of tomatoes along with this Goat Cheese and Roasted Tomatoes Dip, these Oven Roasted Tomatoes or these Marinated Tomatoes.

Recipe Ingredients

• Cow’s Milk Goat Cheese: I suggest using a block of cow’s milk feta cheese in brine. I love a good creamy feta for recipes like this one.
• Cherry Tomatoes: I like to use cherry tomatoes. You can cut them in halve if you like. 
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Extra virgin olive oil helps bring out the flavor in the tomatoes and feta as they roast. You can also finish the dip off with a drizzle of olive oil after it bakes.
• Spices: I used dried oregano, basil and thyme. You can add crushed red pepper for extra spice. 
• Fresh Herbs: I like to finish this dish off with fresh oregano and parsley. 
• Lemon Zest: Lemon zest is optional but adds a nice sweet citrus flavor. 

How Do You Make This Easy Baked Feta Appetizer

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

1. Mix Tomatoes and Olive Oil: In a medium mixing bowl put the cherry tomatoes and mix with the 2 Tablespoons olive oil.

2. Add Tomatoes and Feta to the Baking Dish: Add the tomatoes in an oven safe dish. Nestle the block of feta cheese into the tomatoes.

3. Brush Feta with Oil: Brush the feta with 1 Tablespoon of olive oil making sure to cover it completely with the olive oil.

4. Add Spices: Sprinkle the dried oregano, basil, thyme, crushed red pepper and lemon zest over the feta and tomatoes.

5. Bake the Feta: Put the baking dish in the oven and baked for 20-25 minutes or until the tomatoes are just starting to burst and the feta is warm.

6. Remove the Feta: Remove and add the fresh parsley, fresh thyme, red pepper flakes and oregano. Serve warm with crostini, crusty bread or pita chips.

Dairy Farming

I have had the honor of visiting dairy farms in Ohio and love sharing their story with you all. They arte some of the most dedicated people I know to both their jobs and their animals. 

Dairy farmers are committed to help nourish communities and provide wholesome, nutritious, affordable food.

As someone who lives in Ohio I love that in Ohio and West Virginia, cows on about 1,600 dairy farms produce about 663 million gallons of milk each year. Did you know that 95% of U.S. dairy farms are family-owned and operated?

Ohio is home to about 1,550 dairy farms and 65 companies that bottle milk or make cheese.

Milk makes it from Ohio and West Virginia dairy farms to your fridge in as little as 48 hours, making it a fresh source of high-quality protein. Follow milk’s amazing journey from the cow to your glass, and learn how dairy foods, including milk, cheese and yogurt, are made.

Is Dairy Nutritious For Me?

• The amount of dairy foods you need each day depends on your age. For those 9 years or older, USDA recommends eating three daily servings of low fat or fat free milk, cheese and yogurt every day to meet dairy food group recommendations, close key nutrient gaps and contribute to nutritious and healthy eating patterns.
• Dairy foods provide nutrients people of all ages need to grow and maintain stronger bodies and minds. The protein in dairy – whey and casein – keeps you feeling full longer, provides energy to fuel your day and helps muscles recover.
• Milk, cheese and yogurt are delicious paired with plant-based foods, including whole grains and a variety of seasonal fruits and vegetables—which tend to be more affordable because they are most abundant. Pairing dairy foods with plants can help pack in nutrients that kids and adults need, and often do not get enough of in their daily diets. 
• Dairy and plants are the ultimate power couple that together deliver on calcium, vitamin D, potassium, and fiber. Research shows plant and dairy foods can help reduce the risk for chronic diseases, too. Dairy foods are often recommended as part of plant-based diets because they contain high-quality proteins and often under-consumed nutrients like calcium, vitamin D and potassium. 

Tips and Modifications for Making Baked Feta

• I suggest using a block of feta in brine when making this recipe. Drain the brine and rub the feta with a small amount of olive oil. You could also use crumbled feta cheese but I suggest whipping the feta in a mixer for about 2 minutes and spreading it in a baking dish next to the tomatoes like in this Goat Cheese and Roasted Tomato Dip recipe.
• I find that using cherry tomatoes works best in this recipe but you can use any tomato mixture you like. If you use larger tomatoes I suggest chopping them so they are easier to eat with the dip.
• You might notice that after you roast the tomatoes with the feta cheese there might be some excess water in the dish from the tomatoes. You can drain some of that out of the dish before serving if you want to. 
• If you like a touch of sweetness try a drizzle of honey on the finished baked feta dip.
• Lemon zest would be a great way to garnish this dip after it cooks and add some sweet citrus flavor. 
• I like to serve this with crostini but it would work great with baguette, pita crackers, regular crackers or pita chips.
• Try adding other ingredients like garlic cloves, green olive, kalamata olives, banana peppers or sun-dried tomatoes.

Other Appetizers You Might Like:

Honey Goat Cheese Balls

Smoked Salmon Cucumber Roll-Ups

Beef Crostini with Caramelized Onions

White Bean Artichoke Dip

Antipasto Skewers

Goat Cheese Roasted Tomato Dip

Today’s post is sponsored by the American Dairy Association Mideast. As always, opinions are 100% my own.