garlic herb baked feta and olives

A slam-banging 5 star appetizer – or shit, even dinner if you’re just having a big ole nope kinda day.

Olives, cheese, carbs…Hello, instant approval. I’m not shitting you when I say we demolished this baby while watching college football and drinking pumpkin margaritas. Yes, a weird combination. And yes, still effective.

Feta is a most diverse cheese. You can whip it and enjoy with fresh strawberry salsa, stuff it into pizza crust, bake it with zesty shrimp and tomatoes… However you choose to play with a block, it’s going to turn out amazingly. So you can trust me when I claim this is a phenomenal snack to have on hand for all sorts of autumnal occasions.

I’m thinking largely gameday currently, but I’m shelving this guy for Thanksgiving, too, or even Halloween if you’re hosting some sort of spooky soiree. The dish is utterly simple: a little toss of ingredients, a bit of time in the oven, and of course a hunk of crusty bread for dipping and scooping. Very little fuss but a whole ton of flavors ranging from briny to sweet to salty.

You bet your ass I’ll be dishing this out multiple times in the coming months, any chance I have.

Neva Forget-ta the Feta

I probably could’ve written this recipe in a single step, but because I tend to ramble and rave and rattle, probably best that I split up the narrative somewhat.

Fridge and pantry staples characterize this bombass platter. Aromatically, we’ve got smashed garlic cloves (I love keeping them whole since they become so lovely and sweet when roasted), fresh thyme, and red pepper flakes.

For the olives, choose a variety of your liking. I often use kalamata and Moroccan green olives. Buy the pitted ones so no one chokes. Well, they might choke anyway, but at least not because of your grocery shopping negligence.

I prefer to buy a block of feta that’s a bit thinner, as opposed to the thick chonks you sometimes find, since the baking time will be more reasonable.

Notes aside, this is how it’s done.

Throw your olives in a baking dish – I used 9 x 9 – along with the garlic, a sliced lemon, thyme, red pepper flakes, and a good hit of salt and pepper. Plop the feta chunk on top, and pour over the olive oil.

Then just bake it up until hot, bubbly, and the feta is soft and gooey. The cheese won’t melt overmuch, but it will take on a much more pliable texture. Pro tip: Take those lemon slices and squeeze the juice onto the olives and feta for an extra zippy flare.

Feta Friends

Serving accompaniments are totally up to you. Crackers are great, but I prefer a big toasty baguette.

Toast that bread however you like. I slice mine up, brush with oil, and throw it under the broiler until golden. You can pop pieces in your toaster, grill them, whatever. Perfect vessel no matter how you prep it.

Leftover olives and feta are quite delicious, too. I like to pop mine over any sort of simple fish or shrimp I might’ve cooked up, or chop up the components and put them in a salad. A play off my Italian Olive and White Bean Salad is a good use.

Yes. Much yes. Many yes. Wow.

Tried this recipe out? Leave a rating and comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!

Gameday mainstays:

Pumpkin Pretzels

“BLT” Dip

Crispy Buffalo Jackfruit Tacos

Cheesy Pizza Stuffed Poblanos

Spicy Buffalo Chickpea Sliders